Man, if I had a dollar for every time I heard that!



Clearly Johnny's 'pitch' is the breaking ball in the dirt

Had a good one yesterday from a player. 18U travel teams, I call a strike on the outside corner, and the batter laughs! I ask whether he's laughing at me, and he says that was way outside. So I encourage him to swing the bat, because the next two pitches are sure to be strikes as well.

The first is a fastball in the middle of the zone (N-S and E-W), and the second is a curve ball that hits the same spot. He looked at both pitches. No doubt, I'm to blame for his striking out!

Batter leaves the plate, and the catcher says, "that kid's not too bright." Then it was my turn to laugh.

My favorite is the remark after a pitch is called a ball : " Throw it there again,
Johnny, he'll call it a strike next time". Now why would I call the same pitch
differently a second time ???? :rolleyes:

"Now why would I call the same pitch
differently a second time ????"

Because every manager/coach/commentator/fan, believes umpires do "make-up" calls.

Bob

Does every umpire on this forum think they are so far above reproach that are not allowed to be criticized or questioned? I have read many posts on this site and the one common thing I have found are the umpires who post on here feel the need to belittle, critique and basically insult anyone who dares to question their knowledge or ability. Is this what it has come to? Umpires who feel they are bigger then the game and most coaches are rats or idiots? I may agree there are some coaches who want to act like they know the rules but really know very little but not all coaches who question an interpretation are idiots. The PU umpire does not call balls and strikes from a pedastal so the umpires on here need to get off theirs and quit insulting anyone who dares to disagree with them.
One other way to look at this, these forums are supposed to be for intelligent discussion and reasoning, not for anyone outside of the "circle" to be roundly criticized and insulted, even if its only implied. Relax, take a breath and don't beleive your own press, you are not gods and you are not always right. Also, a good umpire is a reasonable umpire who does not insult and ridicule all dissenters but instead is maybe humble enough to look and be open to other viewpoints.

Aw, HELL no!

I think we told you before that you really don't have a future as an ump, so you really picked a bad nickname.

Everything that has been said in this thread has actually happened to every umpire that has ever worked baseball. Coaches and players really don't know very much as a general rule, and they constantly say and do ignorant things. It is stupid to say things like "not your pitch" on pitches right down the pipe, or to say "throw it there again and he'll call it a strike" on pitches that are never going to be a strike no matter how many times he throws it there.

We are just pointing out how dumb these things are. We also point out when umpires make bonehead calls, as all of us have done at one time or the other, and we freely admit that we make these mistakes.

Unless you have walked a mile in our plate shoes, your opinion is of absolutely no value whatsoever.

Did you have a specific example from this thread you'd like to call BS on and ask the author to defend, or did you just want to make a speech?

In the absence of a specific complaint, I can only answer one generalization you seemed to make that isn't accurate. In the umpire vernacular, "rat" is not synonymous with "stupid." Rats aren't stupid animals; they're just rats.

Prior to your post, I didn't see this thread as anyone being critical of
someone else disagreeing with them. It struck me as a thread to share
dumba$$ things people say, whether or not they make sense, or even
apply to the situation. After reading you post,however, I have not changed
my mind. Maybe you should relax and take a breath. Your opinion of the
users of this forum means nothing to those users, although you have every
right to espouse those opinions.
P.S.
Did you recently send a letter to the editor of this site, concerning the
"lack" of reprimands and/or fines levied upon officials? If not, perhaps you
should meet the gentleman who did. You seem to have a lot in common.

With the exception of a select few, you'll find the umpires on this board more than willing to rationally discuss interpretations and game management techniques. What we don't particularly care to do is debate ad naseum old topics with new members who want to disagree with well documented and proven rules interpretations and techniques. It's not uncommon for a newbie to ask a question and then turn around and argue the answer they've given to the point of causing utter frustration to the seasoned vets of the board. It's no wonder that things can become tense at times on this board when this happens.
I'd be curious to find out just how many threads you've opened up and read in the month that you've been here. There will always be a certain amount of crap to sift through on a message board. It's the nature of the beast for a few anonymous individuals to get their giggles by disrupting a message board. However, I think if you read enough of the threads that are in the archives here you'll see a multitude of good information being imparted. As far as the critiques that you read here, that goes with the territory of becoming a competent official in any sport. If someone is so thin skinned that they can't take constructive criticism on a message board then I wonder how they do when a post game critique with a partner doesn't go their way. If they don't want their feelings hurt this is probably not the best avocation for them.
Sorry, friend, but experience tells us that the vast majority of coaches and players are rats. They'll do as much as they can to gain an advantage. If that means pushing our buttons, they'll do it in a heartbeat. I get so tired of hearing rats yell things like "that's two you owe us", as if I actually took something away from them, or that even if I did I would be willing to give it back. It really serves no purpose other than to intimidate the faint of heart umpires and piss off the good ones. So, yes, in my book that makes most of them idiots. Of course that doesn't incompass you, Mr. Muller!;)
Well, actually we do. Both literally and figuratively, if the truth be told. We have the best vantage point from which to call pitches while we're on the diamond. And the bottom line is ours are the only opinions that count when we're working a game. I can't recall ever seeing another umpire change a ball or strike call because a rat complained he didn't like the call.
I'm not sure for whom this last comment of yours was meant, but the core members of this forum are very reasonable. There's no doubt we disagree at times, sometimes pretty aggressively. That's how open debate takes place. The beauty of this forum is that if you stick around long enough you'll see members fight like cats and dogs on one issue, and then firmly back each other on the next. I would hate to see this board turn into a tasteless utopia.



Tim.

Good point, Bob.

Oh, I think that one is my FAVORITE, because then I can reply with a line I proudly and gratefully stole from Ace Holleran:

"If you're gonna start counting, you won't make it to 4."

In my experience, 9 out of 10 rats look at you like a confused puppy when you reply thusly. Including the head cocked 45 degrees. The 10th smiles wryly, goes back to the bench and stays in the game.

Run along, FutureRat, your tee-ball team is waiting...

Yet another
 

I must admit, this coach wasn't rodentlike. Just a disbeliever.

B1 hits gapper with sacks juiced and 1 out. R3 scores easily; R2 rounds 3B and heads for plate. F6 obstructs R1 at 2B. I call the delayed dead ball. Defense opts to try to get R2 at home. They get him in a pickle and tag him out. R1 ends up at 3B, safely, as does B1 at 2B. Play phase is over; I say and do nothing.

Nicerat: What about the obstruction?
Me: There's no need for an award. The runner made it to third on his own.
N: No, you have to give my guy at third home plate, plus erase the out on the runner ahead of him and give him home on the obstruction.
M: No, the kid that got in the pickle wasn't obstructed. His out stands.
N: Well, I don't think so. My guy has to be forced home on the obstruction; and by the way, why didn't you call "time" when the obstruction occurred?

Other manager: Are we ever gonna play the rest of the inning?
M: He's right. Let's play ball.

A real first for me and another addition to the CS&FP rulebook: The Dreaded Unobstructed Runner Gets Huge Gift Syndrome.

Ace Holleran