Thread: How to correct?
View Single Post
  #21 (permalink)  
Old Thu Apr 12, 2012, 08:15am
MikeStrybel MikeStrybel is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Northwest suburbs of Chicago
Posts: 645
As a high school umpire, you have an ethical responsibility to ensure that rules are enforced properly. However, I am torn by the arguments here. No one wants a partner to make them look bad and few of us want to be that person. The HS rule book states "no umpire shall criticize or interfere with another umpire's decision unless asked by the one making it". That implies that one should not interject unless asked by the calling umpire or if the coach or captain believes a non-judgement issue is in question.

I encountered this last year during the playoffs. My partner ejected a player for wearing jewelry in the first inning. I rodeo clowned the upset team while my partner went about noting the ejection on his game card. The HC begged me to intercede, so I asked my partner if he warned the individual and he affirmed. I later found out that he had issued a 'warning' while checking helmets and bats pre-game. We all know that this doesn't count so let's not stray from the subject. Had I known the misapplication of the rule at the time I would have had to ask my partner to reconsider the ejection and attempt to put the genie back in the bottle. Yes, it would have been ugly but getting the call right is pretty important to our state association.

Sunny and 60 here today - finally a day without 35 mph winds! We should have a great afternoon DH on tap and I'm looking forward to abandoning multiple layers for a while. Enjoy your games.