Hey Partner, Answer Your Text Messages

[NateWalter]

If you've been assigned with a new partner, do that person a favor and answer text messages that are sent regarding the game!

I was working with a college kid for a 13U doubleheader, and about an hour prior to the games, texted him introducing myself, and asked, "hey [name], two questions: what color shirt are you wanting to wear, I have black, navy and powder blue and do you want to work plate first game or second?"

30 minutes to game time, I hadn't heard a response. I didn't see him in the parking lot. There was no one changing into gear anywhere else. So I text back, "I'm gearing up, wearing navy. I'll let you work plate second game"... I geared up, walked to the field (the parking lot is a good distance from the fields) and there he was: in his plate gear, wearing powder blue... playing on his phone.

He sees me, comes over and I ask him if he didn't get any of my messages. He did. He just "forgot" to respond to them. One of the coaches even mentions, "uh oh, they didn't communicate"... and it makes us look like idiots. It's 15 minutes to game time, and it's gonna take me at least 10 to get to my vehicle, gear down, and get back. So I just take off the plate gear in a dugout.

My partner parked and took his umpire gear to the field and changed at the field, so he was able to switch into a navy shirt, but it just looked embarrassing for both of us.

Moral of the story: check your text messages when you're at the field. Communicate with your partner. If you don't know their number, get it from the assignor or Arbiter or whatever fancy-schmancy scheduling software your league uses. Otherwise, you'll both look like total morons.

[ErichKeane]

I'll note: texting an hr until game time is too late, umpires should be texting the night before if at all possible.  He obviously doesn't have an excuse here since he was on his phone, but many of us don't carry our phones to the field (or dressing-area if one exists), so if i get there an hr before like I often do, you won't catch me.

That said, as you tell it, that does make you look foolish there...

[ousafe]

I'd say it's very important to have a pregame at least 30 minutes prior to game time. Unless all is agreed ahead of time, our association's standard is to meet 45 mins ahead of gametime in the lot, and if running late, you must call your partner and make arrangements.

[Thunderheads]

partner communication should happen at least 24 hours ahead of game time if not sooner IMHO

[SeeingEyeDog]

My association model...

Crew chief is bolded in Arbiter by the assigners. Crew chief should contact the crew (typically email or text) no less than 48 hours prior to game time with the following information:

1. Re-state the date, time and location of the game
2. State the arrival time and parking location

Because of our local manpower issues, game slots are changing frequently...many times day of game so, of course you have to re-connect with your crew as changes are made. If there's a day of game change, that's a phone call.

If you're on a crew and your chief has not contacted you, then you would want to reach out to them directly. (Arbiter notes when each crew member accepted the game slot. If someone hasn't accepted the game slot, that should be a flag for you...)

Upon arriving at the field, the chief assigns plate and bases and then the plate umpire (whether it's the chief or not) chooses the shirt color based on what the rest of the crew has in their inventory. Things like what the OP described still happen of course but, just ask yourself...do you have a model? Are people not routinely following the model? If so, open a dialog about it...

~Dawg

[ArchAngel72]

You guys get to work with a partner?

 

Oh man... I have not seen another soul out on the field since Playoffs last year..

😥

[noumpere]

Working alone won't be the worst partner you've ever worked with.

[ErichKeane]

1 minute ago, noumpere said:

Working alone won't be the worst partner you've ever worked with.

Oh, absolutely... I've definitely had at least 1 partner I wish I'd been working alone instead of with...

[834k3r]

18 minutes ago, noumpere said:

Working alone won't be the worst partner you've ever worked with.

[NateWalter]

1 hour ago, Thunderheads said:

partner communication should happen at least 24 hours ahead of game time if not sooner IMHO

I wasn't even told who my partner was until about 90 minutes before the game.

We get a lot of guys from the local college baseball teams that umpire, and if they have makeup games, the kids don't communicate that with the director. This forces him to move umpires around from field to field, and often the partner we were assigned to a week earlier is not the partner we end up working with.

I'm working my game tonight (or supposed to be) with a regular, so if it stays the same, we shouldn't have this problem.

[BigBlue4u]

3 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

partner communication should happen at least 24 hours ahead of game time if not sooner IMHO

Long before cell phones, and calling partners before game time, I worked for an assigner who just scheduled umpires to work the game, without indicating plate/base assignment.  So, I would get to the game a half-hour or so before gametime and no partner to be seen.  So, I would gear up and go to the field.  And, guess what?  There is my partner, dressed to work the bases, at home plate chatting it up with the coaches.  The impression is that I was late getting to the game and everyone was waiting for me.  Talked about PISSED OFF!!!!

