First game on the dish...ever
 

I have my first game on the dish tomorrow...ever. Only my fourth game. My first three games on the bases went well, all JV games that went the full 7, but didn't have anything out of the ordinary. Except for my second game where the visiting team stole on every pitch and never got caught. the "crowd" wasn't too happy with me by the end.

but anyway, can anyone give me any pointers for my first game out there on the dish. I'm just scared to death of having a bizzare situation that I have no idea what the ruling should be. the idea of calling balls and strikes doesn't scare me "too" much.

Joe

Joe -
Get command of the rulebook. Step behind the plate with confidence - despite your trepidation when you move from your feelings when you put on your gear to the so-different view you will see when you first stand behind the catcher. Let the game come to you. And realize every single poster on this board stood, once, where you will stand.
Call your game, and remember the rules you seem to know well as a base umpire are the same rules under which the game will progress when you are plate ump.
Above all tell NO ONE this is your first game as plate ump. Except your partner. And if he is not a veteran only tell HIM when the game is over!
Let us know how it went, our friend.

So much to say and so little time.:D

First and foremost you should be confident in your demeanor. If you appear insecure or unsure the games participants will most certainly pick up on it and try to eat you alive. Be short and to the point while holding the plate conference. There's no need to ramble on about unecessary items, so just cover the basics. Regardless of the experience level of your partner you need to take charge of the plate conference. You don't want to be cocky, but you don't want to be a puss either. If you handle yourself like you're in charge and you belong there then you'll get an instant measure of respect.


Remember, the flow of the game is yours to control. That means you need to be hustling on every play. The players see you hustling and they'll pretty much follow your lead. Don't do anything other than go immediately to the foul line on the half inning switch and start seeing to it they're getting out onto the field. It's then your job to count the warm up pitches and keep the game moving. Nothing looks worse than a PU who goes over to the fence on a half inning and starts shooting the breeze with a spectator.


You say you're confident in your ability to call balls and strikes. That's great. Just remember to slow down when your calling pitches. The biggest problems newer umpires have with calling a good zone is almost always related to their timing. Track the ball all the way to the mitt, see it hit the mitt, read the label on the mitt, then call it.


Communication is key in a two man system. This starts by holding a thorough pre game meeting with your partner. Make sure you go over all coverages and signals the two of you will be using. During the game you want to make eye contact with your partner as often as you can to be sure your both on the same page. In a two man you're the one who is in charge of initiating all situational signals such as first to third, IFF, timing plays, etc...


As you're new behind the dish I would say you shouldn't get overly concerned with calling every balk in the book. The obvious balks will call themselves. You really need to be focused on calling pitches. Calling balks the right way only comes with experience. Also don't get caught up worrying about all the third world BS we discuss here. 90% of what you'll be calling are going to be the big six. Ball/strike...fair/foul...out/safe.........


Good luck!


Tim.

Relax...Timing...Don't take too much crap!

Have fun....Learn.

Do better next time, no matter how well you do.

Did I mention relax?

D

I agree with the above posters, but understand that when it is over, we will be here to support you with any questions.

Slow down, be confident, have a great pre-game with your partner and remember, you have to do it the first time anyway, tomorrow is a great day. Oh, did I mention it is my 35th Birthday!

In addition to everything said above, LOOK the part. Shoes shined, pants pressed, etc. If you are comfortable and feel like you look good, your confidence will be much better.

Get out fom behind the plate when the ball is in play. SO many newer umpires camp out back there and miss coverages, calls, and it leads to laziness - and coaches notice. It also helps to show the players and coaches that you are hustling and giving it your best.

On passed balls with no one on, give the pitcher a new ball while the catcher retrieves it. Even better, have the on-deck batters for both teams get them. On foul balls down the line, tell the fielders to "Let it go!" and send someone from the closest dugout to get it. You will shave 10-15 minutes off your game over 7 innings and the faster pace keeps everyone in the game.

High school coaches want strikes to be called!!!! Don't have a postage stamp strike zone...give 'em 1 ball of the inside and 1 and a half to 2 balls off the outside and everyone will be happy.

Don't go out there with an ego. Be calm, cool and professional.

And most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Let us know how it goes.

How do you start out doing JV ball? No Little League, PONY, anything?

I can't do high school ball because I have day job, but is this normal? I mean, you start out with 16 year old kids throwing 85mph? I mean in most respects it's easier than little kids ball, but these games count for something.

It just seems odd.

Establish a rock solid stance behind the plate. Don't move a muscle until after the pitch has hit the catcher's mitt. Call any pitch that is close a strike.

Calling strikes makes the game go by easier. DO NOT SQUEEZE THE ZONE.

I've been playing baseball for as long as I can remember, but I've never done any umpiring at any level. The high school association here in New Hampshire has a 6 week clinic to get new umpires ready for the season. does everybody start out at lower levels then worked their way up to HS? has anyone started at HS?

