Quote:
Originally posted by lawump
5) In my opinion there has been a change in umpiring philosophy since 1997. It has gone from, "I have my calls, you have your calls, and we'll each stay the hell away from the other's call" to "let's all get together and huddle on close plays." Seriously, there are pluses on both sides. However, in my opinion the change has swung too far in the favor of "let's get together", especially on the amateur level.
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I definitely see this trend as well - it's obvious MLB has changed and in NCAA baseball, we are pretty much instructed the same way.
I think those days of "you get a pay check just like I do, get your calls right on your own" are fading fast. The issue in this umpiring "transitional phase" is educating when to get help and how to do it.
Judging by your examples, you definitely have a "clue". The problem is, at the amateur level, there is quite a varying degree of officiating experience. Thus, coaches will use this to try and get umpires to overule each other.
Excellent post - one of the best I've read in a long time.