The "Art" of the Plate Meeting

[HumblePie]

I have a passion for being both thorough and prepared at the plate meeting before every game I call, in as few words as possible/practical.  If you're fairly new to calling baseball, or have never taken the plate meeting prep seriously, I urge you to practice talking through a mock plate meeting in front of a mirror, with your folio and mock lineup cards in hand, and time it.  Work through it ten times until you have it memorized.  When it flows comfortably, try to knock 30, then 60, then 90 seconds off of it from start to finish.  It's as important to know what does not need to be said as it is to know what is critical to be said out loud.  If you KNOW there has been a history between two teams, address it at the plate meeting, but don't put every coach and team through a lengthy sermon that really doesn't apply to them.

I created a "Game Card" on Excel (20 years ago) that I've updated over the years, and it is invaluable.  I print it out on cardstock, and it is flexible enough that I can use it for any brand of baseball I call.  It has a place to keep score by innings, log coaches' names, log pitchers' and catchers' names, track courtesy runners, track pitcher visits, and log warnings and ejections.  Introduce yourself and your partner(s) by name, with a firm handshake, and make the effort to call the Head Coach by his first name throughout the game.  Shake the catchers' hands, get their first names, and ask them for the pitchers' first names.  USE THEIR FIRST NAMES.  It's far more personal and professional than using "Coach", "Pitch", and "Catch".

Whenever I'm calling a tournament, I create a similar "Cheat Sheet" the same size as the Game Card, and I put all the tournament rules on that and review it when appropriate at the plate meeting.  You know the rules I'm referring to ... the ones that many TDs overlook until ten minutes before the first round of games are starting:

-- Determining home/visiting teams

-- Who provides baseballs

-- Rule Set (before Modifications)

-- Ground Rules (Dead ball territories, etc.)

-- Time Limits

-- Mercy Rules

-- Courtesy Runner Rules

-- Extra inning rules

-- ID Official Scorekeeper & Scoreboard keeper

Make sure, for example, if you hear a TD state, "We're playing by High School Rules," that he knows what exactly he's saying.  Hundreds of summer ball and fall ball coaches think high school rules and MLB rules are nearly identical, with perhaps only the FPSR (Force Play Slide Rule) inserted.  Sadly, the same can often be said of TDs.  Pitcher visits become a nightmare.  Balk rules are different.  Obstruction rules are different.  Some of the differences are stark, and some are subtle, but you have to be in charge and exude confidence.

No matter what level I'm calling, I always ask these two questions:  "Coaches, are all of your players properly equipped, and is all equipment legal?"  There is only one acceptable answer to this:  "YES."  Less experienced coaches think they can somehow minimize their responsibility by answering, "As far as I know."  Whenever I get that answer, I calmly and firmly tell the coach, "I need a firm answer, Coach, or we need to have you check all that right now."

In all cases below the Varsity HS level, I also work this 10-second phrase in:  "Coaches, remember that you are the only two who are authorized to approach me or my partner(s) on the field.  Your assistants can talk to us from the coaching box, but they can't leave the box to object to a call."  There are often Head Coaches who are really more "Managers" of the team, and they let their assistants run the show.  You must identify at the plate meeting who the Head Coach is, and there can be no, "Well, we kinda coach by committee."  Shut that down immediately.  If you don't, you've trained them to call their own shots and walk all over you.  It's just wrong.

In my experience, I have had far more trouble out of Assistant Coaches than out of Head Coaches.  Assistants are often enthusiastic, but ignorant of the rules.  They often have no idea that they are not allowed to approach the official on the field.  They often snipe from the dugout.  Go to the Head Coach and remind him of what was said at the Plate Meeting.  There should not need to be any further warnings.

The old cliche' is very true, that you have only one chance to make a first impression. Make a good one at the plate meeting, and command respect for the next two hours.

[Kevin_K]

2 hours ago, HumblePie said:

.....as few words as possible/practical. 

• ....knock 30, then 60, then 90 seconds off of it from start to finish. 