Joe

have confidence. when i worked my first plate game ever as a 14 year old calling the 10-11-12 league i was just barely out of, my dad told me to be confident in what i do. when i worked my first college game, my dad told me to be confident. put your best into it, have faith in yourself, and you will be just fine. if you miss a pitch, get the next one and move on. stand tall and keep your head up, dont let anything get to you.

I know, when I started we were given LL and PONY, then some JV mixed in. By the middle of my second year I started getting Varsity, but usually low-level Varsity. Not until my third year did I start getting the top-tier games.

Nowdays I think many areas are experiencing a shortage of umpires, so 1st year guys are working JV and Frosh ball.

i started when i was 14. i would work out with the assignor of LL that if i played a morning game(s) i could work an afternoon game or double header for him. if i played in the afternoon, id umpire early games, and i tried to pick one up during the week as well. thats how i started, but im sure there are some that jumped in later on

when i started out and for the first bunch of years, i was just a kid out there wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, thats how we all did it. i dont know that really counts in my umpiring "resume" - thats just my first years

I worked my very first baseball game behind the plate in a varsity non-conference double header. I read two books from Carl Childress published by Referee Magazine. I read both books cover to cover in order to get a step up on my first game. Fortunately I did work a full season of football and basketball so I was prepared for the type of "people" issues that I was going to face on the baseball diamond.

In my state all you have to do is get a license by passing a test and passing a background check and receiving references from people associated with the IHSA (coaches, administrators and officials). If someone wants to hire to HS games it is up to the assignor. Of course you might not start out at the varsity level like I did, but you can still work games at the HS level in my area from the very beginning.

Peace

Me neither. The low-level stuff can be a nice break sometimes.

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.

I'm glad somebody said something.

I generally subtract 15 from anything that I do not see on a JUGS gun for myself.

If thats so, I apologize for speaking without all the facts. Guess Im the incompetent one! (which would be no surprise to some :D )

Heck, I'VE never seen a pitch at any level I could time for speed by my little self!
Congrats on getting through your first game. Now you can stop worrying and start enjoying your work!

does your association teach being in C with R3 only?

just curious

Joe

Not in my FED Umpire's Manual and I would not be in B with R3.

I only have my 2005-2006 Fed book with me and it shows BU at C with runner at Third Base only. (pg. 48 - Article 4) Did Fed change the mechanic in the new book? BU at C seems the right mechanic since the only likely play by the catcher will be a throw to third.

Get a copy of CCA Manual, and/or Manual for the Two-Umpire System put out by PBUC and throw the FED Umpires Manual in the trash when it comes with your rule and case books.

In your next pre-game go over the coverages that your partner in this game was not aware he was responsible for, and if you ever get assigned another game with the smae guy, make sure he knows what his responsibilities are for these situations. Don't tell the assignor you can't work with him, but if he is assigned again, be prepared that he might not know anymore that he did last time about where he is supposed to be and what calls he is supposed to make.

I searched and searched but I can't seem to find my copy of the CCA Manual. I did happen to find my copy of the PBUC Manual For The Two-Umpire System.

BU positioning:

Runner on:
1B = B (same as FED)
2B = C (same as FED)
3B = C (same as FED)
1B & 2B = C (same as FED)
1B & 3B = B (FED is C)
2B & 3B = C (same as FED)
Loaded = C (same as FED)

As I recall, but can't confirm tonight, the CCA Manual is the same as PBUC.

I found my CCA manual but it is the 2003 model (last time I needed it). Positioning is the same as PBUC.

There was a twelve year in my town throwing 81mph. Perhaps you caught his 18 K's in six innings on TV. That's 81mph from 46'. I did most of his games last year, and they were, ah, interesting.

Kyle

The JV right fielder that had never pitched before who took me out of the game (only time ever) with a fastball directly to my left elbow, was throwing well over 85 mph. He had no clue where the ball was going and the catcher was so overmatched he couldn't get a glove on the ball.

Another great reason not to use them, IMO.:mad:

Remember that IHSA mechanics are NOT the same as FED mechanics -- and I think this is one of the differences.

Yes, it does.

IHSA mechanics:

C position only when 3rd base is in imminent danger of being stolen (i.e., runners at 2nd or 1st & 2nd).

B position in all other situations with runners on base.

In all my years working FED games I have never received a FED Umpires Manual. I have only received the rule and case books. And to my recollection, FED mechanics were never even discussed, with the exception of the DDB mechanic. PBUC mechanics were the norm, with a personal preference option of B or C with R1 and R3.

Sorry
 

I didn't realize that those of us in the Land of Lincoln used different mechanics. I guess I should have said IHSA maechanics call for us to be in B instead of C unless runners on 2 only or 1 and 2.

Sorry for the confusion.

Kyle