Making sure this rat gets things right

[harmbu]

I am going to be a head coach for the first time this coming school season. The other night in an informal summer league game, an official offered me some advice. He said that if I ever had a question about anything not to go to the umpire who should be making the call. He said to go to the other umpire and then he would talk to his partner between innings and let him know what to watch for. He said that the problem would then be taken care of in an inning or two. Is this the proper porcedure? I just want to go about things the correct way so as not to get on the bad side on umpires right off the bat.

Thanks

[UmpJM]

harmbu,

Sounds like bad advice. Should you find yourself in the situation where you have a valid reason (i.e. rules misapplication) to question a call/no call, go to the umpire who made/should have made the call (having asked for & been ganted Time, of course).

JM

[LMan]

I think that official is setting you up

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by LMan

I think that official is setting you up

Yes, and did he say to "make sure you ask him where the pitches are missing, because umpires like to explain location on every other pitch" or "make sure to refer to the umpire's questionable parentage every chance you get?"

[BlueLawyer]

My personal preference: if you have a problem with a call I made, tell me about it.

More than half of the time, if you are in the two-man system especially, two pairs of eyes are not going to be on the same thing. Telling my partner I booted a call gets you nowhere except looking like you are trying to avoid me. My partner, if he's doing his job, won't have anything different than I did because he didn't see what I did.

There are some reda$$ umpires out there who you can't approach no matter what. Then again, there are some reddera$$ coaches who have no idea how to approach an umpire.

My advice:

(1) Realize that you are going to disagree, sometimes vehemently, with at least one call an umpire makes in every game you are coaching. Usually it will be several. For that reason, pick your battles. Complaining about every call has one of two effects: the umpire either deafens his ears to you or dumps you. In either case, overcomplaining is counterproductive.

(2) When you have picked a call you want to question, call time and walk (don't run) to the umpire who made the call. If you charge, you may get dumped.

(3) Be respectful and reasonable when you ask what happened on the play. Avoid personalizing the argument: "You're awful today . . . I hope you (insert umpire's day job) better than you umpire or you're going to starve . . ." These are tickets to an early trip home. Also, "you got that call wrong" doesn't tell me much. "No I didn't." "Yes you did." On the other hand, "Steve, I think the tag was high and his foot got the bag" tells me specifically what you saw that I didn't. I'm still not changing my call, but it lets me know, specifically, what it is you think I missed. If it's a "help" play, you can ask me to get help. I still might tell you "no, it's my play all the way," but I'm not going to dump you for suggesting my partner had a better angle.

(4) Know that when the argument's over, it's over. I'm going to let you have your say. What I am not going to do is have a 10 minute discourse on the merits of the force-play slide rule (that's what this board is for). "When it's over, it's over" means two things, by the way: (1) know when to leave that particular argument and go back to your dugout/position and (2) don't bring up the last call you think I missed when you come out to argue the next one . . . also shortening the effectiveness of your complaining time.

Good luck, Coach.

Strikes and outs!

[harmbu]

Thanks for all of your comments. I didn't know what to think when he told me that. He seemed to be the kind of guy who wanted to avoid confrontation at all cost. I had simply asked him a question in the first game of a double header. Between games, he gave me his opinion on how I should approach such things in the future. I wondered how his advice would work if I were asking for him to watch for something in particular and it happened several more times before I got a chance to talk to his partner and then he got a chance to pass along the information. I didn't push the issue, because I could tell that I was not going to get anywhere with him.

I have used this board on many occasions as an assistant coach, and now I look forward to using it to help me be the best head coach I can possibly be.

Thanks.

[RPatrino]

Harmbu,

Please ignore that bad advice. The best thing I can tell you is to treat umpires fairly and they will do the same. In all my years of umpiring, I can count on one hand the number of times I have trully had an issue with a coach.

I have found that generally there are maybe 2 plays during a game that might require you to have a discussion with an umpire. For the most part, if the play involves judgement (fair/foul, catch/no catch, safe/out, strike/ball) it is probably best just to forget it. If you question judgement too frequently, then when it comes time to try to get a reversal on a "changeable" call, you might not have much luck.

It bears repeating, don't get personal in your discussions. Some of the things I HATE to hear are: " You cost us", " Call them both ways", "You're killing us" or "thats the third call you blew today". Don't scapegoat me.

We understand that you have to back your player's up, but don't do it when they are totally wrong. Stand up for the game and respect it. If we are calling a pitch a ball, and we call it all game long, everytime, don't agree with your pitcher when he throws a fit. Support us, tell your pitcher, " He's been calling it that way all game long, get a clue!!" You will gain a lot of respect in our eyes if you do that.

Most of us know when we are being played, and don't like it. Last week I posted about a "coach" who questioned a pitcher wearing sunglasses. This last game he was asking for help on check swings all game long. We finally started refusing. That stuff gets old after a while.

Best of luck,

[LakeErieUmp]

I don't know. You might get it taken care of even before THAT. Of course, you in the parking lot might not be the way you hoped it would be taken care of.
I do not like this kind of game by a coach. If you have a legitimate concern approach the umpire you "have a problem with". If you don't have a legitimate concern find a comfy seat on the bench, grab a Gatorade, and enjoy the game.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by harmbu

I am going to be a head coach for the first time this coming school season. The other night in an informal summer league game, an official offered me some advice. He said that if I ever had a question about anything not to go to the umpire who should be making the call. He said to go to the other umpire and then he would talk to his partner between innings and let him know what to watch for. He said that the problem would then be taken care of in an inning or two. Is this the proper porcedure? I just want to go about things the correct way so as not to get on the bad side on umpires right off the bat.

Thanks

That might work for some, but it will not work for many that I know. If you came to me about my partner, I would not say a word to my partner unless I felt he did something that "we" need to talk about. At least where I live most umpires rarely talk during the course of a game if not at all. I would also not have a lot of respect for you as a coach if you did not have the balls to come to the umpire that you needed to talk to. Also just like anything in life, just because one umpire told you something does not mean it will apply to other umpires. From my point of view this was not very sound advice. Not sure what you would accomplish by using such a procedure in the first place. Just because you have an issue does not make it a valid issue from an umpiring standpoint.

Peace

[David B]

Originally Posted by harmbu

I am going to be a head coach for the first time this coming school season. The other night in an informal summer league game, an official offered me some advice. He said that if I ever had a question about anything not to go to the umpire who should be making the call. He said to go to the other umpire and then he would talk to his partner between innings and let him know what to watch for. He said that the problem would then be taken care of in an inning or two. Is this the proper porcedure? I just want to go about things the correct way so as not to get on the bad side on umpires right off the bat.

Thanks

As a head coach, I would expect you to direct your questions to the official that made the call.

If I have something to talk about with my partner, its going to be after the game so any problems or questions with a call will be nullified.

Think about it with common sense, why would I as an official want you to ask a question to another umpire about my call?

Thanks
David