umpire awards ball to punish catcher

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May 29, 2015
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You should find direction elsewhere. I have never taught or ever heard any other instructor even come close to such a comment at any school or clinic whether local, regional or national
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You didn’t specify which part ... I’m assuming you are taking exception with the part about catchers handling the ball. If so, I am in FULL agreement with you.

There is another umpire forum I frequent where I have been utterly roasted by “high level umpires” for refusing to buy into that drivel.
 
May 29, 2015
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The catcher sold that pretty well. I'm not entirely convinced she was in on it.

I would agree. Ump was pretty quick with the hook. Wonder what led up to him believing he was being targeted. Guilty conscience perhaps?

Hard to say based on a six second clip. There was a video a few years ago (possibly the one that kicked off the whole trend) where the catcher just up and up leaves. I want to say they even had recorded the coach instructing the pitcher and catcher to do it (I may be wrong). EDIT: it was posted earlier and I didn’t see it, sorry!

In that clip he seemed pretty quick to pull the trigger, but we don’t know what led up to it.
 
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Apr 28, 2019
1,423
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I would agree. Ump was pretty quick with the hook. Wonder what led up to him believing he was being targeted. Guilty conscience perhaps?
Or it could just be spoiled kids/rotten coaches who think they are entitled and out for payback.
Not this particular case but it reminds me of a “lookout” block in football. When the O line is trying to make a point to the QB and instead of blocking just turn sideways and let the D tee off on the QB.
 
Mar 28, 2014
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There is another umpire forum I frequent where I have been utterly roasted by “high level umpires” for refusing to buy into that drivel.
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Do you ever get the sense that some umpires enjoy being a temporary authority figure a little too much?
 
May 24, 2013
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So Cal
I would agree. Ump was pretty quick with the hook. Wonder what led up to him believing he was being targeted. Guilty conscience perhaps?

There is quite a bit more to the story, but I'm not going to go into it again here. Much of it has already been discussed in the past, and more details were learned later. The short version is that it was and intentional, he was aware it was intentional by both P and C, and he made a quick and decisive call when it happened. In the words of an umpire friend of mine, who knows and highly respects the ump in the video..."If he threw you out of the game, you deserved it."
 
May 29, 2015
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Blue- How would you handle an ump that is all over the place with his calls? If I’m pitching and not getting legit strike calls my 1st instinct is to approach the ump respectfully and ask where was that? Or where do you want it because I can’t do better than that.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do when you have adjusted but the mark keeps moving.

Sometimes we have bad days too. Sometimes you get a booger.

At face value, I wouldn’t have an issue with you quietly approaching me between innings ... I may tell you your catcher is actually squeezing me (blocking or altering my view). I may even tell you I know I missed a couple (yes, I do admit it ... and yes I’ve caught holy heck for admitting that I will admit it). I may tell you (like I did in another story I think I posted) that I’m not giving your 10u pitcher a “10u zone” because both she and the other pitcher are too good for me to need to do that. But if you’ve been chirping the whole time and now you want to be nice ... you have shortened your own leash so I would say proceed with caution.

That is just me though ... other umpires? Read the room and proceed with caution. If you’ve been good and the blue hasn’t seemed out of line (beyond your opinion of the zone) then you have some latitude. If either the blue or you has been a jerk ... you may want to consider your approach.

No matter what, I wouldn’t start with “where do YOU want it?” :)
 

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