When is an umpire a duck?

[eddieq]

I was umpiring in the Special Olympics last week. They play slow pitch so we were all out there in the shorts. The only gear I had on was my cup. A few times I really wished I had my shin guards. Lots of bouncers, fouls back and catchers who really are only there because the teams are required to field the position. I spent most of the time dancing away and handing a new ball to the catcher while I went back to pick up the pitched ball. We were on a 90 minute timer and if I didn't keep it moving, we'd get 2 innings in. And I was glad at least 3 times that I was wearing my cup

 

[left turn]

I pride myself in staying still on pitches. It's what we're taught to do and how we're supposed to do it.

But.....I will admit to sometimes getting jumpy behind the plate. I'll stand still and take some shots, up until the point when the catchers prove to me that they aren't very good at stopping pitches. Sure, you're going to get hit on weird bounces or balls fouled back, and those aren't really the catcher's fault. The ones that get me jumping around are the ones that make little or no effort to stop off-target pitches, or just plain don't have the skills to catch the ball at all.

Then I might go into self-preservation mode. I'm not going to stand there and be a human backstop. Even then...if I do find myself getting a little jumpy, I bear down and make an even stronger effort to not budge.

I've worked tournaments with skilled players and not had a ball touch me all weekend, and I've worked rec league games where I got nailed a dozen times.it comes with the territory. If an umpire wants to have a consistent strike zone, he needs to overcome the urge to flinch.

By the way, the umpire's mask flying off might not mean anything at all. Generally, umpires are taught to wear their masks as loose as possible. That way, it a ball does hit it the mask has a tendency to spin off. If it's worn tight, all of the energy of the ball is transferred directly to the head and face. If it's loose, the energy is dissipated by knocking the mask off.

BretMan, The catchers were both excellent as this was a reasonably high level 14U tourney. Certainly foul tips could be an issue, but not missed pitches.

As for the mask, it flew off because he turned his head and the ball hit the mask right side on the flange that protects the ear.

I haven't seen this before. The other umps in the tourney were really good.

 

[Comp]

If it was a high level 14U tournament and excellent catchers on both teams, Im having a hard time seeing how an umpire is getting hit several times in a single game. Where that many foul balls going straight back? Yes, things happen and there are just games where I seem to be a ball magnet but high level games are usually the ones I dont get hit in.

 

[BretMan]

BretMan, The catchers were both excellent as this was a reasonably high level 14U tourney. Certainly foul tips could be an issue, but not missed pitches.

I didn't mean to comment on the skill of the players in your particular game. From what you described it sounds like an inexperienced umpire who hasn't learned to master the urge to flinch yet.

By the way...it is IMPOSSIBLE for an umpire to be hit by a foul tip. If that seems kind of cryptic, look up the definition of a foul tip.