Just When You Think You've Seen It All

[Greenmonsters]

Watched a small, local 18U tournament today with at least 4 DII/DIII college pitchers that have gunned low 60s during recent showcase games. What caught my eye was a home plate umpire who seemed to be falling off balance while calling balls and strikes. Watched a little more and it seemed that he was flinching and moving backwards on every pitch. Got closer and saw that the umpire wasn't wearing a chest protector or shin guards. Needless to say, the strike zone was not consistent when he called our game later in the day. Oy Vey! Maybe he thought he'd been scheduled for an 8U tournament???!!!

 

[Indiana]

Oh my. My money's on the 8U/18U mix-up. Or maybe his car got stolen. Seriously, I've seen the gear these guys carry in their trunks - full body armour. Very strange.

 

[MTR]

Oh my. My money's on the 8U/18U mix-up. Or maybe his car got stolen. Seriously, I've seen the gear these guys carry in their trunks - full body armour. Very strange.

I'm putting my money on stupidity. Too many umpires think it is "manly" that they don't need a chest protector. Like I said, stupid.

Some call them peek-a-boo umpires, using the catcher as their protection and moving when the catcher moves which means there is no consistent strike zone.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I know a couple of pitchers that would try to nail him, just for thinking he didn't need equipment. Why would a trny director let him ump, like that?

 

[MTR]

I know a couple of pitchers that would try to nail him, just for thinking he didn't need equipment. Why would a trny director let him ump, like that?

I assume you are referring to his mechanics because there are no rules requiring umpires to wear certain equipment. It is stupid simply because it would only take one pitch to kill you.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I was thinking about liability.

 

[Mark7784]

Two summers ago my daughter's 16U team was playing in a pretty good college exposure tournament, and for one game the plate ump showed up with no chest protector. Both coaches asked him about it before the game and he just laughed and said "the catchers will protect me." The starting pitchers for both teams could really bring it, and not surprisingly both catchers were scared out of their minds the whole game. At least a half dozen foul tips whizzed by him during the game but thankfully none got him. Isn't there an old saying like "God watches after babies and drunks." I guess we should add brain dead umpires to that as well.

 

[Mark7784]

I know a couple of pitchers that would try to nail him, just for thinking he didn't need equipment. Why would a trny director let him ump, like that?

Hi Amy. I had the same concern about liability regarding the situation I mentioned in my post above. I asked the tourney director about it after the game, and he was pretty nonchalant about it. I wonder if, regarding liability,that the umps sign a waiver/disclaimer stating that fastpitch softball umpiring is inherently dangerous and that the umpires agree to accept all liability for injury in exchange for whatever compensation they are provided. Even if true, still a pretty shortsighted view in my opinion.

 

[MTR]

Let's start with point one. Waivers/disclaimers are a waste of paper as no one has the authority to waive said rights of another party.

Secondly, the umpire, assumedly, is an adult and just who would be liable if that umpire gets hurt based upon his/her selection of equipment?

Liability is a concern in a lot of things, but people in this country are just over the edge on this type of stuff. My old man was right, we need to shoot all the idiot judges and the shoot all the lawyers so there will not be any more idiot judges.

 

[ms244]

We just finished a 14u tourney where NONE of the umpires was wearing chest protectors. Our second game yesterday featured a 18yo girl as our HU who showed up wearing shorts and a mask. No chest protector or shin guards. I saw this and asked our head coach to help her out. He offered the HU our catchers gear for her to use. She chose to wear the chest protector but not the shin guards. Every pitch she was crouched down behind our catcher and couldn't see the pitch. To say the strike zone varied is an understatement! We also watched the HU during our first game (a 45 yo male) get drilled in the chest from a foul tip that just about dropped him. We heard a tick from the bat followed by a deep hard "thud". That was the ball drilling him in the chest! I would like to say I felt sorry for him but he knew better!