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Old Mon Mar 14, 2011, 02:28pm
Durham Durham is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 396
I don't feel picked on at all. I will agree that to some that my approach may be over reaching, but I have yet to run into that problem on the field. We pregame it and work together a lot.

In 2001 I was working U1 at a game in Lakewood, NJ. My partner missed a HR ball due to a bad angle and a funky ground rule. After we got together, I informed him of where the ball hit and explained how it came back onto the field. As soon as I told him, he turned around and changed the call. The Lakewood manager shot out of the dugout like a cannon ball. He bumped my partner really hard and it was one of the most intense situations I have ever seen on the field.

We were being evaluated that night. After the game, Denny Cregg said, "Well boys! Do you think that there is anything you could have done different to prevent that?"

He later shared that if, you walk towards that manager/HC he knows what is coming and he has time to think about it. He still isn't happy about it, but by closing the distance between you and him and giving him time to chew on it, it helps defuse the situation a little.

This mechanic has helped me ever since.

By both umpires going over the manager/coach hears it from the calling umpire and the other umpire can quickly support the change and get the game going again. This allows you to avoid the, I am going to go talk to him and the yelling across the field that can take place if the non-calling umpire doesn't go with.

This isn't the only way, and you are welcome to never use it, but it has worked very well for me.
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