Umpire HIT BY PITCH

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Worked a youth (15-17 year olds) fall league game this weekend. It was fun; pay was small; it was a bright beautiful sunny day, great for baseball.

However I got hit... and obviously didn't want to get hit.

New catcher entered the game in about the 7th inning (game went 10). He looked half asleep to begin with and I found him to be overall, very lazy. He was a lefty so his mitt was on the right hand. Pitch was at most 12 inches inside on a right handed batter. Catcher would have had to reach across his body to catch the pitch... he didn't even attempt to put his glove up. Pitch hits me on the outside of my left elbow. @@#$!!&%^#@%!$&. Pitcher was not throwing at me; catcher was just being lazy.

I've had this happen a few times this year where I felt the catcher was a relatively rookie and just being lazy - no intention to hit me, just inexperience and laziness. Thank God most of them hit protected areas. Bone shots to wrists, forearms, elbows are the worst.

It sure messes up my game because now, for the next couple of innings, I flinch on every pitch that I'm not confident is going to hit the catcher.

What have been your responses after getting hit similarly? Do you eject? Do you just suck it up? Do you say anything to the catcher? to the coach?

[jumpmaster]

"Son, you have to stop those. Got it?"

At the next half-inning, I am going to tell the coach that he needs to have a talk with his catcher.

If I get hit again, I take hold of the catcher's back strap and say something like "this strap right here makes a great handle. I am going to start using it to stop the ball if you don't."

If that doesn't fix the problem, "Coach, get me a catcher."

[Kaliix]

At that age, it would really pi$$ me off if the catcher didn't even attempt to move his glove and I took a straight shot on the arm.

I would dust the plate and tell him, "You better move and attempt to block everything. You don't move again, and I'll take it as you doing it intentionally and I will toss you!"

I'd also nicely let the coach know about it in between innings.

[gordon30307]

Had the same thing happen to me with a 16 or 17 year old. Before the game starts he's telling me what a good catcher he was etc. Take one in the left forearm. I got his so hard I couldn't move my fingers to work the indicator. Luckily there was ice availqable so I was able to ice it between innings. I kept telling him " #25 you better be swinging when you come up". However, By the time he did come up I was feeling better and told him I was no longer mad at him. Another time I was doing 13 and 14 year olds. The team changes pitchers and I get a kid who can't catch. I get hit about 4 or 5 times in an inning. Before the inning is over I tell the coach to get someone else in here because I have to work in the morning. Coach is mad at me because I embarassed his player. I told the coach no you embaraased your player because you put him in a situation he couldn't handle. I had a new catcher the next inning.

[chris s]

I had a frosh game bout 4 years ago, kid behind the dish was, well....lazy. Fastball from kid called "chewy", no glove....nuttin. Ball bury's in my cup, straight freaking shot....I was hot. I popped off, "CATCH THE FUC**** Ball!!!!!!!" Then after I caught my breath, told F2 that there is a reason for that strap attatched to his back, next time I am using him a a balloon protector. Just for the record, "chewy" was as big as me as a 9 year old, kid is now 6-7 and well over 300, football is his sport.....never could figure out a breaking ball

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Over the years I have been hit twice on my right forearm by pitches to right-handed batters when the catchers have set up way to the outside and the pitch came down the middle of the strike zone and the cather made no move to catch it.

The second time I got hit, I ended going to the emergency room after the game because I thought I had broken a bone in my arm. In both cases, I let the catcher's coach that if the catcher did not start doing his job, that coach would have to find a new catcher. The only good thing that I can say about the experience is that I dropped to the ground in pain before calling the pitch, and both times when the game resumed, I called the pitch that hit me a ball.

[Atl Blue]

I have broken my left wrist twice while umpiring, once on an inside pitch where the catcher has yet to move to try to catch it (and I was so locked in I realized too late he was going to miss it), and the other on a foul ball that got back to my wrist in a hurry. It isn't fun, but it's part of the risk.

As for, I let the catcher's coach (know) that if the catcher did not start doing his job, that coach would have to find a new catcher. By what rule? You can certainly "suggest" it, but I would contend that even "suggesting" it is not part of your job.

You don't get to choose who they put in front of you. You get to choose what levels of ball you want or can work, but once you accept the job, shut up and do it. It's why they are paying you. We tell coaches that we don't want them umpiring. Well guess what, they don't want you coaching either. That's a deal I have with all coaches, either stated or implied: you don't umpire, I won't coach.

If umpiring were easy, even the coaches could do it. Either accept the risk that goes with the job, or get off the field.

[His High Holiness]

Originally posted by Atl Blue


As for, I let the catcher's coach (know) that if the catcher did not start doing his job, that coach would have to find a new catcher. By what rule? You can certainly "suggest" it, but I would contend that even "suggesting" it is not part of your job.

You don't get to choose who they put in front of you. You get to choose what levels of ball you want or can work, but once you accept the job, shut up and do it. It's why they are paying you. We tell coaches that we don't want them umpiring. Well guess what, they don't want you coaching either. That's a deal I have with all coaches, either stated or implied: you don't umpire, I won't coach.

I generally will not accept crappy baseball for this very reason. It is not worth the low pay and the risk of injury. I don't feel comfortable telling them to get another catcher but there are alternatives.

Go to the back of the mound to call the game. You are not supposed to tell them how to coach; well, they are not supposed to tell you how to umpire. The rules do not require the PU to stand behind the catcher.

I once went behind the screen to call the game when the catcher was particularly awful. They changed catchers and I came back to home plate.

I have an advantage that many of you do not have. I do not want to work this kind of baseball and am ecstatic if the league calls my assignor and says that they never want to see me again.

