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I posted this topic on another Forum but there are different umpires who solicit this Board so I though I would post here as well.
I read an article in referee magazine concerning umpire ethics and I believe the overriding theme was : Do you send Messages?
We are talking about men here (collegiate and above) not kids before you comment.
I think we all know what sending a message is but I'll give an example
I umpire mens leagues (over 30 / collegiate wood bat) and every now and then you get a pitcher who has played A ball and even did a stint or 2 in the BIGS. We had a pitcher this year in the mens league who played for the Mets.
F1 had a "major league" type curve and made this 1 particular batter look really bad on a pitch. I called it a strike and the batter starting saying you know those sarcastic gestures - Hey Blue, I would need a tree to hit that one and also drew a line with his bat on the outer edge of the plate.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to divert his looking bad to my fault. The batter at this point had 2 strikes. The nex't pitch clearly outside - I "rang him up"
He just looked at me.
The next time he came up he said Hey Blue "Can we start Over" I said sure and did't have a problem the rest of the way. Also, at the end of the game he came up and thanked me. He said I know I was offbase and thanks for keeping me in the game.
These guys pay pretty good money for entrance into the league and while that factor alone should not determine whether or not we keep them in the game, IMO there are other ways before we actually toss.
I'm not saying this tactic works in all cases, like "hot heads" as it doesn't matter what you do when one "flys off the handle rather easily".
Also, in sending messges I'm not saying "taint" one's fair / foul calls or outs / safes calls, but in those areas that we can - SEND A MESSAGE.
As a side note this tactic has been taught to me by some veteran umpires.
So crew - DO YOU SEND MESSAGES? and if one does send a message do you feel it jeopardizes one's ethics?
Pete Booth
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Peter M. Booth
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