Please respect your umpires

[Long Baller]

As a fan, I try to make a point to say "Good game, Blue" as they walk past while heading to the parking lot. Even if they were just "ok", I still tell them good game. If they were downright bad, then I just don't say anything at all.

 

[bmakj]

As a fan, I try to make a point to say "Good game, Blue" as they walk past while heading to the parking lot. Even if they were just "ok", I still tell them good game. If they were downright bad, then I just don't say anything at all.

I always say thank you. thanking them for time and effort, non committal on performance

 

[Long Baller]

I always say thank you. thanking them for time and effort, non committal on performance

True, but every so often you run into an ump that was so bad, that you are afraid to open your mouth because you don't know what will come out

I usually wish them good luck before the game if they are close by.

 

[bmakj]

"drive safe" is also a pretty safe in all scenarios toss out

 

[The Man In Blue]

I have noticed in the last few weeks that the grandparents have been exceptionally appreciative after the games. My partner last weekend and I were discussing this, as he has noticed it too.

Last weekend I caught myself out of position on a play. I'm the base umpire on the first base line and the batter lines a one hopper right at the right-fielder. I knew I didn't have time to button-hook in, so I worked a reverse 45-degree angle (on the foul side) to see the incoming play at first. Sure enough, F9 throws the ball over F3, over F2 backing it up ... and the foot race is on.

I allow the runner to cross my intended path and then I sprint to the inside of second base ... and the ball is still rolling around so the runner heads to third ... and my fat old butt is sprinting right along with him, in position to make the safe call at third.

After the game, I'm hurrying out to my car to put my plate gear on for the next game and grandma stops me ... "I just want to thank you guys for doing what you do and tell you how impressed I was seeing you running that kid down!"

LOL ... I'm still chuckling on that one.

 

[clarity]

There is a great Facebook page called Offside. https://www.facebook.com/youreoffside

It's the right message, but the wrong messenger. The guy who runs that is an absolute clown. He often resorts to name calling, body shaming, and generally just being an arrogant, obnoxious jerk. He is the very type of behavior he rails against.

 

[clarity]

Here's a pro tip for fans who have never umpired. If the umps haven't called an illegal pitch after the first 3 times you screamed for it, they probably won't. In fact, you just made it almost impossible for them to call one without igniting a firestorm from the other team as well because they reacted to a fan's suggestions. Same goes for a pitch "in exactly the same spot", etc.

You'll find a lot more peace if you just go into the game with the assumption that the umpires don't know the rules concerning illegal pitches (apart from hands together). If they don't know the rules, they're not going to call them. Just accept it. If you have low enough expectations, you just might be pleasantly surprised!

 

[Dabears17]

I told them straight up: "Two things ... First, you guys do have a better angle on that call than I do. You are looking right down the baseline at the runner coming back. Second, it was a $45 call." They looked puzzled ... "$45 would have put another umpire on the field and one of us would have been standing right over that play with a fantastic angle." (What made that even more poignant was that their HC was the tournament director.)

My DD umpired her first game two weekends ago. She was the base umpire and did fairly well. She had two calls that got some grumbles.... but as I always say, you might have a different call from 50 to 100ft away, but she was 8 to 12 feet away.

She understands now that even with 2 umpires, its hard to get all the calls right. I've known the UIC of our local rec league for 16 years, so I kidded with her after we watched a college game last weekend that she should suggest to the UIC that we have 4 umpires for our rec games.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Four!? No! I worked a 4-man crew at a state tournament ... it's actually boring. Or maybe I'm just mad I got second base (which also made me "the rabbit").

Three is good. Allows good coverage and keeps everybody moving and engaged.

 

[testandor]

The weekend before last, I umpired an in-house tournament for a large local rec league. I had 18U pool play on Sat, and elimination play in the 12U division at another park on Sun. Four games on Sunday, so I had teams multiple times. Hot weekend, no breaks, tiring to be sure. Championship game, I had one team twice, and the other 3 straight. 1-man games until championship. When the last game ended, a mother from the winning team gave me and the base ump a small envelope. It had been 5 straight games on Sat and 4 straight on Sun, so I didn't bother opening it until later that evening. Inside? A Thank You card! I couldn't believe it! In what has probably been more than 15 years of umpiring, I had never gotten anything more than, "Good game, Blue." And in between those umpiring years, I spent 20 years coaching HS varsity and travel, and it had never occurred to me to hand any umpire a thank you card. I just thought it was very thoughtful of her, and deserved mention.