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Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
I don't care for the present mechanics and have never hidden my feelings. I have never had, nor witnessed any other umpire, experience a problem which was brought on by standing on the foul line between innings.
If there is ANYONE a partner should be counselling, should it not be a rookie? Remember, rookie or 20 year veteran, s/he is still your ONLY teammate on the field. BTW, there are plenty of 20 year veterans that I wouldn't mind knowing what they saw on the last play  . I have yet to hear a valid reason why teammates should not communicate between innings. If you are so worried about appearances, when you have a serious issue that could cause a problem, what is going to draw more attention? Would it be a routine meeting between innings for a short chat, ignoring the issue and hope it will not affect the game or one of your calls, or have a rare meeting of partners that is going to stand out in everyone's mind?
In the case of a rookie, I'm going to give him his time. After the game, tell him you made an exception to the standing mechanics to help him/her. Inform the rookie of the between inning mechanics and explain that is what you will expect in the future.
Of course, this is JMHO |
I've had partners wanting to converse between innings about women they've seen in the stands or about something else unrelated to the game. I feel this is unprofessional.
When I'm paired with a rookie my pre-game becomes more extensive and during the game I will tolerate game or rule related questions from my partner. As Irish mentioned earlier there have been times when I've wondered what the thought process was behind a partner's call that a quick between innings chat would clear up.
Just be cognizant of not pointing or making gestures and don't delay the game.