Thread: Lessons Learned
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Old Mon Nov 27, 2000, 04:38pm
Carl Childress Carl Childress is offline
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Re: Situational Umpiring

Quote:
Originally posted by Tim C
I think it is dangerous to make such a blanket statement.
There are certain times when you should give additional information.
One Example:
When there is a play at first base where F3 is pulled off the back and makes a sweep tag on BR.
Whatever way your call goes you should indentify what has happen: i.e.
"He's Out on the Tag!" or "Safe, missed the tag!"
As an umpire gains experience you can pick the situation where maybe a physical signal is added to our original call.
Signals that are quite common include:
Juggled Ball
Trapped Ball
Where a tag occured (field location) before giving the out call.
Remember it wasn't that long ago when we were encouraged to even give a physical sign of where a pitch was if it was called a ball.
Tim:

You've misunderstood. Phil said my advice was: Don't give more information than is necessary.

I stand by that.

I always stood by that. A common mistake candidate umpires make is believing they should give a play by play. "Ball, high and outside." On a pickoff play: "No, he's back!" On a good slide: "He's under the tag." I consider that bush-league umpiring.

Concerning signals: I wrote an article in the 80s detailing how signals can keep an umpire out of trouble. There's an entire section in the Texas Clinician's Manual concerning signals I recommend. (18 in all) Signals: That's one thing. Doing an imitation of Vince Scully, that's another.

BTW: I don't know who taught you, but I began umpiring in 1954. No clinician, trainer, mentor, or partner ever suggested I should show the location of a pitch.

I do teach that in a packed house, with lots of noise, umpires with good timing should signal both balls and strikes as an aid to the person running the scoreboard. That little trick I learned from Jocko Conlan.
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