Partner From Heck

[ElkOil]

He wasn't so bad that he was from Hell.  He's a nice guy that isn't so great at applying the rules.

I'm BU.  15U game.  Batter hits a pop-up on the first base line and as he's running, collides with the pitcher, who's going for the ball.  Ball drops in foul ground.  Easy call, as far as I'm concerned.  But my partner says, "Foul ball!" and the fans start getting on him.  I trot over and we talk.

"Looked like interference to me," I said.  Then he said something that told me bought into one of the many baseball myths.

"The runner was in the baseline."  Ugh.

"That doesn't matter.  The fielder has the absolute right to field the ball unimpeded.  This is interference."

"That's not what I saw," he said.  Oh.  Oh, no.  He's obstinate, too?  He wanted the proverbial sandwich, he could have it.  I gave him my input and he didn't want it.  Fair enough.

"Okay," I said.  "Your call."  Then I just turned an jogged back to B.

 Now, I'm confident that the fans were collectively thinking that after an obvious missed call, and the umpires getting together, surely things would be made right.  Right?  Nope.  My partner signals foul.  The fans erupt.  They're yelling things like, "Read the rule book!" "That's terrible!" and stuff like that.  Then the coach comes out and talks with my partner.  He walks away after a minute, shaking his head.

Between innings, my partner and I talked and he said he didn't think it was interference because the defensive player who collided with the batter-runner wasn't the one calling for the ball.

Ohhhhhhh...

Edited June 29, 2015 by ElkOil

[JaxRolo]

That's one of those  partners you do not talk to between innings! Stay away.

mention it to assigner.

[noumpere]

Between innings, my partner and I talked and he said he didn't think it was interference because the defensive player who collided with the batter-runner wasn't the one calling for the ball.

 

​Well, the defensive player who is calling for the ball is *usually* the protected defender.

 

And, depending on where the ball was /how high it was, I would expect F3 to take this play at the 15U level

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that there's more to the story.

[maven]

I think you might have given up on him a step too fast. He might have been on the right track: one fielder is protected, and when the BR collides with him you've got INT. So far, so good.

Stick to the conversation a little more, and you might have gotten to the judgment call concerning who is protected. Maybe not: your initial assessment that he was both wrong and stubborn might have proved correct, but it's a good idea to arrive at that as a last resort. A few more words, and you might have corrected his mistaken principle (protection need not follow the fielder calling for it, but rather goes to the one most likely to make the play).

That call is important to get right, not least of all for game management, so that's another reason to stick with it a bit longer.

[Kevin_K]

Between innings, my partner and I talked and he said he didn't think it was interference because the defensive player who collided with the batter-runner wasn't the one calling for the ball.

​I have been taught over the years to not talk to my partner between innings, especially when it follows a controversial situation.

[ElkOil]

I think you might have given up on him a step too fast. He might have been on the right track: one fielder is protected, and when the BR collides with him you've got INT. So far, so good.

Stick to the conversation a little more, and you might have gotten to the judgment call concerning who is protected. Maybe not: your initial assessment that he was both wrong and stubborn might have proved correct, but it's a good idea to arrive at that as a last resort. A few more words, and you might have corrected his mistaken principle (protection need not follow the fielder calling for it, but rather goes to the one most likely to make the play).

That call is important to get right, not least of all for game management, so that's another reason to stick with it a bit longer.

To @noumpere's point, there's a little more to this that I omitted for brevity in the OP.  ​During our conference, I saw trouble brewing when I read his body language.  He was acting like I was a coach arguing a call instead of his partner trying to get it right.  As we talked, he crossed his arms over his chest, leaned backward a bit and grimmaced like he was just humoring me.  And when he said, "That's not what I saw," he did so with a look that conveyed more than his words.  This is my first year, and his fifth of calling ball.  And yes, my other partner for the day (long-time veteran who has worked with this guy before) gave me a word of warning that something just like this might happen.  Add to it all that this was his first time calling a ballgame in over a year.

We talked about it during the post-game and he went on and on rationalizing his reasons for the call and he kept bringing up new points so it seemed his thought process wasn't fully formed and he was looking for ways to justify it.

Edited June 29, 2015 by ElkOil

[JaxRolo]

It definitely sounds like "that guy"

 

And I agree with not talking to partners during the game.

[maven]

We talked about it during the post-game and he went on and on rationalizing his reasons for the call and he kept bringing up new points so it seemed his thought process wasn't fully formed and he was looking for ways to justify it.

​Ugh. I know that guy. He doesn't care about getting it right. He wants everyone to think he's right.

