Warnings

[umpire_scott]

Had a situation in a AAA 15U tournament this weekend.  Started early in the game.  I'm in "C" and a fly ball is lifted to left-center.  There is a runner on third.  As the catch is made I signal out and verbalize "catch".  Just before I verbalize "catch" I hear the coach verbalize "go".  PU has the tag, R3 scores and no one questions whether he left early.  Next batter comes up and the 3rd base coach (Team B) and DC (Team A) are chirping at each other.  When I realize it is far from friendly I put a stop to it by issuing warnings.  Then the 3rd base coach asks if I heard what he did trying to trick his runner.  So apparently it was the DC that yelled "go" early to try and get his to leave early.  What a bush league move I thought.  Now I know why the 3rd base coach was pissed.  Coaches shut up and we go to the next half inning.  #2 comes to bat for Team A.  Coach for Team B calls time to converse with his pitcher and defense.  First base coach turns to me and says "there going to hit this kid.  When they were jawing at each other earlier he asked our head coach which kid was his"  First pitch comes inside, but batter wasn't in any real danger to get hit.  Next pitch is high and tight.  First base coach asks if I'm going to do anything about this.  I told him I had no proof that the coach did instructed his pitcher to do anything.  I said I did not hear him asking about the kids number so I can't just go on what you are telling me happened.  Pitcher ends up throwing a couple of strikes and the count goes full.  On the full count pitch the batter gets hit.  Now the coaches for Team A are pissed and start openly accusing Team B's coach of instructing his pitcher to throw at the coaches son.  I call time and issue warnings to both coaches that if another kid gets hit and we determine it was purposeful both the pitcher and head coach for that team will be ejected.  It apparently worked because there were no other problems.  Any advice on how to better handle this situation is appreciated.

[scrounge]

Why on earth are you doing the warnings as base umpire? Now, it's entirely fine to get together with your plate umpire and let him know what you've heard and any gut feelings you have, but this is his business. Was he completely inept, or did you jump into his pond and make a big show of things?

[maineump]

Yeah the "Go" was bush league, but as you said - you can't prove or disprove it.

As far as throwing at the hitter? Does a pitcher at that age have the ability to put the ball right where he wants every time?

Sounds like this entire thing was coach generated. Good job on the warnings to shut it down.

[noumpere]

50 minutes ago, umpire_scott said:

Had a situation in a AAA 15U tournament this weekend.  Started early in the game.  I'm in "C" and a fly ball is lifted to left-center.  There is a runner on third.  As the catch is made I signal out and verbalize "catch".  Just before I verbalize "catch" I hear the coach verbalize "go".  PU has the tag, R3 scores and no one questions whether he left early.  Next batter comes up and the 3rd base coach (Team B) and DC (Team A) are chirping at each other.  When I realize it is far from friendly I put a stop to it by issuing warnings.  Then the 3rd base coach asks if I heard what he did trying to trick his runner.  So apparently it was the DC that yelled "go" early to try and get his to leave early.  What a bush league move I thought.  Now I know why the 3rd base coach was pissed. 

You normally don't want to get together with your partner between innings.  Here's a good spot to do so.

[Replacematt]

31 minutes ago, noumpere said:

You normally don't want to get together with your partner between innings.  Here's a good spot to do so.

The last time I got together was for this reason. Pitcher mouthed off to BR when he was the one leading off the next inning.

[MidAmUmp]

2 hours ago, umpire_scott said:

I'm going to give you what I have below in red...

 

