Umpire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings

[The Man In Blue]

So one bad game where a position pitcher was pitching and we need to throw it out. I've been to 100 games in the last 2 years and maybe 5 pitches that I thought were wrong called. Just yesterday the ump in the game I did missed at least 30 pitches. Even on these pitches most of them were truly balls unless you think it's OK to change the strike zone based on the score.

One bad call and you are ready to hang the guy behind the plate. One bad game and he is being threatened all the way to his car and harassed on line. So yeah, don't tell me the system is "perfect" when it isn't. Don't pee on my leg and tell me it is raining. Then again, I do not believe people want the game called correctly, they want it called in their favor.

Call "it" (insert whatever "it" you want there) against a person's team and it is the most gawd awful traveshamockery in the history of the world -- maybe even worse than genocide -- and you are just trying to make about you UmpShow!

Take the exact same "it" on an other day ... Don't call the same "it" against the other team and you are horrible blowing a call worse than a humpback whale and Louis Armstrong in a trumpeting contest and you should be ashamed of yourself.

I don't just believe it is OK to change the strike zone based on the score (and other factors), but that is is NECESSARY. At the levels that most members here play, watch, and coach ... the strike zone needs to change based on the score ... and other factors. The purpose isn't to make the game unfair, but to get to the end when it is already over with. The belief that the strike zone should be some immutable force of nature from 8u to pros is ludicrous.

I had another atrocious middle school softball game today ... 17-11 score clocked in at 2 hours and 15 minutes for a full 7 innings. I called six strikes. Four of them would not have been called had I maintained a rulebook strike zone. (For fun, my partner counted and I was hit by pitches or foul balls 23 times. Almost four times the number of called strikes.)

For those keeping score at home, I have now worked four games in this MS season: two baseball and two softball. The total time for the two baseball games has been 3 hours and 10 minutes. The total time for the two softball games has been just under 5 hours. Yes, the strike zone has to change based on the ability of the players.

 

[BucketDud]

For those keeping score at home, I have now worked four games in this MS season: two baseball and two softball. The total time for the two baseball games has been 3 hours and 10 minutes. The total time for the two softball games has been just under 5 hours. Yes, the strike zone has to change based on the ability of the players.

A school near us last year "won" a MS game 25-23. I saw some parents post on FB about it so had to look it up on GC.

The game took almost four hours and their pitcher threw over 250 pitches in the game. And this was her second game of the day. The other team at least split it between two pitchers who each had close to 150.

I commend you guys/girls because my umpire career would have been over in the second inning of that one.

 

[flash277]

Thank goodness our MS games have a 2 hour time limit, which everyone seems happy with. We trying to get a two hour limit for JV, but that not flying now….,

 

[_MIA_]

Thank goodness our MS games have a 2 hour time limit, which everyone seems happy with. We trying to get a two hour limit for JV, but that not flying now….,

My DD's MS games should have a 5 minute time limit..

 

[BucketDud]

My DD's MS games should have a 5 minute time limit..

I would agree with this

Every year the questions in group chat at the start:

Are shorts ok for practice?
Do they need their own bat?
Are they required to wear cleats?

 

[RADcatcher]

One bad call and you are ready to hang the guy behind the plate. One bad game and he is being threatened all the way to his car and harassed on line. So yeah, don't tell me the system is "perfect" when it isn't. Don't pee on my leg and tell me it is raining. Then again, I do not believe people want the game called correctly, they want it called in their favor.

Call "it" (insert whatever "it" you want there) against a person's team and it is the most gawd awful traveshamockery in the history of the world -- maybe even worse than genocide -- and you are just trying to make about you UmpShow!

Take the exact same "it" on an other day ... Don't call the same "it" against the other team and you are horrible blowing a call worse than a humpback whale and Louis Armstrong in a trumpeting contest and you should be ashamed of yourself.

I don't just believe it is OK to change the strike zone based on the score (and other factors), but that is is NECESSARY. At the levels that most members here play, watch, and coach ... the strike zone needs to change based on the score ... and other factors. The purpose isn't to make the game unfair, but to get to the end when it is already over with. The belief that the strike zone should be some immutable force of nature from 8u to pros is ludicrous.

I had another atrocious middle school softball game today ... 17-11 score clocked in at 2 hours and 15 minutes for a full 7 innings. I called six strikes. Four of them would not have been called had I maintained a rulebook strike zone. (For fun, my partner counted and I was hit by pitches or foul balls 23 times. Almost four times the number of called strikes.)

For those keeping score at home, I have now worked four games in this MS season: two baseball and two softball. The total time for the two baseball games has been 3 hours and 10 minutes. The total time for the two softball games has been just under 5 hours. Yes, the strike zone has to change based on the ability of the players.

It's nice to see perspective from people who are involved at multiple different event levels / age group / talent levels included.

With the addition of real world experiences we can understand that there definitely can be separate nuances in the game that need to be addressed.

A school near us last year "won" a MS game 25-23. I saw some parents post on FB about it so had to look it up on GC.

The game took almost four hours and their pitcher threw over 250 pitches in the game. And this was her second game of the day. The other team at least split it between two pitchers who each had close to 150.

I commend you guys/girls because my umpire career would have been over in the second inning of that one.

________________________________

There will always be the rule book sticklers.
And
There is the reality that in sports are different skill levels.
Requiring the human element to pay attention to help make the best fit in the situation. Sometimes that is an adjustment, umpires included!
Time limits.
Run scored per inning.

 

[_MIA_]

I would agree with this

Every year the questions in group chat at the start:

Are shorts ok for practice?
Do they need their own bat?
Are they required to wear cleats?

DD's coach cannot throw front toss..like literally, so he has DD do it. I almost want to ask him if she can get part of his pay. Plus she is the only one who can catch so she catches for her MS team. The next month (luckily the season is only a month) will be spent with me lighting candles and saying a rosary at church during her games hoping she doesn't get hurt..

 

[BucketDud]

DD's coach cannot throw front toss..like literally, so he has DD do it. I almost want to ask him if she can get part of his pay.

That is hit or miss even at HS level. We are lucky in ours do know game pretty well. As PP very grateful they will use her reasonably.

But I had TB player at another school few years ago JH coach was not an employee of school. Wore flip flops to every practice. Girl broke her nose in middle of warmups from a kid two lines over. Coach never even knew it happened or noticed the girl left practice. If you don't noticed blood everywhere unlikely to notice sore shoulder.

 

[_MIA_]

That is hit or miss even at HS level. We are lucky in ours do know game pretty well. As PP very grateful they will use her reasonably.

Her HS team stinks too (they were losing 18-0 after two innings yesterday) but at least the coach can throw front toss and hit fungos so practice won't be a complete waste of time and she will get in some reps. I have already had 3 of her TB teammates parents ask me if she wanted to transfer HS next year because of how bad the HS team is every year...lol (isn't happening but I thought it was funny)

It's one of the world's greatest mysteries how HS/MS softball in Norman,OK can be so bad..

 

[BucketDud]

Her HS team stinks too (they were losing 18-0 after two innings yesterday) but at least the coach can throw front toss and hit fungos so practice won't be a complete waste of time and she will get in some reps. I have already had 3 of her TB teammates parents ask me if she wanted to transfer HS next year because of how bad the HS team is every year...lol (isn't happening but I thought it was funny)

It's one of the world's greatest mysteries how HS/MS softball in Norman,OK can be so bad..

The one time you wish you were a PP .

Do lot of kids there skip HS ball all together and just play travel? Can't imagine there isn't talent in Norman.