At the 2 umpire schools in FL they prefer folks with NO umpiring experience. These guys get their first taste at the semi-pro level and have no bad habits to correct.

Get that confident swagger behind the plate. Like others said, act like it's not your first game and take charge. If you get afraid, you'll psych yourself out.

Have a blast!

comments?
 

Just got back from the game, a couple of comments...

1. the one thing I felt I was doing all day was the one thing that everyone told me not to do, SQUEEZE THE ZONE. I corrected it a couple of innings in, but I still feel I let a few go that could easily have been called strikes.

2. 1 out runner on 2nd, B1 hits a deep ball to center that's caught by F8. R2 doesn't tag up until the ball is heading into the infield and I hustle over to pick up the call in case my partner gets out of posisiton. I look over and he's planted ready to make the call. the ball comes in at the same time as the runner, I didn't have a very good angle on it. my partner makes no call, he just stands up and starts to walk back to B. all the coaches are looking at me asking what the call is. I point at my partner who just looks back at me dumbfounded, then nonchalantly signals safe. the way I saw it, and the way the coaches saw it, it was a real bangerand could have gone either way. My main question here, he does need to make a signal, but if he doesn't, is it my job to make a call?

3. 1 out runner on 1st. ball hit to deep center for 2nd out, R1 tags up and goes to 2nd. F9 throws the ball back into the infield. I look down to reset my indicator and I hear screaming by the other team "he got him, he got him!" I look up and F6 had held onto the ball and waited for R2 to step off the bag and tagged him. but neither myself or my partner saw the play. No out, the inning continued.

overall, nothing too exciting, which is good. I knew my zone was off, but as the game went on, the fact that i knew it was off made it even worse...if that makes any sense

thanks for the encouragement and I know it will get better.

Joe

1. hey, at least you realized what you were doing with your zone. That's more than half the battle.

2. With R2 only, you should NOT be leaving the plate area.....if the ball got past F5 and the runner headed for the plate, there's no one there to make the call! This runner is your partners all the way. You were out of position.

Dont 'go over in case he needs help' unless you LOUDLY tell him what you are doing....but in 99.9999% of cases, follow the accepted mechanics. Your partner may have been confused cuz he saw you come up, but you didnt tell him unequivocably that you had the call.

Why did he go back to B? Why was he in B with R2 only?


3. Don't take your eyes off the ball until playing action has ceased, or time is called. BTW, this is your partner's call also....he was in B, how could he not see this right in front of him? He didnt have a very good day, did he?


Sounds in all like you learned a lot. As Morpheus said, "the answers will come." :D

Congrats on surviving your first game. Practice, practice, pratice along with proper mechanics and timing will cure your strike zone problems. You should attend some clinics if you have the opportunity.


Was this your partners first game? It was the BU's call to make.


(1) Always....always....always know where the ball is.
(2) Notch your indicator so that you don't have to look at it to reset it. Looks bad when you have to look at your indicator plus it takes your eyes off the ball.
(3) Don't work with that partner again. If you're a rookie you should have a more experienced umpire to work with, if one's available.

The more you worry the worse it gets. Everyone misses a pitch or two during a game. Just relax and don't let it get to you.

LMan,

I would have been in C with R2 only, but we just had a long thread discussing this, and it seems that some people like B with R2. I don't get it, but there it is.

ToGreySt,

It sounds like you had a pretty good first game. You will only get better from there. Stay away from 3rd base unless it is one of your coverages.

My partner started out in C, but now that he only had a runner at 3rd he trotted to B.

be careful with your indicator. ive heard of people who put it in their ball bag as soon as the ball is hit; that way they dont drop it, lose it, play with it, etc. then once they get back to the plate, they pull it out and clear it before the next batter.

as time goes on, you will develop habits that you need to keep an eye on. if you make the mistake of looking at your indicator while a play is going on in the next game, i would try that idea of putting it in your ball bag.

A tip / trick for your indicator. Notch the Ball and Strike wheels at 0 - 0 where your fingers normally rest. By doing this, you can reset the indicator without having to take you eyes off the action. It takes a little getting used to, but in a couple of weeks, you won't have to look down to reset until the 3rd out is made, and you need to roll that one over.

Judging from everything you've said it's time for a real umpire as a partner.

Tim.

It just gets worse and worse :D


There ain't NO book that puts the BU at B with R3 only :rolleyes: The biggest lesson you learned from your first game was.......your partner is incompetent.

Has anyone started out at HS level? Of course they have. You want two good stories...? Well, you're getting them anyway...:D

I had umpired a little softball, mostly slow pitch...but never a baseball game. I went to umpire school and my first games were a Division III NCAA DH...how bout them apples?

Best story...A friend of mine who went to umpire school with me had never seen a pitch in his life...softball, baseball...curling...synchronized swimming...lol...never officiated in his life....went to umpire school...made it to AA before getting married and deciding to quit...even though he was one of the next promotions to AAA. Now that's a quick move up the ladder.

Not trying to rub it in...just thought I'd point out there are all sorts of places to start...it all comes down to confidence...

I wish you the best on your first plate job...just remember...rules-schmules...don't become a rule book lawyer...just use common sense...you will remember the rules without focusing on them...take your time and let them know you are there to give them 100%!

And remember...thatballzlow...nah...call it a strike!

our association has the base umpire in C only with R2, and R1 & R2.

that's not the way everyone else does it?

here is a link to our mechanics guide if you're interested

http://www.nhbua.org/assets/pdf/nhbu...-mechanics.pdf

NFHS mechanics put the umpire in B with R3.

Grey's association's mechanics line up with what we were taught at the IHSA clinics.

Kyle

I have never seen a JV pitcher throw 85mph.