Stay On the Catcher’s Hip

[Velho]

 

[grayhawk]

Cue the morons: "iT's tHe umPirEs JoB tO cLeAr ThE bAt!"

[BigBlue4u]

5 hours ago, grayhawk said:

Cue the morons: "iT's tHe umPirEs JoB tO cLeAr ThE bAt!"

Regarding this play, you are joking, right?  You left out two very important words from that quote:  "When possible."

[Biscuit]

2 hours ago, BigBlue4u said:

Regarding this play, you are joking, right?  You left out two very important words from that quote:  "When possible."

The way that he typed the words in upper and lower case letters os used to quote someone saying something you think is ridiculous, so more than joking, he's making fun of them.

[jimurrayalterego]

2 hours ago, BigBlue4u said:

Regarding this play, you are joking, right?  You left out two very important words from that quote:  "When possible."

He also included "job" which only the unschooled morons he's making fun of would use. It's a courtesy we extend when NAP.

[SeeingEyeDog]

Me whenever a coach tries me for not clearing a bat: Coach, who put it there? Tell you what...if I ever put a bat there, I'll move it ok? Until then, whomever put it there can clear it...hmmmmm'k?

~Dawg

[jimurrayalterego]

31 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Me whenever a coach tries me for not clearing a bat: Coach, who put it there? Tell you what...if I ever put a bat there, I'll move it ok? Until then, whomever put it there can clear it...hmmmmm'k?

~Dawg

I don't know if Evan's philosophy/technique has not been passed on but you should explain it to such a coach as opposed to your take.

It is not the umpires job to clear the bat. Good catchers usually accomplish that unless circumstances do not permit. If the catcher can't clear it the umpire can extend the courtesy of clearing it if "Necessary, Available, and Possible". The umpire should not abandon his responsibilities, such as base touches, to do this. The optimum method has the ump go to one knee beside the bat which keeps his torso up and head still looking where it needs to. The bat is slid, not thrown, out of the way. If your quads and limberness no longer allow that method I have seen kicks done well. A quick bend over also works if you can do it without missing your responsibility. When you do that sometimes it's best to keep it as opposed to throwing it somewhere.

[SeeingEyeDog]

2 minutes ago, jimurrayalterego said:

I don't know if Evan's philosophy/technique has not been passed on but you should explain it to such a coach as opposed to your take.

It is not the umpires job to clear the bat. Good catchers usually accomplish that unless circumstances do not permit. If the catcher can't clear it the umpire can extend the courtesy of clearing it if "Necessary, Available, and Possible". The umpire should not abandon his responsibilities, such as base touches, to do this. The optimum method has the ump go to one knee beside the bat which keeps his torso up and head still looking where it needs to. The bat is slid, not thrown, out of the way. If your quads and limberness no longer allow that method I have seen kicks done well. A quick bend over also works if you can do it without missing your responsibility. When you do that sometimes it's best to keep it as opposed to throwing it somewhere.

Jim, I'm not touching bats...I'm just not doing that...

~Dawg

[jimurrayalterego]

14 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Jim, I'm not touching bats...I'm just not doing that...

~Dawg

The reason being? Physical? Philosophical? 

[SeeingEyeDog]

3 minutes ago, jimurrayalterego said:

The reason being? Physical? Philosophical? 

Primarily philosophical...a few years back I was a "throw the baseballs to the pitcher" umpire. I threw my usual old-man lob to a 13U, it ticked off the top of the kid's glove (he took his eyes off it...) and it knocked two teeth out. Was that my fault? No, of course not but to hear those parents and coaches...yes, it was. It's like a car accident...right of way doesn't really matter when someone is lying in the hospital.

It took me a LONG time to get over it even though again...it wasn't my fault. I didn't step on a field for many weeks. I just kept thinking about, "What if that happened to my kid? How would I feel as a parent towards that umpire or official?" Obviously, I don't throw baseballs to the players anymore. The Brotherhood was there for me and I'll always be thankful for that and look to re-pay that whenever and wherever I can. We teach each other a lot in this umpiring deal...except how to live with a mistake when someone between the fences gets hurt and we contributed. Heck, maybe I'm putting everyone on my fields at risk by NOT touching bats because someone could get hurt by a bat that's in the way...

