First year umpire here that was immediately thrown into high level tournament and HS ball. I’ve coached for years and still play ball at a high level, so the game and it’s rules flow easily and I’m having as much fun umpiring as I do playing and coaching (why aren’t we recruiting more former players?!) We should be out there at every high level men’s/women’s/or co-ed slow pitch tournament and getting these guys/gals in a uniform!
Anyways, that’s for another post. My question here to experienced umpires…how do you handle the obvious missed ball/strike with players? I haven’t had many through 30 or so games, but last night I called a high strike at a packed varsity HS game that was definitely a gross miss, and I knew it immediately (as did everyone else) since it was truly a pitch I hadn’t called all night. My first instinct was to pull the batter subtly aside between innings and tell her I missed that one, but I didn’t. That one pitch bothered me all night! I’m not talking borderline calls and I won’t ever let a game get ahead of me questioning our calls out there, but for that gross miss what do you guys do? (besides pray the pitcher doesn’t throw the next pitch in the same exact spot lol). You see/hear of more MLB level umpires making that apology, and there’s nothing I hate more as a player AND an umpire than ego anywhere on that field. We’re here for the girls and the game, and I feel like a subtle hey I missed that one at the appropriate time is the right thing to do. Thoughts?
Anyways, that’s for another post. My question here to experienced umpires…how do you handle the obvious missed ball/strike with players? I haven’t had many through 30 or so games, but last night I called a high strike at a packed varsity HS game that was definitely a gross miss, and I knew it immediately (as did everyone else) since it was truly a pitch I hadn’t called all night. My first instinct was to pull the batter subtly aside between innings and tell her I missed that one, but I didn’t. That one pitch bothered me all night! I’m not talking borderline calls and I won’t ever let a game get ahead of me questioning our calls out there, but for that gross miss what do you guys do? (besides pray the pitcher doesn’t throw the next pitch in the same exact spot lol). You see/hear of more MLB level umpires making that apology, and there’s nothing I hate more as a player AND an umpire than ego anywhere on that field. We’re here for the girls and the game, and I feel like a subtle hey I missed that one at the appropriate time is the right thing to do. Thoughts?