One Player, Two BAD Calls

[Dotteump 6]

I have never had one I thought was against a team. 

I never offer anything up unless asked by my partner. I actually fired an umpire for screwing his partners over. 

[BobUmp 60]

On 6/17/2019 at 5:16 PM, Thatsnotyou said:

On the same topic here...what's a good reply to "he's making you look bad!" Just silence, I guess? Try to keep your integrity, even if your partner sucks? You have to have his back, sure, but sometimes you know your partner is just bad (starting with appearance), and you have to officiate as well as you can just to make up for it and hope they notice your effort and accuracy.  It's uncomfortable all around.

Yes, certainly uncomfortable, but like any other job or profession, when "they" (whoever they are) try to divide and conquer, or at least gather ammunition to shoot the other guy up with, you are now put in the middle of the sh***, so "embrace the suck" : "You know what, coach, just rank me the same as him, because I don't think he is all that bad, and you're putting me in a bad situation here"

[Thatsnotyou 94]

3 minutes ago, BobUmp said:

Yes, certainly uncomfortable, but like any other job or profession, when "they" (whoever they are) try to divide and conquer, or at least gather ammunition to shoot the other guy up with, you are now put in the middle of the sh***, so "embrace the suck" : "You know what, coach, just rank me the same as him, because I don't think he is all that bad, and you're putting me in a bad situation here"

I'd like to not invite a torpedo of my ranking. I get having his back, obviously, I just don't know if I'd say that. I'd probably still play the silent card, unless we need to move to warn/eject.

[conbo61 738]

On 6/13/2019 at 12:24 PM, The Short Umpire said:

1. I completely agree. I probably didn't give quite as context as I could have, but I'm always open to being wrong, especially because from behind the plate I don't have the correct angle to really see that play. 

2. I also agree. He had a great game and I don't question him, or his integrity. I've done lots of games with him and have known him for years.

What I was really trying to say was that it was a weird coincidence that the only calls I would have called the opposite way were against the same kid. That being said some people would take that situation and possibly have doubts which got me to the hypothetical "what if I truly deep down suspected my partner of doing something like this?" I wasn't trying to accuse my partner, just kind of a day dream, but I should have chosen my words differently as to not give that impression.

Would not even entertain these thoughts. $h!t happens. Almost sounds like both calls could be attributed to making a call too quickly.  

Like any "off" game (yours or a partner's), review it, learn from it and try not to make the same mistakes. 

After that, let it go.

[beerguy55 489]

On 6/12/2019 at 11:30 PM, The Short Umpire said:

Now I'm not accusing my partner of anything, but I found it interesting that the same kid got the short stick twice in the same night.

This is something you should never find interesting, and unfortunately, because some people do find it interesting is why some people - those who don't understand statistics and variance and deviation, etc - decide that the ump is, umm, not showing optimal integrity.

On 6/12/2019 at 11:30 PM, The Short Umpire said:

But I was curious if any of you ever had a game where you really wondered if you partner wasn't calling the game straight up

I want to see a pattern over dozens of calls, if not hundreds...and not the obvious ones because, (unless REALLY bold) even a full-blown cheat isn't going to make it obvious.  I want to see dozens of close calls that all go towards one team or one player before I even start thinking that something is up.

Even in rec league games where the home team provides a parent volunteer umpire, when you would expect that some close calls would favor the home team (unconsciously, not intentionally) you don't see that type of pattern.

Unless the cheater is a real idiot you should never be able to determine he's cheating in the course of one or two games.