Quote:
Originally posted by reccer
AltUmpSteve said:
....our job is to get the calls right, within acceptable protocol; and if a coach does his job right......
I'm okay with waiting on a coach to point out the ball was on the ground or she didn't have her foot on bag, etc., before the Blues confer to get it right, but I do have a problem with a Blue allowing an obvious mis-interpretation of the rules by another Blue without speaking up.
2 examples (same old Blue both Pony all-star games-- this might be part of the problem.)
I'm on defense, offense has 2 runners on, batter hits foul ball back to screen. Catcher throws back to pitcher who misses ball and it winds up in center. Both runners run home and Blue counts them. I said to PU it was a foul ball. He explained once my pitcher missed the throw it was a live ball. I asked him to get help. He conferred with BU. BU came over to me and said both runners scored. I've got the AFLAC duck look on my face as I head back to my bucket then I paused and asked in a voice the whole county could here about foul balls down left field foul line that are heaved back to the pitcher are they live balls too? At this point BU comes back to me and whispers that "he's going to fix it. The PU is supposed to be a big deal in Pony and he (younger BU) did not want to correct him but what he (PU) was doing was just plain wrong." So both re-conferred and runners were returned to the bases.
Second example, (six years later-- I have 3 daughters) same old Blue, he's BU this time. Opposing coach motions to Blue about my pitcher. Sure enough, next pitch he calls illegal. I asked why. "Because she has to have both feet on pitchers plate." I said this is Pony not ASA both feet don't have to be on plate, go get help. He heads, not to his partner, but to the Pony field director (who is outside the fence). They confer, and agree, illegal pitch. After hearing that, I go into Lou Pinella mode and PU who is half my age and twice my size orders me back into dugout and announces in a loud voice that "he is in charge of this field and that pitchers only need 1 foot on pitchers plate."
2 points:
1. When your partner mis-interprets a rule, don't compromise your own integrity and go along/cover for his mistake.
2. How about you Blues correcting these type of rules mis-interpretations without the coaches having to get involved? Football and basketball fix it.
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Both of your points are good ones!
My job as an umpire is to always get the call right and that is the only protocol.
1. When my partner misinterprets a rule I always meet with him to correct it immediately....and I expect him to do the same with me. I do not want the coach coming to me to explain the rules, it's my job to know the rules and apply them correctly. One thing I do not want is a protested game especially when it could have been easily prevented.
2. My fellow umpires out there, don't wait for a coach to point out that you have misinterpreted a rule...fix it yourself....ASAP. Don't wait for a coach to point out that you have kicked a call, if you see it fix it and when your partner kicks a call go to him, let him know what you have and give him the info necessary to fix it, if possible.
This is not about umpire egos, it's about the game...get it right!