Compromise on ASA/USA ball/strike signal?

[sbatten]

Longtime reader, occasional poster. This is 80% rant and 20% request for advice, so feel free to call me out if I’m being a baby.

I have umpired softball for just under 10 years. I was well trained by an ASA local org and have gone to a couple of national schools. I do adults only, modified and slow pitch.

Recently I was very gently called out by a senior leader of one of the leagues I work for. He asked me not to call “ball” on pitches out of the zone. He also asked me not to delay my call my a beat. Example: ball in the strike zone, batter doesn’t swing. It hits glove, and I think “strike”. I pause to inhale, give a loud “strike!” from the down position, then come up with a hammer. (I was trained to slow down, not rush any call, so I have developed this habit of taking a breath.)

The league senior leader was concerned that my slight pause could put runners in jeopardy on a three-ball count. They would interpret my second of silence as ball four, jog to the next base if forced, then be liable to be picked off.

I am planning to follow the direction I’ve been given. He asked me very respectfully, and he knows better than me what his league wants. And I want to keep working for them.

And yet... I am having a hard time with this. I put a great deal of stock in my ASA/USA Softball training, and don’t want to turn into a “go along get along” type of ump who picks up a million bad habits. Maybe I need to relax and not take myself too seriously.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? How did you deal? (For me, walking away from this league is not an option, and as long as I work for someone, I plan to comply with their requests.)

Thanks!

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by sbatten

And yet... I am having a hard time with this. I put a great deal of stock in my ASA/USA Softball training, and don’t want to turn into a “go along get along” type of ump who picks up a million bad habits. Maybe I need to relax and not take myself too seriously.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? How did you deal? (For me, walking away from this league is not an option, and as long as I work for someone, I plan to comply with their requests.)

Thanks!

Are you saying the rest of the umpires in that league do it incorrectly, as he requested?

[sbatten]

Thx, Cecilone. Most of the rest of the umps are silent on balls except “ball four!”, or they may say “a little high” or “that was inside”, etc. And many (though not all) seem to signal “strike” just as the ball hits the mitt.

[RKBUmp]

Do what you are asked to do when working for those assignors. Ive always felt the pitch needs to be called when it hits the catchers glove, delaying the call does put both the batter and the defense at a disadvantage because no one knows what the call is.

I got dinged at nationals a few years ago by a UIC that wanted me to delay my pitch call for a rather lengthy period of time, and also wanted me to stay in the down position until the verbal was called. I did what was requested at the time, but immediately began having problems with catchers standing up into me which caused me to have to back up from the catcher completely changing the view of the strike zone and then my hammer was not until the ball was already back into possession of the pitcher. Again, I did what was asked of me by that UIC, but went back to my previous training and style after nationals. I have never had any other assignor or UIC say a word about my position or timing of my calls before or since. It was simply that one UIC.

[sbatten]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Do what you are asked to do when working for those assignors.

Thanks, RKBUmp. Good advice.

[IRISHMAFIA]

I agree with your concerns and will probably be at odds with others.

Stay with your mechanics, they are there for a reason. This "leader" is blowing smoke up your ass, his reasoning is bullshit. If the players were going to steal, they would be going when permitted. If there is a walk and they are forced, it really doesn't make any difference when they leave since they are protected.

If it is a ball, call it a ball. Doesn't need to be really loud, but it is your job. If it is a strike, call it a strike. Again, doesn't require a scream, but should be sharp and loud enough for close infielders to hear. Don't worry about the glove, but I'm not suggesting you wait until the catcher is removing it from the glove. It shouldn't be rushed based on calling it when it hits the glove (assuming modified)

[Tru_in_Blu]

I'll second Irish's reply.

Two protocols for calling fast/modified that rub me the wrong way:

1. Very quick callers. They call it almost before it hits the glove. Then, when they get a close one that they have to think about, their cadence is off and now their judgment is questioned.

2. The other is the one that makes a timely enough call, but doesn't give the hammer until the ball is literally in the pitcher's glove.

Others that are annoying are those that give the hand signals for the pitch location, or actually verbalize location. Call it a ball and leave it at that.

While not as experienced as many on this board, I learned the method(s) you learned at 3 National Umpire Schools and 4 Nationals. (Not that Nationals are where you go to learn, but at least you'll get feedback on your game.)

[sbatten]

Thank you, Mike and Ted.

[SWFLguy]

Retired ump here with tons of experience. I'm with Tru_in_Blu on this one. Never had anyone question my mechanics.

[Big Slick]

I'll also agree with Mike and other. Go with the USA training, and I like your "inhale" as a timing mechanism. I used that same idea at about the same time in my career.

Calling sling ball is difficult, so stay with your timing. I would also not justify a ball -- it is just a ball. And use the same timing.

And if any Swashbucklers give you problems, just let me know. I'll take care of them when they come to PA. I say that jokingly, I know most of them when they play fast pitch.

[sbatten]

Thanks for all the good advice!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

My advice is to use the correct USA Softball mechanics when umpiring an USA Softball sanctioned event. Why? Because you are supposed to use the correct mechanics. Plus, one never knows when a USA Softball official will be at a USA Softball sanctioned event, and these officials take note as to who is doing correctly and who is not doing it correctly, and you want to be in the "doing it correctly" group.

MTD, Sr.