Peter

[Atl Blue]

Actually they do, if there are two or more umpires:

OBR:
9.03 (a) If there is only one umpire, he shall have complete jurisdiction in administering the rules. He may take any position on the playing field which will enable him to discharge his duties (usually) behind the catcher, but sometimes behind the pitcher if there are runners). (b) If there are two or more umpires, one shall be designated umpire in chief and the others field umpires.

9.04 (a) The umpire in chief shall stand behind the catcher.

FED:

Rule 10-1-3: If there is only one umpire, he has complete jurisdiction in administering the rules and he may take any position he desires, preferably behind the catcher.

Rule 10-2-1: If there are two or more umpires, the umpire-in-chief shall stand behind the catcher.


Of course, protests will not be accepted for Rule 9 (OBR) or Rule 10 (FED) violations, so who is going to stop you?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by Atl Blue
I have broken my left wrist twice while umpiring, once on an inside pitch where the catcher has yet to move to try to catch it (and I was so locked in I realized too late he was going to miss it), and the other on a foul ball that got back to my wrist in a hurry. It isn't fun, but it's part of the risk.

As for, I let the catcher's coach (know) that if the catcher did not start doing his job, that coach would have to find a new catcher. By what rule? You can certainly "suggest" it, but I would contend that even "suggesting" it is not part of your job.

You don't get to choose who they put in front of you. You get to choose what levels of ball you want or can work, but once you accept the job, shut up and do it. It's why they are paying you. We tell coaches that we don't want them umpiring. Well guess what, they don't want you coaching either. That's a deal I have with all coaches, either stated or implied: you don't umpire, I won't coach.

If umpiring were easy, even the coaches could do it. Either accept the risk that goes with the job, or get off the field.

The level was H.S. jr. varsity, meaning the skill level of the cathers were not suspect. But when a cather sets up outside and makes NO attempt to catch the ball, then an umpire has every right to eject a catcher for letting a pitch hit the umpire.

I do not have problem getting hit once in a while when the catcher is attempting to do his job to the best of his ability. But when a cather makes NO attempt to do his job behind the plate and the umpire is getting hit with pitches that, with ordinary effort, should be caught by the catcher, then that catcher does not deserve to stay in the game.

The plate umpire is like the president of the USA, and the catcher is like the president's Secret Service detail. The catcher is paid to take a pitch for the plate umpire.

MTD, Sr.

[Atl Blue]

But when a cather sets up outside and makes NO attempt to catch the ball, then an umpire has every right to eject a catcher for letting a pitch hit the umpire.

If I have reason to believe the pitcher and the catcher were intentionally trying to hurt me (based on other actions/reactions in the game), of course I can toss both of them, just as if the pitcher was throwing at a batter.

But anything short of that, and this is just a ridiculous statement.

[mcrowder]

I hate to get hit as much as the next guy, and have gone so far as to SUGGEST that it might be easier for me to call balls and strikes if I had confidence in a team's catcher. But under what rule do you declare it's acceptable to eject a catcher for being lazy?

[Kaliix]

I think what is ridiculous is a catcher not moving to catch a ball. A catcher knows that the umpire is behind him and has to realize that if he doesn't stop the ball, it will likely stop with the umpire becoming the backstop.

So if you know you have a person behind you and don't move to catch a ball that is going past you, knowing that it is going to hit said person, that sounds an awful lot like intentional to me.

I generally tell every catcher below H.S. JV two things. One, framing the ball is okay but don't pull it or it's a ball every time. Two, block everything because I don't want to get hit.

Whatever rule deals with unsportsmanlike conduct is what I'll use to eject a catcher if he lets me get hit more than once. And I don't mean that he moves but misses the ball, I mean if he just doesn't move. Do that more than once and you are gone.

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Originally posted by Atl Blue
I...I was so locked in I realized too late he was going to miss it... it's part of the risk.

... you don't umpire, I won't coach.

If umpiring were easy, even the coaches could do it. Either accept the risk that goes with the job, or get off the field.

I can't agree with this.

It is my job to be locked, resolutely, and not move. I know I'm preaching to the choir here BUT I CANNOT MOVE and do my balls/strikes job. Unlike a batter or a catcher, I cannot move. Letting the pitcher throw AT ME because the catcher is lazy and not doing his job for the team is not a risk - that would be absolute stupidity. For any coach that thinks this is an inherent risk of umpiring, I would be willing to tie him to the fence and let his pitcher throw at him. I'll even loan him my gear before I tie him up.

I don't feel that suggesting (because it is not really a suggestion; it is an ultimatum) or ejecting is an act of coaching. I am a necessary part of the game - I need to be there. And if I am allowed to be wantonly hit, then I cannot do my job. During a particular game I cannot be readily replaced; catchers and pitchers can be replaced.

Me intentionally getting hit due to a catcher's laziness is not a risk nor a necessary part of the game. It is completely unacceptable. Unintentionally getting hit due to an uncontrollable foul ball is part of the game and yes, that is a risk.

I will never accept allowing a pitcher to wantonly throw at me, and any suggestion that I should allow such an act because it is an inherent risk of umpiring is completely asinine. I am not a target.

The catcher's mitt is the target and that mitt, under the volition of the catcher, should move so that every pitch hits the target - his mitt. If that mitt doesn't move and I become the target, something is amiss. And that catcher's tenure in front of me will not be long.

Atlanta Blue, either you didn't understand the situation or your comments were over the edge. If your comment about getting off the field was directed at me... then in the words of Corporal Clinger, "May the flies of a thousand camels infest your armpits."

Now hold still !!

[Edited by DownTownTonyBrown on Sep 21st, 2004 at 04:37 PM]

[gordon30307]

Well said ditto from me.