Umpiring touching catcher

[Jorgy73]

I had a new one this weekend.
As our catcher set up to receive pitches, the plate umpire would bend down and put his fist in our catcher's back. (The 12u catcher said she felt it was impending her ability to react to the ball, whether in the dirt, outside, inside, etc.) After she told me this between innings, I watched to see if he was doing this to the opposing catcher as well. He was not. When the following half inning rolled around, I immediately noticed he started doing this to our catcher again, prompting my player to glance at our dugout as she was obviously upset and I called time and went out to discuss this with the umpire. I tried to discretely tell him what was going, and I made sure to note that I did not believe this was intentional. I couldn't believe the umpire's reaction - he blew up and me and told me he never touched our catcher. After telling him that I just saw him do it, he tried to spin the story that he only touched her when she leaned back into him. From my perspective, I only lost my cool after he said this was the most ridiculous thing he's every heard - where I proceeded to ask him if he was calling a 12-year-old ridiculous?
To be fair, I have seen umpires touch catchers before as they are setting up, but not as they are receiving the ball, and certainly not by putting a fist in the catcher's back.

 

[Sparky Guy]

I've seen umpires who will hold a hand/fist up behind a catcher, but not touch them, to guard against getting tangled up with them if the catcher shifts back unexpectedly. Never when the catcher is receiving a ball.

Maybe some of the blues can chime in if this is something that is taught.

 

[justanotherguy]

I've seen umps get REALLLLY close in on top of a catcher, but not touching. I just considered it trying to get the best view of the ball as possible. It was his style. My DD pointed it out, but there was never any "touching" at any point and he was doing it to all catchers.

 

[_MIA_]

If he had done it to both catchers I would say maybe he was too old to umpire and was just making sure he didn't fall over..DD played in a game this weekend where I was sure that at some point the umpire was going to need assistance getting back up after he crouched down....

 

[Momo'sDad]

At those younger ages, I have seen umpires do what appeared to be a position check, but it was quick and never constant and I cannot say I have ever noticed an umpire who did it all the time. It's just something I have seen a few times here and there, nothing noteworthy at all. What you're describing doesn't sound like something an umpire should be doing.

 

[kingsoda]

That's never been taught in any umpiring clinic I've attended. But then again, I'm in Canada - who knows what they're teaching down south.

But seriously, I would surprised if anyone's teaching that.

 

[Sweet Lou]

You could simply say if you touch my catcher like that again, I'll be required to report it to safe sport and you can deal with their investigation.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Speaking on the concept in general:

Don’t touch players, don’t touch equipment.

Not sure if that is an “old school” technique or a baseball thing ... but there is no reason for it.

Speaking on the specific situation: that’s just bizarre. And maybe a bit creepy.

 

[Comp]

Putting a hand on the catchers back appears to be a baseball thing and is universally rejected in softball. You do not touch the catcher and it is stressed in any softball umpires clinic.

What really gets me about the baseball guys that do it, they don't seem to care that from what I have been told most catchers hate it and defend continuing to do it. My son in law was a college catcher and said he could not stand having the umpire put their hand on his back. He said he had even asked some of them to please not do it and they would tell him to get over it and just keep doing it. They claim it is to set their spacing to the catcher. Sorry, never touched a catcher in my life and I can set my spacing just fine.

 

[Wildfire]

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