Time Between innings.

[JonnyCat]

1 hour ago, Jimurray said:

“Hey 10 stay close”. Little hand wave. 

Exactly! It doesn't take much, just a quick reminder to get the kid back in the box.

[The Man in Blue]

10 hours ago, JonnyCat said:

Exactly! It doesn't take much, just a quick reminder to get the kid back in the box.

A quick reminder is fine, but, as @ErichKeane relayed, you also need to be willing to pull the trigger when a quick reminder is not working. 

As for your story Erich, I think that I would have been a redass after that and said, "OK, coach, but if I call that strike, it will be followed with your ejection since you just told me you are deliberately delaying the game AND ignoring my instruction to stop."  (Maybe I'm just grumpy today.)

As for watches, I was also brought up with the "don't wear a watch" mantra, but my opinion has changed.  Of course, it depends on the game ... if there is a time limit, feel free to wear a watch now.  If there is not a time limit, it stays in the car/locker room.  Since the vast majority of games I do require us to keep a time limit, my watch stays on.

Amateur Tip (like a Pro Tip, but for us low-level schmucks) -- Wear your watch face on the inside of your wrist.  One, it protects it.  Two, it looks as if you are looking at your indicator when you look at it.  I never look at my indicator *thank you All-Star!* and I had a partner who picked up on this.  He didn't realize I was checking the time and asked why I never looked at my indicator until we got close to the end of games.  He thought my indicator had a clock on it. 😁

Amateur Tip #2 -- NEVER use start times to clock a game.  Use a count down or a stop watch counting up.

[ErichKeane]

1 hour ago, The Man in Blue said:

A quick reminder is fine, but, as @ErichKeane relayed, you also need to be willing to pull the trigger when a quick reminder is not working. 

As for your story Erich, I think that I would have been a redass after that and said, "OK, coach, but if I call that strike, it will be followed with your ejection since you just told me you are deliberately delaying the game AND ignoring my instruction to stop."  (Maybe I'm just grumpy today.)

As for watches, I was also brought up with the "don't wear a watch" mantra, but my opinion has changed.  Of course, it depends on the game ... if there is a time limit, feel free to wear a watch now.  If there is not a time limit, it stays in the car/locker room.  Since the vast majority of games I do require us to keep a time limit, my watch stays on.

Amateur Tip (like a Pro Tip, but for us low-level schmucks) -- Wear your watch face on the inside of your wrist.  One, it protects it.  Two, it looks as if you are looking at your indicator when you look at it.  I never look at my indicator *thank you All-Star!* and I had a partner who picked up on this.  He didn't realize I was checking the time and asked why I never looked at my indicator until we got close to the end of games.  He thought my indicator had a clock on it. 😁

Amateur Tip #2 -- NEVER use start times to clock a game.  Use a count down or a stop watch counting up.

My rule changed too: If you're making keep time, I've got a watch.  If you're making me work without a Site Director, I'm carrying (but not bringing out!) my phone. 

As far as you tips: The inside of the wrist is a nice idea!  I've been using a cheap casio that has taken quite a few pitches and been no worse for wear, but the appearance part is nice.  It also has a stop watch, which I ALWAYS use, and mention at the plate meeting that I'm starting it as we exit the plate meeting.

 

[BigBlue4u]

On 10/14/2023 at 8:58 PM, ErichKeane said:

As I was a newbie and much less ornery/confident than I am now, I went over to the coach and reminded him about the rule, and was told, "yeah, if you want that, you're going to have to call the strike, until then, I ain't changing anything!"

Food for thought:  Don't beat yourself up over this.  I umpired D1 baseball for many years. With that experience, this is what I would have said:

"Wrong, coach.  I'm asking you to change.  You have two choices, do what I am asking you to do, or get yourself ejected.  Your choice." Now, if he starts dragging out the situation, you next response is:  "Coach, I need you to do what I asked you do and return to the coach's box.  If you don't do so immediately, you will be ejected for delaying the game."  A coach who clearly defies you is going to get a very short leash.  Very short! This is a situation where you are obviously being challenged and it cannot be ignored.  To me, that's one of the fun parts of umpiring.  When you get a situation like yours, give the coach a choice.  The fun part is that YOU decide what the choices are.