Coach asking questions

[David B]

Originally Posted by big

I had a new partner last week that I've never even met before which meant that he blew off the rules meetings. I had the dish. I called a balk in the 1st after which he was trying to signal me that I had the count wrong. He was telling me that I was one ball short in my count. Between innings he told me that I had failed to issue a ball on the balk. I told him you don't issue a ball on a balk. He was adamant that you did. A couple of innings later he told me I needed to get a rule book and learn the rules! After that he tried to start quizzing me on different rules. Whenever the innings ended after that & I saw him headed my way I headed the other way. I spent most of the rest of the game hanging out between Home & 3^rd just to keep the peace!


I just found out that I’ve got him twice more this season. Any suggestions for dealing with this guy???

The best way to deal with guys like this is to show them the rule.

I would copy the pertinent pages from the rule book - he might not even realize they came out of the book, highlight them and give them to him as we did the pregame.

I would not be ugly, but just say in our other game this was a few things that we had come up and we need to make sure we get them right "according to the rules.'"

I wouldn't argue the point, just give him the rules, point out what is correct and move on to the rest of the pregame.

As far as his calls, you can't do a thing - you just have to live with it.

Game a week ago and my partner looks at me PU for a call at third, (ball was IF and was dropped so runners were able to run. F1 picked up ball and threw to F5 for a tag. Partner made no call!

He also got his tail chewed out and I just watched - he deserved it and I wasn't going to intervene. Of course then coach came to me and let me have it for my partner and I had to take it also.

Part of the trade for what we love to do.

thanks
DavidI

[mcrowder]

Do you not have an assignor? PLEASE let him know.

Nothing I hate more finding out halfway through the season that one of my umpires has been either awful (from another umpire's perspective... not a coach's! ) or has been hard to deal with as a partner. I'd rather have heard it the FIRST time, at which point I could go observe unobtrusively, and address as necessary.