Coach/Umpire relationship
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- Oct 14, 2016
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Having coached and umpired has helped me in both areas. I understand the rules and how they should be interpreted as a coach, and I understand the arguments and disagreements that come as an umpire. I proudly say I have never been ejected from a game, and I have only had to eject one coach in the past 15 years. I believe it is all about approach and knowing what you can fight for and what you can't.
I ask the other fellow umpires if they noticed this:
I have found an almost direct correlation to the amount of grief a coach is going to give by his/her ability to properly fill out the line-up card. The worse a coach is with their line-up card, the more grief they tend to exhibit. Thoughts?
I ask the other fellow umpires if they noticed this:
I have found an almost direct correlation to the amount of grief a coach is going to give by his/her ability to properly fill out the line-up card. The worse a coach is with their line-up card, the more grief they tend to exhibit. Thoughts?
radness
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- Dec 13, 2019
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Look forward to reading replys to that question.
Add this question~
Do umpires recognize how differently other umpires do the same job?
Fair enough. Is it discouraged for the the ump to make the call, "Ball, outside", or "ball, low" ?
Some umps do, some don't. I personally don't get worked up over ball and strike calls, but the HC sometimes does, especially when it seems like his DD is hitting spots.
More and more it becomes apparent that the umpire mechanic manual is regrettably close to the police mechanic manual. The sooner the umpires figure out that it isn't necessary to run the game with the iron fist of a policeman and act is if losing control of the game is a potential international incident, the better off things would be. It's just a game. Telling the people where you saw the ball cross the plate is not going to create chaos.
Yes across all umpiring. Just like playing their is some common basics and truths and then there is style and multiple ways to get the same things done.
And those umpires who make no effort or constantly don't take it seriously or just plain don't want to learn, are hated way more by other umpires than any coach or parent.
Common to say it, not signal it. I want the catcher to hear it, fine if the coach hears it, but I don't really need for anyone else to. I think it is inevitable that when you signal where a pitch missed the feedback from the fans to argue that pitch or complain when you call another pitch "in the same place" a strike just gets worse.
If you read my posts, you can see I am not 'iron fisting'. Or 'being the boss' or 'wielding authority'. I also understand why and how it can be perceived that many umpires do - you can see the reasons why above for the most part. And yes, there are some just bad umpires out there on 'power trips' - but not as many as you would think - and no more than there are coaches with the same attitude.
Proper process, and positioning, and calling and game management so I am not officiating an out of control game? That is what umpires in ALL sports are taught and trained on. It is what at least 50% of any assessment of any official is based on.
Wow... OK...
Yes it can. I have seen it. I have seen games turn into a total mess on one call. I have seen it escalate rapidly - and fast with no chance of getting the game back. I have also seen where it was totally avoidable.
Same with explaining your strike zone. Or interacting with fans. You MIGHT be OK -and in general you probably will be - but these are KNOWN potential issues, so you avoid them so they don't become one. It is preventative umpiring based what softball and baseball umpiring orgs have learned over millions of games. Avoiding potential traps and pitfalls makes officiating easier - part of why the best at it, always are so in control.
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Can't say I have seen that pattern but I shall look for it now...
In the 12U and younger ages, the more elaborate and expensive the uniform, the more issues you are probably going to see. Especially if the coaches are also dressed up as well.
- Jan 22, 2011
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I umpire a handful of rec games a year. I'm going to try to do high school games after my DD graduates HS, but I know I need to get a lot of rec games under my belt before I'm ready for HS.
My buddy is 63 and is umpiring HS games this year. He says he is the youngest umpire in his association.
I watched a 14u rec double header last Saturday where I didn't see the umpire move more than 1 step on calls.... and the first 1.5 games he was the only umpire. It was grating.
My confidence was shaken about umping HS when I saw an umpire I've watched umpire for 8 years call a non-tag up that she did tag up. Except for a couple strike calls, he called a very good game, and he hustles. Bases loaded, hard hit line drive to right field that the player had to dive to catch and didn't have control until she hit the ground. Umpire was plate umpire, so he was responsible for catch/no catch and tag up at 3B with bases loaded. He stumbled slightly getting out from behind the plate when trying to get into the holding area to be able to call the catch/no catch and tag up, so he wasn't in perfect position. Watching video of game at full speed, I could see how trying to watch both plays he could of seen it as possibly leaving a hair early. Watching 3 times more, she definitely hadn't left early.
His strike zone is a little strange, but he hustles on every play. He got grief on that call. One of our AC's knows him because he umpires for the rec league the AC is still president of. He told the AC HS is getting a bit too intense for him to umpire.... and it was hard to call balls/strikes because the other teams pitchers were slow and throw arcing pitches, vs our pitcher who has some velocity and "normal" movement. I know games with slow pitchers on one team vs. velocity on the other are hard to call... takes me a couple pitches to adjust to the higher velocity each inning, and the slow pitcher has a chance to sneak a pitch into the strike zone as it crosses the plate.
He's on the list of 5 or 6 umpires I am happy to see at one of my DD's games. As long as an umpire is consistent with his strike zone, players need to adjust.
My buddy is 63 and is umpiring HS games this year. He says he is the youngest umpire in his association.
I watched a 14u rec double header last Saturday where I didn't see the umpire move more than 1 step on calls.... and the first 1.5 games he was the only umpire. It was grating.
My confidence was shaken about umping HS when I saw an umpire I've watched umpire for 8 years call a non-tag up that she did tag up. Except for a couple strike calls, he called a very good game, and he hustles. Bases loaded, hard hit line drive to right field that the player had to dive to catch and didn't have control until she hit the ground. Umpire was plate umpire, so he was responsible for catch/no catch and tag up at 3B with bases loaded. He stumbled slightly getting out from behind the plate when trying to get into the holding area to be able to call the catch/no catch and tag up, so he wasn't in perfect position. Watching video of game at full speed, I could see how trying to watch both plays he could of seen it as possibly leaving a hair early. Watching 3 times more, she definitely hadn't left early.
His strike zone is a little strange, but he hustles on every play. He got grief on that call. One of our AC's knows him because he umpires for the rec league the AC is still president of. He told the AC HS is getting a bit too intense for him to umpire.... and it was hard to call balls/strikes because the other teams pitchers were slow and throw arcing pitches, vs our pitcher who has some velocity and "normal" movement. I know games with slow pitchers on one team vs. velocity on the other are hard to call... takes me a couple pitches to adjust to the higher velocity each inning, and the slow pitcher has a chance to sneak a pitch into the strike zone as it crosses the plate.
He's on the list of 5 or 6 umpires I am happy to see at one of my DD's games. As long as an umpire is consistent with his strike zone, players need to adjust.
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