Umpires: Pay Policies?

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Apr 28, 2019
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"( go the extra mile tell me where it missed (high, low, inside, outside)" --- that's not the mechanic umpires are taught ... you should be able to tell if it was hi lo in out, even from the dugout
That’s why I mentioned go the extra mile. Many times it would negate anybody asking where was that? Or where did it miss?
I do occasionally hear umps mention where the pitch was. So whether it’s taught or not good common sense practice to avoid future/potential questions.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
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Florida
That’s why I mentioned go the extra mile. Many times it would negate anybody asking where was that? Or where did it miss?
I do occasionally hear umps mention where the pitch was. So whether it’s taught or not good common sense practice to avoid future/potential questions.

Nope... Sorry, but this doesn't stop any future questions - it adds to them. Because now the coaches (and crowd) think that you are going to answer them and will openly question them.

If you start to indicate where you think pitches missed, then you are going to get asked every single pitch. And then everyone goes nuts every time they disagree with you or on close calls or worse case if you happen to miss one. It spirals quickly - not every time - but it is a known situation that you want to actively manage away from.

Umpired with a newer umpire on a game this weekend and he totally fell for that trap. Then he got flustered and lost his zone for a bit which added to the chirping and the quetions and the crowd and... He never really recovered but he did learn a lesson.

I think it was MTR (maybe Comp) who told me "You job is not to commentate the game".
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113

"( go the extra mile tell me where it missed (high, low, inside, outside)" --- that's not the mechanic umpires are taught ... you should be able to tell if it was hi lo in out, even from the dugout

That might be nice for you to know, but I certainly don't expect umpires to tell us if balls are high, low, etc. Catcher should know all that. Heck, pitcher should too. In fact, not all that hard for us in the stands to know as well. Watch the ball, watch the catcher. You can tell where the pitch was. And yes, sometimes the ump might be wrong.

You ever see MLB umpires tell us why it's a ball every single pitch? Or college umpires?
 
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Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
That’s why I mentioned go the extra mile. Many times it would negate anybody asking where was that? Or where did it miss?
I do occasionally hear umps mention where the pitch was. So whether it’s taught or not good common sense practice to avoid future/potential questions.
So to your point I should know when an Ump blows a call where he’s thinking it missed when it didn’t miss the zone? I don’t think so.
That might be nice for you to know, but I certainly don't expect umpires to tell us if balls are high, low, etc. Catcher should know all that. Heck, pitcher should too. In fact, not all that hard for us in the stands to know as well. Watch the ball, watch the catcher. You can tell where the pitch was. And yes, sometimes the ump might be wrong.

You ever see MLB umpires tell us why it's a ball? Or college umpires?
Yes I have. Listen closely.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
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Someone's a little defensive today. :)

Yeah, umps don't tell you why a ball is a ball. Figure it out yourself. It's not hard. Just because you heard it in a rec league once doesn't mean it's how it's done.
 
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Jun 8, 2016
16,118
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You might have heard it a time or two in your rec league. That's not what I asked. Listen closely.
Have you been watching the NLCS/ALCS games? The umps are miked for some of the broadcasts and some of the umps are actually indicating where it misses for close ones..not sure if that is something they have been told to do since they are miked. Personally I don't need to know. I never heard an ump do that when I played.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Have you been watching the NLCS/ALCS games? The umps are miked for some of the broadcasts and some of the umps are actually indicating where it misses for close ones..not sure if that is something they have been told to do since they are miked. Personally I don't need to know. I never heard an ump do that when I played.

Trying to make the game more interesting for the fans watching on TV. I like that.
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
Have you been watching the NLCS/ALCS games? The umps are miked for some of the broadcasts and some of the umps are actually indicating where it misses for close ones..not sure if that is something they have been told to do since they are miked. Personally I don't need to know. I never heard an ump do that when I played.
Somebody is paying attention. One of the few I guess. . Some umps like I mentioned will indicate where the pitch missed. Some will say “No” on a close pitch. The no I guess is meant to express the pitch was not a strike.
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
Someone's a little defensive today. :)

Yeah, umps don't tell you why a ball is a ball. Figure it out yourself. It's not hard. Just because you heard it in a rec league once doesn't mean it's how it's done.
Apparently it’s you that needs to figure something out. As a player you can figure out where the pitch may have missed due to better positioning. As a spectator or coach you don’t have that luxury of being in perfect position every pitch.
Oh and I didn’t say that was how it’s done. I said I have heard it done and I think it’s a good way to go about it.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
Have you been watching the NLCS/ALCS games? The umps are miked for some of the broadcasts and some of the umps are actually indicating where it misses for close ones..not sure if that is something they have been told to do since they are miked. Personally I don't need to know. I never heard an ump do that when I played.

Beat me to it. I have noticed ... I’m not a fan of it though. I believe we are going to see some places starting to teach this as a norm.

When I first started umpiring I would do this. I can attest it causes more problems in the long run than it solves.

As others have said, your pitcher knows where she is missing. Your catcher knows. And yes, you can tell from the dugout too. You might not be able to tell how much it missed by, but you know where the ball is in general. If I don’t call it a strike, you know it missed there. You asking me ”Where did it miss?” is nothing more than you saying you didn’t like the call.

Generally, I won’t answer you. Ask your catcher. Besides, what are you going to do to fix that? Restate the obvious to your pitcher and catcher? They are the ones who need to fix it. Quit bothering them and quit bothering me. ;)
 

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