And please understand...I am by no means saying I am right and others are wrong on this. We all choose our own path and must accept the consequences. But, until someone signing my checks in my market tells me to clear bats...I'm not touching them.

~Dawg

 

[jimurrayalterego]

19 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

But, until someone signing my checks in my market tells me to clear bats...I'm not touching them.

~Dawg

 

Nobody tells us to clear bats. We do it as a courtesy. Was this not ever covered in any clinic/training you had?

[grayhawk]

As Jim says, I clear a bat if "Necessary, Available, and Possible." For me, it usually comes in the form of straddling the bat, bending down with my head up and sliding it backwards without it ever leaving the ground. Get it out of the way without possibly hurting someone by doing so.

And yes, of course, I was mocking the internet idiots that complain when an umpire doesn't clear a bat and claim that it's our responsibility.

[Mussgrass]

15 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Primarily philosophical...a few years back I was a "throw the baseballs to the pitcher" umpire. I threw my usual old-man lob to a 13U, it ticked off the top of the kid's glove (he took his eyes off it...) and it knocked two teeth out. Was that my fault? No, of course not but to hear those parents and coaches...yes, it was. It's like a car accident...right of way doesn't really matter when someone is lying in the hospital.

It took me a LONG time to get over it even though again...it wasn't my fault. I didn't step on a field for many weeks. I just kept thinking about, "What if that happened to my kid? How would I feel as a parent towards that umpire or official?" Obviously, I don't throw baseballs to the players anymore. The Brotherhood was there for me and I'll always be thankful for that and look to re-pay that whenever and wherever I can. We teach each other a lot in this umpiring deal...except how to live with a mistake when someone between the fences gets hurt and we contributed. Heck, maybe I'm putting everyone on my fields at risk by NOT touching bats because someone could get hurt by a bat that's in the way...

And please understand...I am by no means saying I am right and others are wrong on this. We all choose our own path and must accept the consequences. But, until someone signing my checks in my market tells me to clear bats...I'm not touching them.

~Dawg

 

I am sorry, if a 13U kid can't catch a lobbed ball he shouldn't be pitching.

[Velho]

1 hour ago, Mussgrass said:

I am sorry, if a 13U kid can't catch a lobbed ball he shouldn't be pitching.

I'm sure the parents will appreciate that added comment as they take Johnny to the dentist 🤣

[SeeingEyeDog]

55 minutes ago, Velho said:

I'm sure the parents will appreciate that added comment as they take Johnny to the dentist 🤣

Yeahhhhh...so, I'll be off the site for a few days. I gotta' go and further "console" those parents with @Mussgrass's zinger there. Gotta' get right on that...🙄

~Dawg

[The Man in Blue]

Add me to the “I don’t touch/throw anything” school.

I know an umpire (not an urban legend) that was trying to get a bat out of the way. When he chucked it without looking (eyes on the play), it actually got tangled up with the on-deck batter who was coming to grab it. Slipped, tripped, rolled, who knows … broke his leg.

I also rarely (won’t say never) throw the ball to the pitcher. Only time is when the catcher is somewhere between Oz and Narnia for whatever reason.

Just recently have I started picking up the catcher’s mask (on a dead ball) and handing it to him. Then I give him the ball to throw to the pitcher. 
 

On 8/24/2025 at 7:41 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

Jim, I'm not touching bats...I'm just not doing that...

~Dawg

Damnit, Jim! I’m an umpire, not the bat boy!

[jimurrayalterego]

11 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

Add me to the “I don’t touch/throw anything” school.

I know an umpire (not an urban legend) that was trying to get a bat out of the way. When he chucked it without looking (eyes on the play), it actually got tangled up with the on-deck batter who was coming to grab it. Slipped, tripped, rolled, who knows … broke his leg.