Had a situation in a AAA 15U tournament this weekend.  Started early in the game.  I'm in "C" and a fly ball is lifted to left-center.  There is a runner on third.  As the catch is made I signal out and verbalize "catch".  Was this a trouble ball or a can of corn? If it's a can of corn, you don't need to announce the obvious. Your partner should be lining up the catch/tag so he should know when the ball was touched and the runner can legally leave the base. Just before I verbalize "catch" I hear the coach verbalize "go".  PU has the tag, R3 scores and no one questions whether he left early.  Did your partner hear any of this? He's got the field in front of him, surely he could distinguish who said "go". Next batter comes up and the 3rd base coach (Team B) and DC (Team A) are chirping at each other.  When I realize it is far from friendly I put a stop to it by issuing warnings.  Then the 3rd base coach asks if I heard what he did trying to trick his runner.  So apparently it was the DC that yelled "go" early to try and get his to leave early.  What a bush league move I thought.  Now I know why the 3rd base coach was pissed.  ***Based on what you've said so far, I'm going to operate under the assumption that your partner is clueless about handling situations, so I, as a veteran umpire would step in at this point and take charge to keep the game from getting out of control...meaning I wouldn't normally do this but given the circumstances I'm not letting the game get out of hand either.*** My response would have been "No, I didn't hear that, but it's going to stop right now. (Pointing to the defensive coach) If you did that, knock it off, that's a good way to get someone hurt. (Pointing to the offensive coach) You knock it off. I've handled it and we're not going to put up with either of you guys." Coaches shut up and we go to the next half inning.  In between 1/2 innings I would have moseyed in and told my partner that this game is starting to get SH*#ty and formulate a plan moving forward...what we're going to do if the back and forth doesn't stop, if there's a throwing incident, etc. #2 comes to bat for Team A.  Coach for Team B calls time to converse with his pitcher and defense.  First base coach turns to me and says "there going to hit this kid.  When they were jawing at each other earlier he asked our head coach which kid was his"  I probably would have done something at this point. In all likelihood I would have told the first baseman, "You guys had better not do anything stupid right here or that guy (pitcher) is done. I don't know what your coach told you, but I'd suggest you tell your pitcher I said he'd better not hit this batter on purpose." On the other hand, again going off the assumption that your partner is oblivious to what's going on I might have gone to the mound, or met the coach on the way back to his dugout and told him, if you do something stupid right here, you and your pitcher are done. (is it by the book...no...but throw the book out the window).  First pitch comes inside, but batter wasn't in any real danger to get hit.  Next pitch is high and tight.  First base coach asks if I'm going to do anything about this.  I told him I had no proof that the coach did instructed his pitcher to do anything.  I said I did not hear him asking about the kids number so I can't just go on what you are telling me happened.  Pitcher ends up throwing a couple of strikes and the count goes full.  On the full count pitch the batter gets hit.  Now the coaches for Team A are pissed and start openly accusing Team B's coach of instructing his pitcher to throw at the coaches son.  I call time and issue warnings to both coaches that if another kid gets hit and we determine it was purposeful both the pitcher and head coach for that team will be ejected.  It apparently worked because there were no other problems.  Any advice on how to better handle this situation is appreciated. Dude, based on all of this evidence, the jury would have even convicted O.J. Take charge of the game.

 

[umpire_scott]

I should have been a little more specific but the post seemed long enough as it was.  My partner was younger and somewhat timid.  He did originally tell the coaches to cut it out. But they basically ignored him and kept at each other and then I stepped in and told them the chirping was going to stop or both were going to the parking lot.  I did discuss the situation between innings with my partner and he claimed he even knew it was the bench coach that yelled "go", but that he was going to "talk to him between innings" rather than right when it happened.  I honestly did not even consider batters being thrown at.  I've never had a situation like that so it wasn't even on my radar.  I just reiterated to him that anymore comments from the coaches towards each other and they were gone.  At this point when the HBP pitch occurred I did not trust my partner to handle it, plus he did not know what the first base coach said to me about the one coach asking which kid was the other coaches.  So when the first two pitches came inside he had no clue that anything was going on, so I sort of have to be the one to handle that.  I'll admit I was reluctant to issue a warning prior to the kid getting hit as I do think a coach has a right to tell his pitcher to pitch inside.  I like the "if you are doing this . . . then" approach.  I will use that in the future as it doesn't assume any prejudice.  

I'm indecisive by nature though.  I always try and think things through before making a decision.  And when it involves things I have not had to deal with a lot I'm even more careful.  This quality often serves me well in umpiring, but clearly is just as big a detriment in certain situations as well.

[noumpere]

7 hours ago, umpire_scott said:

I'm indecisive by nature though.  

Are you?

[umpire_scott]

9 minutes ago, noumpere said:

Are you?

Not sure if you are riding me with sarcasm or questioning me?  But yes I am.  Like I said it serves me well sometimes as I tend to think through all possibilities before making a decision.  But sometimes decisiveness is necessary and it's a weakness of mine.

[udbrky]

That's something you should really work on on the field.

 

Go over rules and interpretation manuals. Make sure that you have them down. 

Take your time on calls, oviis, process the information, but don't do so to the point where it looks like this:

 

Make the call, be confident (fake it till you make it).

[noumpere]

4 hours ago, umpire_scott said:

Not sure if you are riding me with sarcasm or questioning me?  But yes I am.  Like I said it serves me well sometimes as I tend to think through all possibilities before making a decision.  But sometimes decisiveness is necessary and it's a weakness of mine.

I was pointing out the humourous (to me) nature of your statement.

If you really are indecisive, you won't be able to make a certain statement that you are.

And, if you can make such a statement, then you really aren't indecisive.

[NCAAump2]

6 hours ago, noumpere said:

Are you?

I see what you did there.