Hitting a ball the has already hit the ground...

[Carbide Keyman]

Originally Posted by NIump50

Has it ever occurred to anyone that maybe ds is a 15 yr old kid doing his first little league game, maybe a volunteer at the local park or maybe a rookie ump that hasn't got into the rules quite enough? Either way, I thought this forum was here to help.
Everyone except Bigump was sarcastic and condescending.
Are you guys all so insecure you have to verbally beat the new guy to make yourselves feel worthwhile?
You're certainly not creating an enviorment to encourage people to ask for help.
Personally I enjoy verbal sparring and sarcasm as much as anybody, but there certainly is a time and a place and as good umps I would think you would know better. But then again, time served isn't always a determining factor in quality is it?

It seems that we are at a stage where one cannot have a little fun lest the "politically correct" police arrest us for hurting feelings in the first degree.

Have we lost our collective sense of humor ?




Doug

[waltjp]

The forum counts the number of total posts, not posts specific to a sport.

[NIump50]

Originally Posted by Carbide Keyman

It seems that we are at a stage where one cannot have a little fun lest the "politically correct" police arrest us for hurting feelings in the first degree.

Have we lost our collective sense of humor ?




Doug

There's a difference between having fun and having fun at anothers expense, especially when that person isn't in on the joke. I'm merely suggesting that when someone asks a rules question and is non inflamatory about it respond in kind. He may not be an ump and he may not own a book. Maybe we can create a little positive PR.

I don't have a politically correct bone in my body. There is a definite difference between PC and condescension.

[Carbide Keyman]

Originally Posted by NIump50

There's a difference between having fun and having fun at anothers expense, especially when that person isn't in on the joke. I'm merely suggesting that when someone asks a rules question and is non inflamatory about it respond in kind. He may not be an ump and he may not own a book. Maybe we can create a little positive PR.

I don't have a politically correct bone in my body. There is a definite difference between PC and condescension.

I find it difficult to believe that someone who has 77 posts in ANY of these forums would not quickly realize that he's "in" on the "joke".

Also, umpiring and positive public relations do not go together ! We are universally reviled. Part of the deal.

Condescending ? Here ? Heaven forfend !!!!



Doug

[wmandino]

It is no different than hitting a pitch out of the strike zone. Valladmier Guerreo (excuse the spelling) does this every game. Nolan Ryans son told a story about Guerreo facing Nolan Ryan in a simulated game in A ball. Nolan Ryan threw a 50' curveball that bounced in front of the plate, he said Guerreo smiled and hit it off the leftfield wall.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by NIump50

There's a difference between having fun and having fun at anothers expense, especially when that person isn't in on the joke. I'm merely suggesting that when someone asks a rules question and is non inflamatory about it respond in kind. He may not be an ump and he may not own a book. Maybe we can create a little positive PR.

I don't have a politically correct bone in my body. There is a definite difference between PC and condescension.

NIump, I would like to make the following points:

1. This is an open forum, and anyone may post anything they wish within the limits of the forum.

2. Political correctness is beside the point. It is not your place to guide the content of what others wish to post.

3. If you do not like what others post, you may of course complain. If you feel that a poster has been mistreated, you may address the mistreatment in a post of your own - both to soothe the "victim" and to chastise the "victimizer." Feel free to state your opinions, and permit others the same freedom.

4. Create your own PR, if you wish, but many of us don't think that we're promoting this forum, officiating.com, or anything else by posting here.

As another poster intones: this is just my opinion.

[mcrowder]

JHMO, but I still see nothing wrong with mild chastising of someone coming here to ask a question that is so simple it's obvious he never actually checked the book. A person with a rules question will learn WAY more from looking for and finding the appropriate rule than he will by just asking it here and getting the answer. If he checks the book and can't get the answer (perhaps not sure of which rule applies), fine, no problem.

[NIump50]

mbyron,
Hopefully you read the baseball rule book with a bit more clarity than you read my post.

Originally Posted by mbyron

NIump, I would like to make the following points:

1. This is an open forum, and anyone may post anything they wish within the limits of the forum.

2. Political correctness is beside the point. It is not your place to guide the content of what others wish to post.

If you read the post you quoted, it specifically said "merely suggesting" that's hardly guiding the content.

Originally Posted by mbyron

3. If you do not like what others post, you may of course complain.

I didn't and I did. Thank you for your permission to do so.

Originally Posted by mbyron

4. Create your own PR, if you wish, but many of us don't think that we're promoting this forum, officiating.com, or anything else by posting here.

"Maybe we can create a little positive PR"
By that I meant create positive public relations for umpires in general.
I did not intend to imply we should be promoting this forum or officiating.com.
I think all but one on the forum understood what I meant.

Are you always this clueless or do you have a particular dislike for me that blinds you to common sense?

Wow!! You know, talking down to others and calling names does have a certain appeal to it. I'm feeling pretty good about myself.
To heck with this proper decorum stuff, LET THE BASHING BEGIN!!
Actually let the bashing continue is more like it.

Now Byron you have something to complain about because I've just given an edict that the bashing can continue. I have usurped authority on this forum and am giving permission to everyone to continue the bashing.
In fact, now that my eyes have been opened to the joys of condenscension, I hereby give all posters permission to use said techniques in any fashion necessary to inflate egos to whatever size necessary to satisfy themselves.
And you Mbyron I give you permission to respond to this post however you see fit. Really go ahead.
When I tire of controlling this forum I'll let you know, perhaps you can give it a try. It's bunches of fun.

