Overturning your partner (again)

[WindyCityBlue]

rmstone -
This comes up all the time...don't use secret or discreet signals if you can help it. The coaches will catch on.

I had a partner in my first season of Rookie ball. His mechanic was to casually (and discreetly) point at a base when a guy touched it rounding the bases. No big deal, right? Sure enough, a guy missed third and the bench coach noticed that he started to point and stopped himself. It was subtle, only took a second and no one was supposed to know except us umpires. You know what happened next. The defense appealed the touch at third and he called him out. The coach admitted that he would never have seen it, except for the umpire's mechanic. EVERYBODY watched him for the rest of the season. He found it a very difficult habit to break.

Your best bet is to call "Time": get together away from the play if you are going to change it after a disputed call and decide how you'll handle it. Sometimes the best laid plans get us in trouble.

[Rich]

Originally posted by His High Holiness

Careful, Careful. Those that criticize Little League umpires during tournament time get burned by LL fanatics. I enjoy the fireworks, however, so keep at it.

This brings to mind a comment that I made in one of my articles that infuriated a LL fanatic. I said that one should consider that the best Little League umpires work the tournaments. From that, imagine how bad the umpires are that work the regular season.

Duck and cover;

Peter

Yup. all LL umpires are terrible. Blah, blah, blah. Last weekend I worked at Helfaer Field, a LL field built in the parking lot of Miller Park in Milwaukee on the site of old Milwaukee County Stadium (earlier this season I worked a college DH at Miller Park itself -- I wonder how many umpires have worked both fields in the same season). Next month we'll work a six man crew for the championship of our district staffed in the infield with college umpires.

We'll have a blast -- working with each other is some of the best fun we have at these tournaments.

Around here sometimes we'll even have a day off from umpiring and will throw a third and sometimes fourth umpire on the field during some of our adult amateur leagues. We enjoy ourselves and work on our 3- and 4-man mechanics, the players are impressed that we'll actually give some of our game fee to a third (or fourth) guy, and we'll all have a few after the game.

I'm pretty cynical in my everyday life, but next to you I'm a regular Pollyana, HHH. Thanks for filling that role for me.

BTW, I've worked at least a dozen regular season LL games on my nights off from Legion, adult amateur, and semipro games. And I've seen many good umpires working those games as well -- many of them are my friends. But if you want to keep the stereotype alive, go for it. Or you could work some of those games yourself instead of making fun of those that do.

--Rich

[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Jun 29th, 2004 at 07:36 PM]

[GarthB]

BTW, I've worked at least a dozen regular season LL games on my nights off from Legion, adult amateur, and semipro games. And I've seen many good umpires working those games as well -- many of them are my friends. But if you want to keep the stereotype alive, go for it.

Rich,

The stereotype is kept alive by virtue of the broadcast of the LLWS.

Seriously...I know you and your abilities. Tell me something. If guys like you and your friends, on occasion, take time to work LL, why don't we see that calibre of umpire at the LLWS? Why do we see the Smitty's and their free floating strike zones? Do we have the ol' "It's not what you know, it's who you bl..I mean know.

[Rich]

Originally posted by GarthB
BTW, I've worked at least a dozen regular season LL games on my nights off from Legion, adult amateur, and semipro games. And I've seen many good umpires working those games as well -- many of them are my friends. But if you want to keep the stereotype alive, go for it.

Rich,

The stereotype is kept alive by virtue of the broadcast of the LLWS.

Seriously...I know you and your abilities. Tell me something. If guys like you and your friends, on occasion, take time to work LL, why don't we see that calibre of umpire at the LLWS? Why do we see the Smitty's and their free floating strike zones? Do we have the ol' "It's not what you know, it's who you bl..I mean know.

The LLWS assignments have never been about sending the most qualified umpires. It's an assignment based mostly on service -- very few younger umpires are seen at the LLWS.

I don't run the show, or I'd send top notch umpires to every game. I do know that the regional level is a bit different. In the Central region, college umpires have worked the last two finals on the plate. Both are from the district I help with. Both will hopefully, someday, get their shot at WP.

I know that in our district and state tournaments, we always use outstanding umpires. Not all the regular season umpires get tournament assignments -- only the ones that the guy doing the assigning trusts to do a good job.

--Rich

[ecurebel]

I have called a game before with an umpire who was not a true rookie but was not holding more than a few years under his belt. He wasn't holding many nuts under his plate hat either.

I called R1 out at third on a tag play when R1 and R2 advanced where R2 scored at home because of BR hitting the ball to the outfield. T

he coach complained to the plate guy who wasn't even watching third on this play from the outfield since he was watching the plate for the possible play before the cut and relay of the live ball to third.

The coach yelled at the plate guy for a call at third base after my out call had already been made and you couldn't deny that I called this guy out at third. Everybody in the ball park knew this kid was out, including the kid himself, except the coach wanting to argue my call.

Plate guy comes up to the coach to talk about the call and then walks away tells the press box that the guy was safe at third and he was going to be placed on top of third base. Lets say that if this wasn't my first year umpiring and me not wanting to ruffle anyones feathers this slapnuts would of been finishing this game on his own..

[David B]

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser

The LLWS assignments have never been about sending the most qualified umpires. It's an assignment based mostly on service -- very few younger umpires are seen at the LLWS.

I don't run the show, or I'd send top notch umpires to every game. I do know that the regional level is a bit different. In the Central region, college umpires have worked the last two finals on the plate. Both are from the district I help with. Both will hopefully, someday, get their shot at WP.

I know that in our district and state tournaments, we always use outstanding umpires. Not all the regular season umpires get tournament assignments -- only the ones that the guy doing the assigning trusts to do a good job.

--Rich

Rich I know where you're coming from but that's exactly how it is in our regions with Dixie Ball and with Dizzy Dean and Babe Ruth.

We have very competent (most all are HS and college) officials who do all of our district and state tournaments, but when it comes to the World Series its just like LL.

The same guys can be found going year after year with a few changes. We have a few of our locals who have gotten to call in a World Series, and they told me I would have been totally frustrated with the level and competence of the umpires at the games.

One guy I know tried calling HS in our area and couldn't cut it (never got out of JV ball) but year after year he goes to a World Series and calls summer ball - go figure.

I've had the priviledge of calling a couple of World Series in different age groups, but the level of umpires was really weak. Sadly, the national guys feel the need to use local umpires along with the ones they bring in. Needless to say, it was easy to see the creme of the crop.

Thanks
David



[Edited by David B on Jun 30th, 2004 at 12:45 AM]

[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser


The LLWS assignments have never been about sending the most qualified umpires. It's an assignment based mostly on service -- very few younger umpires are seen at the LLWS.

Rich, the other main reason you do not see too many young guys is: Who can get the Time off from their jobs? The tournament begings around July 1 through the thrid week of August.

For those that have families, etc. it is very difficult getting the time off to umpire all the games, which is another reason why you do not see younger umpires.

Also, in reality I do not know about your association but in mine July is a BIG month for tournaments where an umpire can make some decent money working 3 to 4 games a day on a Saturday / Sunday and NOT have to take time off from work.

Pete Booth