Quote:
Originally posted by spillguy
Hey folks,
Anyone have a problem with fulfilling a request to brush the plate? I have never thought twice about cleaning off the dish, and would feel as though I was not doing a great job if the catcher or coach had to ask.
Today in my son's 9-10 LL post season tournament I told the catcher to call time and ask for the plate to be brushed. I had noticed it from the 3B box in the last half. The PU turns to me in the dugout and asks "why"? So from the dugout I say "So my pitcher can get a better look at it". He does the brush then calls "Time" himself and calls me out of the dugout with his forefinger.
He was upset with the request because he thought I was asking him to brush it so HE could get a better view (He apparently though I was chipping the zone he was calling). I had not even thought of that 'till he tells me. BYW it's the bottom of the 6th and we are in jepardy of walking in the tieing run (11-11). Pitcher is struggling to find the zone.
My question is this:
Would you consider this type of request as chipping, or is it some type of chip that I am just unaware of?
Thanks,
SG
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He might've been a tad bit sensitive if I can believe your version of events. Probably in his version of events he would say you were not being particularly nice about asking him to brush off the plate for his pitcher.
Nonetheless, you're 90 feet away in the coacher's box. The pitcher is on a 10-inch high hill looking down on the plate from only 60-1/2 feet away. I'm sure he can see it better.
Plate umpires should not be meticulous about brushing the plate. It interrupts the flow of the game. Of course, they should keep it relatively clean using natural breaks in the game to do their task. Baseball is played outdoors in the dirt. You can't keep dirt off the plate for every pitch. And an umpire shouldn't try.
Finally, there is an old pet peeve among umpires that you stumbled on. It is a tradition dating back decades and decades. Don't request that the plate be cleaned loudly for everyone to hear. Some
will draw the conclusion that you're making a subtle hint that the umpire cannot see the plate. No need to complain about it. It's older than the hills and you cannot change it. You have been warned.