[Tim C]

There will always be trolls on umpire sites.

Regards,

[Carbide Keyman]

Now don't get upset, but, you've been here since March and posted 90-something times and you are just realizing that there is a certain degree of ball breaking that goes on here ? And, other than a few sworn enemies, its just done with humor, if not wit. (Maybe half-wit )

I think your sensitivity to your fellow man is admirable, but here it is misplaced.



Doug

[UmpJM]

As long as everybody's just havin' a little fun, I though I'd throw my 2 cents in.

In the time I have been a reader of this forum, I have found the young Dr. Byron's behavior to be "above reproach".

Well, except for the time he recently gently "chided" me , of course, when I misspoke (not in a "baseball" sense, but in a "proper logic" sense) in a post on another thread. Now after thinking about it (for an embarrassingly long time, I might add), I realized his point was correct; and, though I tried, I was unable to think of a suitable "comeback". So...

Michael, I'm sure you realize that it is not polite to correct your elders in a public forum. Let's mind our manners.

In terms of the appropriateness of the IP's question on this forum, I am of like mind with those who have expressed opinions that it is somewhat inconsiderate to post a question that could easily be answered by looking at a rulebook or using the "search" feature on the forum. Further, if you do post such a question, you probably shouldn't be surprised (or feel you have been treated unjustly) if you catch a little flak.

In the case of dsimp8, I am personally inclined to cut him (her?) a little slack, because a brief review of his previous posts leads me to believe that he is primarily involved with softball, much of it "slow-pitch". Under some codes governing that game, I believe that a pitch which hits the ground before reaching the plate is considered dead and cannot be batted. (I could, of course, be wrong about that. And NO, I didn't bother to look.) I would be similarly inclined were a cricket umpire to come to this board and ask a question about the hand being part of the bat. From that mind-set/perspective, it would be a perfectly reasonable question, and such a person could diligently research the text of the rules and remain puzzled on the question.

One thing that has surprised me in reading this forum is how thin-skinned and prone to meaningless, endless argument some of the umpires who post in this forum are. I would suggest that such attributes are not the characteristics one would look for in a good umpire/umpire candidate. Perhaps they are exhausted by their efforts in maintaining a perpetual, stoic calm under any and all circumstances in the games they officiate, and they come here to "vent" or "unwind" as a release.

In closing, I see the issue of "Political Correctness" has been raised. I was wondering if any of you had seen the following....

The man in the middle, wearing a fabulous vintage chiffon-lined Dior gold lame gown over a silk Vera Wang empire waisted tulle cocktail dress, accessorized with a 3-foot beaded peaked House of Whoville hat, along with the ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, is worried that the Da Vinci Code might make the Roman Catholic Church look foolish.



JM

[NIump50]

Originally Posted by Carbide Keyman

Now don't get upset, but, you've been here since March and posted 90-something times and you are just realizing that there is a certain degree of ball breaking that goes on here ? And, other than a few sworn enemies, its just done with humor, if not wit. (Maybe half-wit )

I think your sensitivity to your fellow man is admirable, but here it is misplaced.



Doug

I thought my last post was a tad ball breaking and certainly full of half wittedness, I even attempted some humor.
I have no problem busting the balls of the know it alls on this board, in fact most of the time it's quite easy. I was just asking that we cut slack to those asking a rules question. Simple request, obviously not recieved well, my feelings aren't hurt.

And to Tim C
Good job. That's the kind of condescending post I was talking about. Feels good doesn't it?
After a bad game you can just come on the board and talk down to a few guys and erase that insecurity right away. When you have a really bad game and you look foolish you might have to come in here and really let loose.
I think calling out a troll or two might do it, but you've already figured that out haven't you?
You can use me as a whipping boy anytime that insecurity flares up.
I hope game number 3902 turns things around for you. You know what they say.....If at first you don't succeed.........

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by CoachJM

Perhaps they are exhausted by their efforts in maintaining a perpetual, stoic calm under any and all circumstances in the games they officiate, and they come here to "vent" or "unwind" as a release.

This is most likely the case. Also, it is usually considered unseemly for an umpire to dump all over a fellow umpire, and it comes as a genuine surprise when it happens. And then sometimes, certain people can't take constructive criticism without resorting to name-calling, personal insults, and baiting into retorts, even thought they don't really know a thing about the person they are attacking.

[Tim C]

Sir NI,

Your logic escapes me. Game 3901 was really quite wonderful and no where did I ever say anything else.

You're the one who has decided I was calling you a troll.

Actually I find your work frightenly funny.

Regards,

[BigUmp56]

NI:

If you go back to the first page in this thread you'll see that I answered his question pretty well. From there all of the rest of the guys were just having some fun. I really don't think they were directly poking fun at the OP, okay maybe they were, but that's not the point. The point is there are a large number of us who enjoy not only discussing the more intriguing situations and interpretations invloved in this game, we also like to rake each other over the coals when we get a chance. Not out of hostility, but out of fun. I think it was shickenbottom who said a while back that if someone really wants to learn to swim, they need to be willing to wade out into the deep end of the pool. His analogy rings true, as believe me, there are many members here who have gone off of the deep end!


Tim.