Correcting Umpires

So here is the situation.
We were playing a 10u "C" USSSA tournament.

Batter gets walked, then proceeds to steal 2nd base. I call time and tell the home plate ump that is not allowed. He says that he doesn't umpire 10u and isn't sure, I need to show him in writing. Well, I cant find it quick enough to get the play reversed, so he says we will play on and he will ask head ump after game.

During our team meeting after the game (which we lost 2-1, play above did not have effect on game though) one of my players tells me that she heard the field ump tell the first base coach "That coach isn't a coach, he's a complainer"
referring to me.

So, I go talk to the director of the tournament. Told him about the confusion on the rule, which he tells me I was correct on. He also told me that he corrected the umps. I then tell him what my player heard and he said he will address it. I told him that I could care less about the guys personal view of me, but he should not be saying stuff like that were my players can hear.

Start next game, guess who is our plate ump? Guess who is calling a strike at my players eyes, but when we are pitching anything right under the arm pits is a ball?

I do not know what to tell you, you need to be careful.

99% of the umpires are great, you hit the 1% that let personal feelings get in the way.

From your post you might have been a little aggressive.

Possibly, but the ump that made the comment was not the ump I was talking to.

All of this is just for what it's worth and might be a little longer than necessary so bear with me. I actually got my DD into pitching after about the third time in the car ride home she made comments like "I wish our pitchers would just throw strikes, etc." Nothing that bad but it was clear she did not understand the challenge of "Just throwing strikes". Long story short she realized how hard it was to throw strikes but she fell in love with it and has been pitching ever since. When she turned 16 I had her umpire a rec league just so she could see how hard it is to umpire games.

So put yourself in his shoes for a moment. Is it possible with all the hubub going on your player did not hear the umpire right? And even if she did hear it right is it possible he said it in jest? And as far as him behind the plate in the later game is it possible you perceived him calling the game differently and he was actually doing his best to call it straight?

All of this to say the parents sometimes think coaching is easy, the coaches think umpiring is easy, the coaches complain about the parents, etc. One of the big lessons I have learned and I hope my DD ihas learned is truly putting yourself in the other person's shoes and seeing things from a different perspective.

Finally it is not impossible that you had an umpire that you aggravated and he had it in for you!

CoachHarley said:

Start next game, guess who is our plate ump? Guess who is calling a strike at my players eyes, but when we are pitching anything right under the arm pits is a ball?

Click to expand...

It is NEVER a good idea to get on the umpires bad side.....just sayin'

Last weekend (before the rains came and canceled tourney) had a horrible umpire as well. Bases loaded, umpire calls Illegal Pitch because pitcher did not have stride foot on pitching plate before she started her pitch. But our batter swung and missed and the umpired said strike two! His illogical reasoning was that she swung at the pitch and therefore the play stands??? To add insult to injury, he did not advance our runners one base per the rules. We complained to no avail. Next inning, we have a baserunner on 2nd. Because the ball is wet, on the back swing the ball slips out of the pitchers hand. Umpire calls IP, runner advanced one base. Unbelievable! Clearly this was not an IP, but a live ball and a "ball" should have been called on the batter. It was a local tournament that DD was guesting for so I didn't make a big deal of it but just goes to show that its scary what rules some umpires don't know.

Dudes and dudettes,

We don't want to get on he bad side of blue. Once in ASA Rules 10u rec ball about 3 years ago in the city tourney, blue called an IP on my DD because she didn't present the properly. She stepped on the pitcher's plate with the ball in her glove. He said she needed to present the ball in a bare hand. I contested, showed him the ASA rule book, and was wiped. He gave me a dirty look and sided with the opposing team the rest of the game. Lesson learned. Don't mess with Blue.

I look at it as I have taken the time to read the rules and be familiar with them. I am a volunteer and am actually SPENDING money. You as an umpire are being paid, so you should know the basics of the age group and level you are working for. Don't tell me that you don't do to many 10 c games so your not sure. Find out what the differences are. Even if it's that morning.

I agree with you. I have had umpires ask me the rules before the game, not ideal but better than nothing.

What annoys me to no end is opposing coaches that know the rules all of a sudden have a brain lapse when it is to their advantage.

By the way - Always have a printed copy of any non standard rules.

I had the entire rule book for Usssa printed out and in a binder. Of course I forgot to print the 10u c only special page, won't forget that again. Went in the binder the day we got home.