That's a lot of talking if you can knock off 90 seconds

• If you KNOW there has been a history between two teams, address it at the plate meeting 
• Coaches, remember that you are the only two who are authorized to approach me or my partner(s) on the field.  Your assistants can talk to us from the coaching box, but they can't leave the box to object to a call."
• Assistants are often enthusiastic, but ignorant of the rules.  They often have no idea that they are not allowed to approach the official on the field. Go to the Head Coach and remind him of what was said at the Plate Meeting.  There should not need to be any further warnings.

These are totally unnecessary for any plate meeting. What happened yesterday doesn't need to be stirred at a plate meeting. Head coaches should already know assistants are to been seen and not heard. If you need to remind them at the plate meeting why would you give them additional warnings during the game?

Perhaps this is more to the point

• Introduce yourself and your partner(s) by name;   
• confirm all players are legally/properly equipped
• take lineups; write names you need (HC; F2) on your lineup card
• HTHC goes over ground rules; break meeting
• Greet F2, give him a game ball, and start counting warmups

If things go sideways in the game, fix them. Be approachable. Use verbal and nonverbal communication effectively. Usually less words are better than more words. It's not difficult to find yourself into a sh*tsh*w by talking too much.

 

[The Short Umpire]

1 hour ago, Kevin_K said:

Perhaps this is more to the point

• Introduce yourself and your partner(s) by name;   
• confirm all players are legally/properly equipped
• take lineups; write names you need (HC; F2) on your lineup card
• HTHC goes over ground rules; break meeting
• Greet F2, give him a game ball, and start counting warmups

If things go sideways in the game, fix them. Be approachable. Use verbal and nonverbal communication effectively. Usually less words are better than more words. It's not difficult to find yourself into a sh*tsh*w by talking too much.

 

I agree 100%! The only question I have is this, where did it start that guys are asking the head coach what their catcher’s name is? I’ve always just gotten the catcher’s name from…. THE CATCHER! It just seems superfluous to ask the coach…. 🤷‍♂️

[grayhawk]

7 hours ago, HumblePie said:

In my experience, I have had far more trouble out of Assistant Coaches than out of Head Coaches.

And you know the ones that cause the most trouble at the lower levels? The ones that introduce themselves as they're walking by you between innings. Never fails.

[HumblePie]

6 hours ago, The Short Umpire said:

 I’ve always just gotten the catcher’s name from…. THE CATCHER! It just seems superfluous to ask the coach…. 🤷‍♂️

Obviously that works fine, but I like knowing the catcher's name before he comes out so I can extend a hand and address him by name

[The Short Umpire]

1 hour ago, HumblePie said:

Obviously that works fine, but I like knowing the catcher's name before he comes out so I can extend a hand and address him by name

That’s fair, I’m curious what advantage you gain from it though? Just feels like a weird “mind game/power move.”

[SeeingEyeDog]

Just my opinion, @HumblePie...

1) Acknowledging "past history" between teams - I will cover this with my partner(s) in pre-game. I will NEVER mention this at the plate meeting. What's in the past is over. Maybe past beef will insert itself into the game you are getting to work but, I prefer to simply adjudicate the game in front of me, pitch by pitch, play by play and call by call. There is nothing in any rule book that defines specific or extra penalties or consequences for actions or inactions "...when there is history between the teams." Runner gives a forearm shiver to a fielder coming into 2B because he's been making time with his girlfriend? That's not my concern...what happened on the play was malicious contact and I am ejecting that runner on that basis and that is how I am writing it up. If the league or the state athletic association wants to factor in "things from the past" when doing their post-game investigation on this, that is their right/privilege.

