[SRW]

Sounds like a good phone call to your UIC or Training Staff, whoever's in charge of training and evaluating umpires in your association.

I think you did the right thing by not correcting his mechanics or rules knowledge... it sounds like it's not your place to do so.

We had a deal here 2 years ago where we had off-duty umpires up in the tower watching a game from above. When the umpires got done with the game on the field, they came in to the tower to change, and were basically attacked by the off-duty umps about mechanics, rules, "you got that wrong", etc. It finally drove a bunch of good new guys away... they felt they were constantly being critiqued harshly, and never knew who was right (some times the off-duty umps were wrong!)

Anyway, our then UIC (the same guy who hates the fence timers) had to send out a broadcast policy to everyone that "bogus training" must stop immediately. He then designated a training staff and UIC staff who were the ONLY people authorized to approach an umpire about his game. However, if the working ump asked someone "how did I do" or "do you have any comments about my game" or "what did you see" - or something along those lines, that was the OK for whomever he asked to tell him. Basically, it fell back to the umpire requesting the help, not someone giving it to him unsolicited unless they were the UIC staff or training staff.

The other part of the policy is that, if an umpire saw someone working odd mechanics or improper rule application, they could go to one of the training or UIC staff and let them know what they saw... then the training or UIC staff could then make note of it and watch the guy themselves.

This way it was consistent training information related to rule interpretations and mechanics training that was being conveyed to the umpire crews, and not "bogus training" happening.

It's working... and it's stopped the vultures.