[The Man in Blue]

I'll admit this is something that I used to be bad about ... but I frequently worked with the same old-timers over and over.  When I went down south and didn't know anybody, I tried to develop this habit and stick to it.

I don't reach out the night before with guys I already know.  After a few bad experiences last year, I am starting to do the day before for new partners.

[ArchAngel72]

21 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

You guys get to work with a partner?

 

Oh man... I have not seen another soul out on the field since Playoffs last year..

😥

 

 

Ok So this thread must have been a sign.

 

Last night,  **sniff**,   I had a partner.....  **Sniff**

 

Thank you, 

 

 

 

 

So yeah Jr umpire from the clinic we put on late last month.  He is of course totally Green I stuck him at 1st and taught him A-B positioning and when to be in A and when to be in B, Left 1st and 2nd to him and took the rest myself, As he had never been on the field before. 

He did "ok"   Of course needs work on mechanics of signaling and a to be more vocal.  But he got several calls and all correct. There was one "controversial" call 

Hot shot over F6 but he was able to jump and grab it. R1 had taken too many steps towards 2nd and there was a throw to F3. R1 arrived at the bag same moment the ball did, but it hit R1 in the back.  Now from my position looking up 1st base line from 1b extended I saw the ball strike the runner.  ( thats nothing ) at this point he is safe.  Now when he got struck his foot popped up off the bag momentarily ( I assume from pain) I did see that. What I could not see was due to him turning slightly to face me was the fielder in his attempt to field the ball had his glove up against his back and the ball upon striking the runner fell into his glove. Which was touching the runner.

Now the VT coach went a little vocal and was upset when  My partner called him out.    I could not see the tag.  Its 1st base. Not my call... Had I been alone I would have called him safe. 

Coach asked for help.  I called time and conferred with my partner. I say OK what did you see.  He tells me the runners foot came off the bag after he got hit and the fielder had the ball in his glove touching the runner at that point.  I tell him what I saw which was everything but his portion of the tag. My angle did not allow me to see it.  Ok he's out.   I tell him you make that call again now..  He signals and says "Out"   VT coach was upset but we moved on...

overall a decent game 5.5 innings in under 1:45  

I know I missed 3 strikes called them balls maybe a 4th too... All curve balls that I said Ball.. then when I stood I went in my head "Idiot that hit was over the outside corner"... Sigh..

 

 

Oh I found out I had a partner 5 minutes before 1st pitch... 

so yeah .. LOL

 

 

 

[Jimurray]

11 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

 

 

Ok So this thread must have been a sign.

 

Last night,  **sniff**,   I had a partner.....  **Sniff**

 

Thank you, 

 

 

 

 

So yeah Jr umpire from the clinic we put on late last month.  He is of course totally Green I stuck him at 1st and taught him A-B positioning and when to be in A and when to be in B, Left 1st and 2nd to him and took the rest myself, As he had never been on the field before. 

He did "ok"   Of course needs work on mechanics of signaling and a to be more vocal.  But he got several calls and all correct. There was one "controversial" call 

Hot shot over F6 but he was able to jump and grab it. R1 had taken too many steps towards 2nd and there was a throw to F3. R1 arrived at the bag same moment the ball did, but it hit R1 in the back.  Now from my position looking up 1st base line from 1b extended I saw the ball strike the runner.  ( thats nothing ) at this point he is safe.  Now when he got struck his foot popped up off the bag momentarily ( I assume from pain) I did see that. What I could not see was due to him turning slightly to face me was the fielder in his attempt to field the ball had his glove up against his back and the ball upon striking the runner fell into his glove. Which was touching the runner.

Now the VT coach went a little vocal and was upset when  My partner called him out.    I could not see the tag.  Its 1st base. Not my call... Had I been alone I would have called him safe. 

Coach asked for help.  I called time and conferred with my partner. I say OK what did you see.  He tells me the runners foot came off the bag after he got hit and the fielder had the ball in his glove touching the runner at that point.  I tell him what I saw which was everything but his portion of the tag. My angle did not allow me to see it.  Ok he's out.   I tell him you make that call again now..  He signals and says "Out"   VT coach was upset but we moved on...

overall a decent game 5.5 innings in under 1:45  

I know I missed 3 strikes called them balls maybe a 4th too... All curve balls that I said Ball.. then when I stood I went in my head "Idiot that hit was over the outside corner"... Sigh..

