I posed this same question on the baseball side of things. It didn't generate much discussion. Whatgameyouwatchinblue pretty well shut it off and closed 'er down with his reference to Carl Childress's Worst Calls article.
I intend to stick with the "call what I see" answer and work determinedly to get the best view. It did bite me this last week; got turned back for a district championship game because a childish rookie coach didn't want me to do his game. Okay, I didn't want to argue with him anyway. This was a result of other events and not the ones I initially posed. He's still a putz.
As someone mentioned earlier there is no balance, and I'm not sure there should be, but that coaches can evaluate and choose their desired umpires while us umps just suck-it-up and always try to do our best, surely is not fair. Don't know what is better.
I have noticed that those umpires who always make the expected calls are generally lazy umpires. They don't work to get the best angle and laugh about most of their controversial calls.
Was working two man (with me as PU in their district) with an official from another district last week. With lone runner on 3rd he would stand outside 3rd baseline! He also spent a lot of time standing by the fence talking to the crowd/fans. On this particular play with lone runner at 3rd. Batter gets an infield hit to F6. I see the play developing at 1st but also recognize that R3 may be headed home. I turn to see R3 and here comes partner from the 3rd baselne fence running to a position about 10 feet towards home from 3rd and about 5 feet into foul territory. He nonchalantly smiles and holds a sloppy out call for a very close play at 1st. Never said a word.
That's my partner - for the day only!
I was ready to make every call just in case he didn't show up. Ooh, he's the commissioner's son. And his dad set this low flying level of officiating techniques. The game wasn't close but it was a challenge to rely upon my "partner" for anything. This guy would surely make the expected calls and never have a clue that the expected call could very well be the wrong call. 28 years old, unemployed and working the games daddy assigns him. Aaaaahhhh the undirected youth of America. Can you still call 28 a youth? Well he still acts like one.
Hope I don't get the pleasure of working any state games with him.
