Should umpires signal/announce a fair ball?

[The Man In Blue]

I see umpires on the travel ball circuit verbalize way too much and it creates issues with the players, coaches and fans.

Aaron Burr 101 for Umpires

My pet peeves 1) verbalizing non-strike pitches - no need for it

Every camp and clinic I have been at has taught to verbalize EVERY pitch the catcher gets. Not the location, no commentary … just a quick, crisp “Ball!” or a good emphatic “”STRRRIIIIIIKE!”

There is a “new school” of thought that is working with announcing the location on a ball. Supposedly reduces coaches complaining.

3), Not verbalizing the count often and loudly enough. As a spectator, I would like to know the count if I have somehow missed a pitch or two or three, but also because my now 12u DD has hearing issues. She catches about half her teams games and when she doesn't hear the umpire, she is taught to turn around and just ask. You can always see her speaking to the umpire during her at bats too, making sure she has the count correct.

I worked a game with a hearing impaired catcher once. She asked me to tap her shoulders (balls on the left, strikes on the right) to give her the count. Took me a while to get that one down!

 

[PJR202]

I learned my loud voice yelling up at family members from the basement...

Was it "MOM! THEY CHAINED ME TO THE SUPPORT POST AGAIN!"

 

[PJR202]

1) Yes! Though I do think a quiet verbalization for batter/catcher is fine, and if you sit close enough, you can hear high level umpires do this. But I can't tell you how many times I've asked "Did he say 'strike' or 'inside'?" I shouldn't do that because you shouldn't be yelling on non-strikes.

3) I agree on the verbalizing the count, but I couldn't care less if the spectators know what it is. You're not verbalizing for them. You're doing it for the players on the field. It's funny you brought this up though, because in the game that caused me to start the thread, one of the parents on the other team was just berating the umpire about not being loud enough for her. This parent was sitting down the line, 100 feet away. The umpire could have verbalized better/more, but she certainly shouldn't be doing it to appease that wretched woman.

I've had a few doozies, but one ump in particular is terribly inconsistent. She'll call a ball one time, then not the next. She never calls loud enough to hear anything unless it's a close strike. Multiple times there have been close plays at the plate where she doesn't indicate out or safe. On the field I'm close enough to see what's going on, but when I'm running the scoreboard it's infuriating.

The calls should be clear for the people in the pressbox. I don't care how an ump decides to indicate the result of a pitch as long as it's consistent. With the inconsistencies combined with the pressbox being 50ft away and to the 9:00 position of the ump, I finally bought a wireless mic that I tape to the light pole behind the backstop (I always notify the spectators so they have the option to not talk **** about anyone), and run through a little guitar amp in the pressbox. I can hear a conversation at 2B with that setup. It's maddening to be running the board and not be sure of the count. I know it's not official, but as a coach if I zone out or miss a pitch because I'm talking to a runner or someone in the dugout, if it's not a good moment to check with the ump then I'll check the scoreboard and hope it's correct.

As the board operator with ADD (haha. for real. ), I try my absolute best to be accurate, and when I'm NOT, I just shut the balls and strikes off until the next batter. I've shut them off for the entire game before when I can't get a read on the ump.

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

I am confused by all the confusion on ball/strike. There’s a clear strike mechanic for a reason. You should be able from the upper deck 300 feet away to see if an umpire signals a strike. You shouldn’t need to hear anything. That written, everyone within 3 fields knows when I call a strike.

 

[SoftballDadnWV]

Every camp and clinic I have been at has taught to verbalize EVERY pitch the catcher gets. Not the location, no commentary … just a quick, crisp “Ball!” or a good emphatic “”STRRRIIIIIIKE!”

Maybe a difference in sports or likely just a difference in region or state - who knows. But that was taught by the old timers as well. Again, it was baseball. I got use to it. I have been out of it for six full high school seasons and maybe many things have changed as well.

I worked a game with a hearing impaired catcher once. She asked me to tap her shoulders (balls on the left, strikes on the right) to give her the count. Took me a while to get that one down!

Very cool you were able to accommodate her that way.

 

[flash277]

Aaron Burr 101 for Umpires

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Every camp and clinic I have been at has taught to verbalize EVERY pitch the catcher gets. Not the location, no commentary … just a quick, crisp “Ball!” or a good emphatic “”STRRRIIIIIIKE!”

There is a “new school” of thought that is working with announcing the location on a ball. Supposedly reduces coaches complaining.


I worked a game with a hearing impaired catcher once. She asked me to tap her shoulders (balls on the left, strikes on the right) to give her the count. Took me a while to get that one down!

Say TMIB, I've learned that when you call a strike, you do not say the word "strike".....you're suppose to say or grunt something else....Why is that?.....I still yell "strike", I can't find something something else to call that I'm comfortable with.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Say TMIB, I've learned that when you call a strike, you do not say the word "strike".....you're suppose to say or grunt something else....Why is that?.....I still yell "strike", I can't find something something else to call that I'm comfortable with.

I’ve never been taught NOT to say strike … but mine comes out as a gravelly sort of “HAI!” It’s not two syllables, but it is a diphthong. Occasionally you might hear a fading hard “k” on the end.

I see it like my signature … it used to be nice, complete, and formal … now it is just a jumbled mess that looks as if I should be using purple crayon.

I actually admire the guys and gals who say STEEEEE-RRRRIIIIIIIKKKKKUUUUHHHHH! I don’t know how they get three syllables in there.

 

[flash277]

I always thought if you call a foul ball, mistake or not, there is no reversing it, whereas you can call a ball fair then rule it foul after a review?

 

[EdLovrich]

I always thought if you call a foul ball, mistake or not, there is no reversing it, whereas you can call a ball fair then rule it foul after a review?

That is basically correct. The problem in this situation is that there was BOTH a fair and foul called. The CORRECT call was fair, however the PROPER umpire to make the call was the 3BU, who is the one who called the ball foul. Though the word is that the umpires are, apparently, saying the 3BU vocalized 'FAIR' and signaled foul.... Just one more reason you NEVER vocalize 'Fair'

The PU had no business making a call at all, but when you are not used to working 4-umpire mechanics, it is a mistake that is easily made. Rough way to end the LL careers of the players from Bend......

 

[The Man In Blue]

If you watch the process of the replay, they confirm the call on the field of fair ball. There has been plenty of debate on many other aspects of this.

I find it hard to believe, but not impossible, that he verbalized “Fair!” However, his body language and reaction AFTER his call does not indicate “I thought it was fair but goofed.”