1A) Sportsmanship - My umpire association and my state high school athletic association have asked all umpires to make mention of sportsmanship at the plate meeting so, of course I do what I am told here. But like HumblePie said above, we're not there to conduct a clinic or preach so, I keep it short. If I wasn't told to speak about this in the plate meeting, frankly...I wouldn't. Like #1 above, it does nothing pre-emptively. Nobody catches themselves prior to exhibiting poor sportsmanship and says to themselves, "Oh jeez...I should make another choice here because the umpire said at the plate meeting that we should exhibit positive sportsmanship..." My opinion on all of this is largely dictated by what you are being told to do in your local market. Do as you're told to do, always but if you have the option, I would leave this off. Less is frequently more. 

2) Learning and using player's names - I actually spent this entire season NOT introducing myself to players. And I saw ZERO negative impact from this. Oh don't get me wrong...if an F2 walks up to me and introduces THEMSELVES to me, I would respond in kind. If F2 wears a pitch, I will still absolutely walk a baseball out to F1 to give them a few extra moments to reset themselves and I always verbally check on players that might be hurt and grant time as needed again to give them a few moments. I don't feel I'm missing anything here by not introducing myself...change my mind.

3) Talking to the coaches about who can approach you - This is another one I have dropped from my plate meetings. It's been my experience it pre-emptively umpires NOTHING. If a non-head coach doesn't like or doesn't agree with a call, he's going to run his mouth and/or leave the dugout or the base coach's box. As you pointed out there are rules covering this and those rules should be applied/enforced as situations dictate. Where I typically see this being a big problem is travel baseball and other youth baseball leagues who play by FED rules and the coaches simply do NOT know there are rules at that level regarding who can address the umpires. Well, coach...YOUR ignorance of the rules is YOUR problem. You are violating the rules with your conduct and you are now restricted to the dugout. Head Coach, that is by rule a dugout restriction for you, too. They can either read the rules themselves or they can learn the rules when the umpires enforce the rules.

~Dawg

[HumblePie]

2 hours ago, The Short Umpire said:

That’s fair, I’m curious what advantage you gain from it though? Just feels like a weird “mind game/power move.”

Doesn't feel that way to me. Feels friendly, assertive, professional.

 

[maven]

22 hours ago, Kevin_K said:

Perhaps this is more to the point

• Introduce yourself and your partner(s) by name;   
• confirm all players are legally/properly equipped
• take lineups; write names you need (HC; F2) on your lineup card
• HTHC goes over ground rules; break meeting
• Greet F2, give him a game ball, and start counting warmups

If things go sideways in the game, fix them. Be approachable. Use verbal and nonverbal communication effectively. Usually less words are better than more words. It's not difficult to find yourself into a sh*tsh*w by talking too much.

 

As Kevin's wife never says, "Always listen to Kevin." 

Plate meetings should be 30 seconds max, so I won't be able to trim 90 seconds from my plate meeting spiel. I cover what I have to cover and no more, because nobody came to the park to talk to me.

• In tournaments we have to determine home and visiting team and talk about time limits; in HS baseball, never.
• I never discuss providing baseballs at a plate meeting. Baseballs should magically appear, or I use the incantation, "I need baseballs!"
• I never raise mercy rules at the plate meeting—I can't give the impression that I'm expecting a rout, or someone will conclude that I'm trying to cause one.
• I'm definitely never mentioning extra innings, because I don't want to prime them to think that could happen today.
• I'm seldom concerned about courtesy runner rules. I'll allow one when coach wants one—if the other coach wants to object, we'll deal with that in the moment. Courtesy runners speed games, which is always good.
• I don't care who the official scorer (much less scoreboard op) is until I have to do.

Raising all that at the plate meeting tells coaches: "Look, we're going to have lots of problems today, and I need to get in front of all of them." Psychologists call this "priming": we can actually generate more problems when people expect there to be more problems. (I knew an old timer who would start his plate meeting with: "Look, we're going to make some mistakes out there today..." No, no, a thousand times no!) 

No warnings, no "here's how we're going to handle arguments," no threats ("if they leave their positions...."), none of that. If we have problems, warn, restrict, eject. Because I haven't been "pre-warning" them all game, when I give a coach a warning, it makes a much bigger impression and will more often than not lead to the desired outcome (that is, coach STFU).