I also rarely (won’t say never) throw the ball to the pitcher. Only time is when the catcher is somewhere between Oz and Narnia for whatever reason.

Just recently have I started picking up the catcher’s mask (on a dead ball) and handing it to him. Then I give him the ball to throw to the pitcher. 
 

Damnit, Jim! I’m an umpire, not the bat boy!

So the clinics/training you and @SeeingEyeDog have attended do not cover this anymore?

[The Man in Blue]

29 minutes ago, jimurrayalterego said:

So the clinics/training you and @SeeingEyeDog have attended do not cover this anymore?

I haven't heard it addressed in probably 10+ years.  Honestly.

The ones who used to carry on about it the most were the 1,000-year-old USA Softball Methuselah guys who swore you would end up getting sued if you shook hands with players, because some girl will trip and you'll touch her boob.

[SeeingEyeDog]

14 hours ago, jimurrayalterego said:

So the clinics/training you and @SeeingEyeDog have attended do not cover this anymore?

I was last at a clinic 2 years ago and this was not discussed at all. My association has an all-hands on deck meeting in a few weeks...I'll ask about it then.

~Dawg

[MadMax]

On 8/24/2025 at 8:41 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

Jim, I'm not touching bats… 

 

On 8/24/2025 at 10:29 PM, grayhawk said:

I was mocking the internet idiots that complain when an umpire doesn't clear a bat and claim that it's our responsibility.

I’m with you in this sentiment, and carry extra contempt for fellow umpires who project this haughtiness, like it’s some sort of merit badge. “On my field, on my games, we (don’t) clear bats.” As Dawg said (in this contextual application), do what you want – it doesn’t make you a “better” umpire. 

Being better at umpiring fundamentals makes you a better umpire, not these trivialities. 

[MadMax]

15 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Damnit, Jim! I’m an umpire, not the bat boy!

You’ll have to pick up the slack if ya toss the kid! 

 

[Jimurray]

27 minutes ago, MadMax said:

 

I’m with you in this sentiment, and carry extra contempt for fellow umpires who project this haughtiness, like it’s some sort of merit badge. “On my field, on my games, we (don’t) clear bats.” As Dawg said (in this contextual application), do what you want – it doesn’t make you a “better” umpire. 

Being better at umpiring fundamentals makes you a better umpire, not these trivialities. 

Evan’s used to cover this triviality in detail in his clinics. Possibly to avoid sits like this:

 

[834k3r]

15 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Add me to the “I don’t touch/throw anything” school.

I know an umpire (not an urban legend) that was trying to get a bat out of the way. When he chucked it without looking (eyes on the play), it actually got tangled up with the on-deck batter who was coming to grab it. Slipped, tripped, rolled, who knows … broke his leg.

I also rarely (won’t say never) throw the ball to the pitcher. Only time is when the catcher is somewhere between Oz and Narnia for whatever reason.

Just recently have I started picking up the catcher’s mask (on a dead ball) and handing it to him. Then I give him the ball to throw to the pitcher.

Aside from the broken leg vignette, I agree with all of this. I've been picking up F2's masks for a couple of years now, mainly as a courtesy to foster the relationship we all have with the F2 in front of us.

[BigBlue4u]

5 hours ago, 834k3r said:

Aside from the broken leg vignette, I agree with all of this. I've been picking up F2's masks for a couple of years now, mainly as a courtesy to foster the relationship we all have with the F2 in front of us.

Just be sure to pick up the mask of each catcher, lest you be called out for not picking up "our" catcher's mask.  Better yet, let both catcher's pick up their own mask.  If a mask is in the way, if possible, kick it out of the way. I suppose you can also watch major league umpires.  When is the last time you saw a ML umpire pick up a catcher's mask? I'll tell you.  Very, very, few times.

[grayhawk]

21 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Damnit, Jim! I’m an umpire, not the bat boy!

I will say that I do not pick up bats between batters to help them out. I did this in a game that was being watched by an NCAA coordinator (named Jim, ironically). After the game, he asked me if I was a bat boy. That was the end of that.