Amateur Hour at The Spring Games

[YoungBuck]

I attended a game today in Clermont, Florida that saw a lightning delay and eventually the game was called due to the amount of rain. In between the delays the balls were obviously slick.

The home plate umpire during the rain delay explained to me that it was not his job to provide a dry ball.

Just a couple thoughts...

(1) Why is the umpire talking to the spectators?
(2) If it's not the umpire's responsibility to provide a playable ball who's is it !?

 

[_MIA_]

(1) Why is the umpire talking to the spectators?

So he just randomly offered up this information to you because you look like a friendly guy?

 

[JayW]

I attended a game today in Clermont, Florida that saw a lightning delay and eventually the game was called due to the amount of rain. In between the delays the balls were obviously slick.

The home plate umpire during the rain delay explained to me that it was not his job to provide a dry ball.

Just a couple thoughts...

(1) Why is the umpire talking to the spectators?
(2) If it's not the umpire's responsibility to provide a playable ball who's is it !?

Pitcher calls time out. Player throws wet ball to coach. Coach throws pitcher a dry ball. Play continues.

 

[JayW]

Why wouldn’t an umpire speak with other humans during a rain delay?

 

[YoungBuck]

So he just randomly offered up this information to you because you look like a friendly guy?

The friendliest !

 

[_MIA_]

The friendliest !

For some reason I never have that problem..

 

[_MIA_]

Why wouldn’t an umpire speak with other humans during a rain delay?

He read that other thread and mixed up humans/circumstances?

 

[Tatonka]

We had a couple great convos with a home plate ump yesterday at the games. (some brief joking around during the game, a quick clarification on his zone and then a clarification on a call after the game). All was good and professional IMHO.

 

[mmeece]

I attended a game today in Clermont, Florida that saw a lightning delay and eventually the game was called due to the amount of rain. In between the delays the balls were obviously slick.

The home plate umpire during the rain delay explained to me that it was not his job to provide a dry ball.

Just a couple thoughts...

(1) Why is the umpire talking to the spectators?
(2) If it's not the umpire's responsibility to provide a playable ball who's is it !?

Umpires don't provide the softballs under any circumstances that I've seen so I can't see why it would be their job to provide a dry ball. It's always been up to the teams to provide a way to get/keep balls dry for as long as I've played, coached, and umpired.

 

[Thunder17]

I wouldn't call that amateur hour as the teams are supposed to help the ump keep the game balls dry. He isn't going to carry a towel with him to dry off balls between each pitch.

But.....i did see some umpires that were at the end of their 3 week stint down there and you could tell they had more than enough ball under their belt.....with the heat, the rain, etc. You could tell the quality was starting to go down towards the end of last week which i guess i can understand. There were some bad zones and bad calls on Friday we didn't see on Monday, but again, to be expected.