That's why we want to minimize the plate meeting. With familiar coaches who know how to write a lineup, I'll scan the lineups during ground rules, and the whole meeting might take 15 seconds. Where I must do more, I'll do more (if TD asks umpires to review something he's had trouble with, I'll do it), but the faster we get to baseball the better.

[834k3r]

15 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

1) Acknowledging "past history" between teams - I will cover this with my partner(s) in pre-game. I will NEVER mention this at the plate meeting...

1A) Sportsmanship - My umpire association and my state high school athletic association have asked all umpires to make mention of sportsmanship at the plate meeting so, of course I do what I am told here...

2) Learning and using player's names - I actually spent this entire season NOT introducing myself to players. And I saw ZERO negative impact from this...

3) Talking to the coaches about who can approach you - This is another one I have dropped from my plate meetings. It's been my experience it pre-emptively umpires NOTHING...

This is precisely my experience as well, though my association hasn't required the mention of sportsmanship (so I don't mention it).

I will add that I'll take the lineup cards and verbally confirm the intent of each manager/head coach ("Batting 9 with a DH?"). This is helpful especially with sub-Varsity rules we use (EH in particular).

[Richvee]

4 hours ago, maven said:

• In tournaments we have to determine home and visiting team and talk about time limits; in HS baseball, never.
• I never discuss providing baseballs at a plate meeting. Baseballs should magically appear, or I use the incantation, "I need baseballs!"
• I never raise mercy rules at the plate meeting—I can't give the impression that I'm expecting a rout, or someone will conclude that I'm trying to cause one.
• I'm definitely never mentioning extra innings, because I don't want to prime them to think that could happen today.
• I'm seldom concerned about courtesy runner rules. I'll allow one when coach wants one—if the other coach wants to object, we'll deal with that in the moment. Courtesy runners speed games, which is always good.
• I don't care who the official scorer (much less scoreboard op) is until I have to do.

I'm with you on all the above in a conference, or league game, including High school. One thing I will bring up is mercy rule in a college game..Some conferences use them, some don't, and if it's a non conference game both teams need to  need to know. 

  Tournaments are a bit different. Especially if it's my first game or a teams first game of the tournament. All this needs to be mentioned because almost everything on this list varies by tournament.

Most tourneys supply baseballs and this isn't a plate meeting topic either way.

Mercy rules are always different, and coaches may want to manage pitching differently depending. So this I'll discuss. Along with rule set, modifications, courtesy runners, tie games. (some will play extra if time allows, some don't. Some put runners on, some don't)

Some tournaments we're not responsible for lineup changes and all substitutions go through the official scorer. If thi is the case, it's also mentioned at the meeting.

That's if it's the first game for any of us. If it's day 2, or later in the day and we've all had games already, the whole plate meeting is more like..."OK, everybody was here on this field yesterday?. We know the rules? Any questions? Let's go." 

[834k3r]

8 minutes ago, Richvee said:

later in the day and we've all had games already, the whole plate meeting is more like..."OK, everybody was here on this field yesterday?. We know the rules? Any questions? Let's go." 

This is my approach when I've got the second plate of a double-header as well.

[SeeingEyeDog]

49 minutes ago, 834k3r said:

This is precisely my experience as well, though my association hasn't required the mention of sportsmanship (so I don't mention it).

I will add that I'll take the lineup cards and verbally confirm the intent of each manager/head coach ("Batting 9 with a DH?"). This is helpful especially with sub-Varsity rules we use (EH in particular).

Yes...good catch, Beeks. My mind is in travel ball mode and I haven't handled lineup cards since May. Absolutely verify verbally what each coach is doing with regards to their lineup. Do not think for a moment that the written word on the lineup card itself will suffice as an explanation for the coach's intent. Better to take a few seconds at the plate meeting before the game starts and fully clarify this instead of assuming and now you're in the middle of the game trying to un-eff something that could have and should have been resolved at the plate meeting...

~Dawg