Championship game behind the plate

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by Sal Giaco
Rut,
Right again, baseball compared to basketball is fairly easy but I think football is the easiest to officiate. Anyways, the difference between coaches in the NCAA and coaches in PRO ball is that you can stick up for yourself in proball. They give it to you, you can fire back. In college however, if you go at it with a coach, you are viewed as aggressive, cocky, instigator, etc.

I think football can only be easy if you work the same position for a long time. If you move around and work a lot of positions in many different games, you will have to make some constant adjustments and potentially have to deal with rules that you might not be as comfortable with.

Originally posted by Sal Giaco
Moreover, NCAA coaches, for the most part, don't know how or when to argue. They come out on the dumbest plays and say the stupidest things. For example, I had a D-I BASE coach argue with my partner (shouting across the field), so I told him, "hey, knock it off - let Jim (the HEAD Coach) take care of it." His reply was, "I'm the assistant coach, I can say what I want out here."

Now that is funny.

Originally posted by Sal Giaco
Yes, that was at the D-I level (MAC Conference). I just shook my head in disbelief and looked at my partner and said, "he's all yours".

This proves my point. It sounds like your partner has to prove how big time he is. I have found that if you are going to dumb a coach, just dump the coach. They rolled the dice. You are just doing your job.

Originally posted by Sal Giaco
By the way, I was just joking with the "clueless" comment. Nice job refraining from firing back. As I said, you did make some good points.

I did not take your comment personal. I just think that a lot of umpires here spend more time trying to prove they can handle themselves on the baseball diamond instead of just proving it with what they have done on the field. I know I probably will take more heat for my comments. Oh well, what else is new.

Peace

[Thaal]

Good or fair, it's not important what they say, it's what they mean.

But if we are getting down to semantics, I have to agree that you have to be fair to be good.

Personally, the best comment I received was from the loosing manager, “Thanks blue, you called a good game”. For me that is as good as it gets.

[Bob Lyle]

Originally posted by Thaal


Personally, the best comment I received was from the loosing manager, �Thanks blue, you called a good game�. For me that is as good as it gets.

The coach is setting you up for the next game.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally posted by Bob Lyle

The coach is setting you up for the next game.

Not always. When I have a good game, I know it. If a coach also recognizes a well officiated game, that's great. I just say thank you. But if I was horsesh*t (and I know when I'm horsesh*t,) and the coach says "good game," I may even say "thanks, but I think I could have done better." Fortunately, I have many more good days than bad!

In any case, I'm not letting a coach's comment affect me either way for the next game. I am wise to coaches' efforts to "work" me.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Sal, I'm not sure why you hate to admit that I know what I'm talking about. I've been very pleasant to you and have always been pretty accurate when it comes to the facts. Oh, well...Merry Christmas.

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From J.Rutledge:
"You can call me clueless about the easiest sport to officiate from my point of view, but it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that you should not be worried about what a coach says. Maybe this is my other sports background, but baseball is the one sport where there is hardly any evaluation to get to work a college game. I worked college baseball just because I was asked. I never had to prove I was worthy or good enough. All I had to do is accept the game and work the game"

Your "college" baseball assignments are really limited. Please tell us about your biggest college assignment and who gave it to you. We would love to know how your highest level assignment was just handed to you because you were available.

JUCO and D-3 are not what most of us consider NCAA ball. Every D-3 team I've seen in our area is on par with the best high school team. Lack of scholarships does that to a program. Fetch handles most of the prime stuff around here. You don't belong to that group, so what gives?

[D-Man]

I hear the New York / New England college board is tough to get into. 50% acceptance ratio in 04. Not sure about 05 but I do know a former pro did not make the cut. I'd like to try some year, before I get too old.

D

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally posted by D-Man
I hear the New York / New England college board is tough to get into. 50% acceptance ratio in 04. Not sure about 05 but I do know a former pro did not make the cut. I'd like to try some year, before I get too old.

D

Same thing out here. Have to be invited. Very clicky. Ever since this elite group of umpires separated from our association in the mid-90's, it has been tough to break through the ranks.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Yes, I know how this sounds, but maybe there is a reason why it is difficult to break through.

How many of us would have loved being a movie star, but the gene pool and desire led us astray? Rather than put those souls down for having been accepted into a special fraternity, accept the hand dealt.

We tell newbies to work harder, hustle more and work more challenging games. We've discussed it before, but quality is much more important than quantity. Soon, some JUCO, D-2 or 3 coach will see you and want to chat. Make the effort to be professional and approachable before or after a series. You'd be surprised how many scouts or assistants can assist your career. Getting that first big game is an accomplishment. The time to be proud is when you get the next call.

The next factor is for every guy that group accepts, someone is likely being pushed aside. Some day, the new guy will do it to you. Enjoy the ride and teach what you learn.

[Sal Giaco]

Originally posted by WhatWuzThatBlue
Sal, I'm not sure why you hate to admit that I know what I'm talking about. I've been very pleasant to you and have always been pretty accurate when it comes to the facts. Oh, well...Merry Christmas.

