Turning your head calling strike

[KLooking]

Originally posted by scottk_61


The best official is one that doesn't draw attention to themself.
Sounds like you like to be the center of attention.

How long did you say you have been working games?
At what level?
Camps?

If avoid drawing attention means become robotic, I prefer to stay with the show-mode. Being robotic it's too frustrating.

[Rich]

Originally posted by scottk_61
LDUB

Hmm, are you out there to umpire the game or to put on a show?

The best official is one that doesn't draw attention to themself.
Sounds like you like to be the center of attention.

How long did you say you have been working games?
At what level?
Camps?

Sounds like you have local big dog-itis.

Move beyond what you normally do, expand your officiating horizon and reach for a better way to do what we do.
There are a whole bunch of people out there that do nothing more than try to find a better way for us to do the best job we can.
Change is part of the game for us.

Scott,

What you said. But let me twist this around a little bit. Suppose an NCAA umpire, instead of using the "I'm a softball umpire" strike mechanic, used a finger point to the side like most baseball umpires. Let's say that umpire doesn't miss a pitch the entire game, gets a crucial interference call right, and manages a situation involving hot-headed coaches extremely well. Is the umpire going to be marked down for how he/she signals a strike?

The best umpires in the world are in Major League Baseball. No baseball or softball umpire could consistently compare to the skill they have, especially calling balls and strikes. And every one of them signals differently -- does that detract from the game in any way?

[David B]

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser

Scott,

What you said. But let me twist this around a little bit. Suppose an NCAA umpire, instead of using the "I'm a softball umpire" strike mechanic, used a finger point to the side like most baseball umpires. Let's say that umpire doesn't miss a pitch the entire game, gets a crucial interference call right, and manages a situation involving hot-headed coaches extremely well. Is the umpire going to be marked down for how he/she signals a strike?

The best umpires in the world are in Major League Baseball. No baseball or softball umpire could consistently compare to the skill they have, especially calling balls and strikes. And every one of them signals differently -- does that detract from the game in any way?

Not to belabor the point, but I see several of the MLB umpires who point to the side on every strike.

Surely a beginning umpire might not want to imitate, but for someone who's been around the game its not that big a deal.

Thanks
David