[Mudisfun]

Question on this... if you saw the interference why did you not signal and make the call yourself? Either umpire can call interference when they see it so putting this 100% on your partner seems a little unfair.

As for his reaction once you two go together I think you went the right way if his demeanor was extremely defensive and close minded.

[ricka56]

I know that guy too...I pretty sure every chapter has one. You can't catch him making a mistake because the story constantly changes. In your case, he says, ""The runner was in the baseline., and you rightly point out that that doesn't matter. Then, after he mulls over what you said, the story changes to,  "the defensive player who collided with the batter-runner wasn't the one calling for the ball".

That guy in our chapter has never made a mistake that he can't change the story to cover his tracks. And unless you have video, arguing with him is fruitless and frustrating. I just pray he doesn't turn my game to crap whenever I have to work with him.

 

[ElkOil]

Question on this... if you saw the interference why did you not signal and make the call yourself? Either umpire can call interference when they see it so putting this 100% on your partner seems a little unfair.

As for his reaction once you two go together I think you went the right way if his demeanor was extremely defensive and close minded.

​He already made the ruling of a foul and I wasn't comfortable being that overt with a call he just made.  I preferred to handle it in our little conference, but you know what they say about best laid plans...

[ElkOil]

I know that guy too...I pretty sure every chapter has one. You can't catch him making a mistake because the story constantly changes. In your case, he says, ""The runner was in the baseline., and you rightly point out that that doesn't matter. Then, after he mulls over what you said, the story changes to,  "the defensive player who collided with the batter-runner wasn't the one calling for the ball".

That guy in our chapter has never made a mistake that he can't change the story to cover his tracks. And unless you have video, arguing with him is fruitless and frustrating. I just pray he doesn't turn my game to crap whenever I have to work with him.

 

​In fact, it changed later on again once I mentioned protecting one fielder.  He mentioned something about choosing to grant protection, but they way he said it made me think he never heard the term before.

[maven]

That guy in our chapter has never made a mistake that he can't change the story to cover his tracks. And unless you have video, arguing with him is fruitless and frustrating. I just pray he doesn't turn my game to crap whenever I have to work with him.

 

​Yep. That's him. I have the same hope.

[jkumpire]

​Yep. That's him. I have the same hope.

​I think I have worked with him too... sorry to know you get that privilege regularly.

[bam]

That's one of those  partners you do not talk to between innings! Stay away.

mention it to assigner.

​I dunno about between innings, but that's not a conversation I start if I'm not the one making the call

[MPLSMatt]

I had a partner who was the nicest dude on Saturday, but he was going to get me killed....  He was one of those guys who knew just enough to be dangerous. There were a number of things that I found funny but the 3 that I was sure were going to blow up were:

1) Putting the ball in play (good), even when the ball was never dead - IE, after a strike out (Bad). 

2) He's in B, R3, chopper to F6, 1b is falling from the bag as he catches it and it's just a matter of if he held the bag long enough.  Play happens, he gives no signal, points to me and emphatically says "Did he pull his foot?"  Mind you, I have to stay home to get R3s touch of the plate.   I bang him (BR) out and (predictably)  OC is all pissed at me over a call that isn't mine to start with.  Honestly, if he'd have done it right - made a call and then talked to me I would've said "it was a coin toss from where I am, I've got whatever you do." 

3) During game 2 (new teams) he is PU and announces "blue coaches to the plate" and "red coaches, to the plate."  1 team has 2 coaches, 1 team has 3 and he never makes them ID the head coach.  He buzzes through the whole meeting without asking me if I had anything, so there was no place to say "who's the head coach?" without big timing him...  So now we have to engage any coach at any time because no one knows who's the head coach...  

All of that said, the games went off find - I just thought that the situation was a bit of a tinderbox.  

[JaxRolo]

." 

.  He buzzes through the whole meeting without asking me if I had anything, so there was no place to say "who's the head coach?" without big timing him...  So now we have to engage any coach at any time because no one knows who's the head coach...  

 .  

I would have said something at this point.

[Majordave]

I will definitely speak up at a plate meeting if a crucial issue is missed by my partner running the meeting. Especially if it's a new umpire or new to this level of play umpire. Or if I have any belief that he(she-only worked with one female umpire ever) isn't sure of themselves as evidenced by a less than complete plate meeting or pre-game conference between ourselves.  My rep is often only as good as my partners when the bullets start to fly and the dugouts are burning down. 

My .02.....YMMV. 

[ElkOil]

I would have said something at this point.

​Agreed.  I've piped up when my partner neglected to ask a question.  It's no big deal.