WWTB,
My apology - I didn't mean it that way. I meant that you were correct and I hate that NCAA coaches are like that. After rereading my post, it does sound like I took a shot at you. I should have phrased it differently. Thanks for clearing that up.

Anyways, I will be in Chicago for the NCAA meetings. Make sure you find me and introduce yourself. Happy Holidays to you as well.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

No problem...I plan to be at the ABCA meeting (I'm friends with Dee) and hope to see you at the NCAA meeting. I've been asked to assist with the Philly meeting so I'm a little torn. Either way, it'll be a love fest of rule splitters. The war stories are about the only reason I enjoy seeing everyone anymore. Hopefully, you'll find that I'm not so bad, I'm just drawn that way. Have an eggnog and get ready to eat too much.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally posted by WhatWuzThatBlue
Yes, I know how this sounds, but maybe there is a reason why it is difficult to break through.

How many of us would have loved being a movie star, but the gene pool and desire led us astray? Rather than put those souls down for having been accepted into a special fraternity, accept the hand dealt.

We tell newbies to work harder, hustle more and work more challenging games. We've discussed it before, but quality is much more important than quantity. Soon, some JUCO, D-2 or 3 coach will see you and want to chat. Make the effort to be professional and approachable before or after a series. You'd be surprised how many scouts or assistants can assist your career. Getting that first big game is an accomplishment. The time to be proud is when you get the next call.

The next factor is for every guy that group accepts, someone is likely being pushed aside. Some day, the new guy will do it to you. Enjoy the ride and teach what you learn.

I don't know if you were addressing me with this or not, but gene pools had nothing to do with my not getting a shot at college ball. I was slated to get a look "next season" back then, and when next season rolled around, this group of renegade college umpires, who deemed themselves better than the rest of us, broke away and procured the college contracts for their new group. If you weren't in that "click," you were SOL. I'm not the only qualified umpire that this affected. Many others were in the same boat, and were slighted as well.

I worked really hard to hone my skills as an umpire to the point where college ball was looking like a reality. The president of the association told me that if I kept getting good ratings, that I would get some college ball next season. Of course, next year never came.

Now I'm nearly 50, and nobody is going to be beating down my door to work NCAA ball. Out here, we certainly don't get assignments just because we are a warm body, like in Rut's case.

[JRutledge]

You are a funny man Windy. Please keep the holiday laughs coming. I needed the pick me up.

Peace

[PWL]

Originally posted by SanDiegoSteve

I don't know if you were addressing me with this or not, but gene pools had nothing to do with my not getting a shot at college ball. I was slated to get a look "next season" back then, and when next season rolled around, this group of renegade college umpires, who deemed themselves better than the rest of us, broke away and procured the college contracts for their new group. If you weren't in that "click," you were SOL. I'm not the only qualified umpire that this affected. Many others were in the same boat, and were slighted as well.

I worked really hard to hone my skills as an umpire to the point where college ball was looking like a reality. The president of the association told me that if I kept getting good ratings, that I would get some college ball next season. Of course, next year never came.

Now I'm nearly 50, and nobody is going to be beating down my door to work NCAA ball. Out here, we certainly don't get assignments just because we are a warm body, like in Rut's case.

Funny you should mention that. I just turned 51. However, people tell me I don't look I've even reached 40 yet. I keep myself physically fit for my age. Around here, we have several JUCO programs, some small four year colleges that have baseball programs, and three D-1 teams. Over the years, I have built relationships with several of these coaches. Mostly what we talk about are the high school players. I give them some info on some player that I saw. Sometimes, I'll talk to a kid about going to one of these little four year schools. Give them some names to talk to. Mind you, these little colleges don't play great ball.

But back to the chase. Some of these coaches I talk to ask me about working a higher level. They come to some of the games that I work also. Tell me who I need to talk to and that they would give me a reference if I wanted one. No, I'm not talking D-1. But, it's usually a very good level of ball. Community College NJCAA Division I & III, NAIA something like that. However, they often have a team go far in tournament play.

With all that talent out there, get out, do some networking. There's got to be several coaches in attendance at those games. It can't hurt.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

You didn't answer the question, Jeff. It was simple and direct but you evaded it.

1) What college games were you assigned just because you were available?

While a couple of junior colleges might take a warm body, you get those assignments once unless you show merit. I know you don't work Northern Illinois, UIC or Northwestern. North Park is assigned by a group you don't belong to, so which college did you work simply because you were available?

I wasn't trying to be funny. I wished you a Merry Christmas before and you ignored it. When I questioned your comment you jumped on it. That seems ironic.

If Merry Christmas doesn't work, Happy Kwaanza!

[Sal Giaco]

WWTB,
Between the Northern and Frontier Leagues, I probably work more baseball games in the Chicago area than Rut does. But that doesn't matter, he gave a good point regarding coaches and how they "play" umpires/officials.

One good thing about this site is that sometimes I look at the basketball section (just read - don't participate) because I feel I can learn from them on how to better handle situations. While baseball may not be Rut's sport, you can tell he has some knowledge regarding "officiating" in general. I think we can all learn from each others' experiences regardless of which sports one officiates.