Quote:
Originally posted by GarthB
I have no problem with your advice to move out and up,but what happened to your philosophy of giving the customer what he wants? And what happened to your position on umpire's policing their ranks?
This league doesn't want this behavior. The BU was doing his job.
This type of situation doesn't end at kiddie ball. If the poster takes his same beliefs with him as he goes onward and upward, his problems will go with him. And while he might go onward, he probably won't go upward.
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GarthB;
My critics have often deliberately misinterpreted my advice of "Give the customer what he wants!" To wit:
I have never advocated letting the coaches or players misbehave. Just because they want to scream at the umpire is no reason to let them.
Here is what I do mean by giving the customer what he wants:
If BOTH coaches show up at the plate conference and want to play by certain rules, as long as it does not compromise safety, I am going along with their desires. I simply am not going to enforce rules that neither of them want enforced unless it has to do with safety. Over the years, here are some examples:
1. Don't call balks. Fine, I can live with that. Or give warnings only. (I have not had to do this in 10 years since I no longer work at these levels.)
2. We want to play only five innings but we'll give you a full fee. The Virginia High School League (VHSL) has forbidden this practice. They hate it. However, if the coaches show up at the plate conference and my assignor has approved it, they are going to get what they want. When the VHSL pays my fee is when I'll start listening to the VHSL.
3. All manner of modifications to FED rules (excluding safety). Usually these revolve around balks, visits, the DH, and appeals.
4. Free substitutions.
5. Imposing slaughter rules and time limits (as long as I am the beneficiary in terms of time.)
My critics hate my attitude towards letting the coaches write the rules. Therefore, they deliberately lie and imply that I let the coaches compromise safety or compromise behavior. That does not happen where I umpire. I have just such an example that I am working on for the paid part of this site. Stay tuned.
I did not understand the 2nd paragraph of your post with regards to the BU.
To put your third paragraph in context, Wobster told us that he had never thrown someone out of a game. I told him that he needed to learn this skill pronto. He made a mistake in his choice of target. Big deal, who cares. He is learning. Anyway, he had success because everyone shut up. He learned something there about the power of ejection. That's a success story in umpiring education.
Finally, from what he describes, no one is policing anything in the league that he works. When 15 year old 1st base coaches are yelling at umpires, something is wrong with the league administration. It's time to leave.
Peter