 

 

Oh I found out I had a partner 5 minutes before 1st pitch... 

so yeah .. LOL

 

 

 

Mechanics and philosophy might be different with "Jr" umpires in your area but if I was giving a clinic to "Jr" umpires in my area I would tell them that only the calling umpire can ask for help, requested by the coach, or required by a circumstance. Your non calling partner will not entertain requests from a coach to offer help if asked and will tell the coach it's your call. The coach can then ask the calling ump to get help or not and the calling ump can get help or not depending on his judgement. He should be asking you a question not you asking what the calling ump saw.

[concertman1971]

Years ago I was working some 10 or 12 u rec ball and they gave us a jr ump on the bases. Kid couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 himself. He had a call at 3b, coach wanted help. I went to the kid, asked what he had he said (with confidence) "I have clean firm possession of the ball, and a tag". His language and poise caught me a bit off guard! I looked at coach, gave the out signal, and went back to the plate to work the game. 

[SeeingEyeDog]

1 hour ago, concertman1971 said:

Years ago I was working some 10 or 12 u rec ball and they gave us a jr ump on the bases. Kid couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 himself. He had a call at 3b, coach wanted help. I went to the kid, asked what he had he said (with confidence) "I have clean firm possession of the ball, and a tag". His language and poise caught me a bit off guard! I looked at coach, gave the out signal, and went back to the plate to work the game. 

Who's cuttin' onions in here?!?!?! I'm not cuttin' onions in here!

~Dawg

[Jimurray]

58 minutes ago, concertman1971 said:

Years ago I was working some 10 or 12 u rec ball and they gave us a jr ump on the bases. Kid couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 himself. He had a call at 3b, coach wanted help. I went to the kid, asked what he had he said (with confidence) "I have clean firm possession of the ball, and a tag". His language and poise caught me a bit off guard! I looked at coach, gave the out signal, and went back to the plate to work the game. 

Is this something with Jr. umpires? Please tell me you would not go to an adult partner if the coach wanted help from you on your partner's call. Do leagues with minor umpires not allow adult coaches to discuss calls with minor umpires due to possible intimidation or other reason? Little League does not have that restriction but does require the adult partner to monitor the discussion.

FAQs

"What is a senior umpire to do when a junior umpire is approached by a manager questioning a call?

The senior umpire should move close enough so that they can step in if needed. This is something that should be talked about in the pregame conversation between umpires."

[The Man in Blue]

On a more basic level ... make sure your phone number is up to date on official sources.

I have a new partner tomorrow on a game that I took for a friend. Had to get on the state website to find a phone number for the guy ... and got a pretty quick reply that it wasn't his number (but the person gets messages for him all the time).  

[ArchAngel72]

On 4/20/2023 at 8:43 PM, Jimurray said:

Mechanics and philosophy might be different with "Jr" umpires in your area but if I was giving a clinic to "Jr" umpires in my area I would tell them that only the calling umpire can ask for help, requested by the coach, or required by a circumstance. Your non calling partner will not entertain requests from a coach to offer help if asked and will tell the coach it's your call. The coach can then ask the calling ump to get help or not and the calling ump can get help or not depending on his judgement. He should be asking you a question not you asking what the calling ump saw.

 

The coaches always go to the actual Umpire as we are in charge of the whole game and have been told with the Jr. Umpires we can overule a bad call by them by just doing it.

Hence why they tell us. I want help on that call.

 

I went to him and discussed it with him cause my view was blocked and I wanted to hear what he saw..

 

[concertman1971]

1 hour ago, ArchAngel72 said:

 

The coaches always go to the actual Umpire as we are in charge of the whole game and have been told with the Jr. Umpires we can overule a bad call by them by just doing it.

Hence why they tell us. I want help on that call.

 

I went to him and discussed it with him cause my view was blocked and I wanted to hear what he saw..

 

this was exactly how the league wanted things handled. This kid was so confident in his judgement, I was NOT going to change a thing. 

[The Man in Blue]

8 hours ago, concertman1971 said:

this was exactly how the league wanted things handled. This kid was so confident in his judgement, I was NOT going to change a thing. 

And thus ... a junior umpire becomes a senior umpire.

[SeeingEyeDog]

39 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

And thus ... a junior umpire becomes a senior umpire.

The way...this is.

~Dawg