Double Header Insomnia

[TussAgee11]

Here's what I had today...

Noon and after double header. 16 AAU. Team from Philly up here to CT to play a team from the area. We get to the field at noon, and the field is unplayable (big storm last night).

They are working on it some, but don't really have the resources neccessary to get it better (other than the sun, which was their best friend). We come back at 12:15 and the field is no better, they tell us that they will work hard on it, they really want to play since this team is from so far away. Partner and I decide that we will come back to the field at 1:00, final decision.

We get back, and the field is still unplayable, but the teams are playing a pick-up game with the coaches umpiring. We approach the home coach, and say "Whats the deal coach", and he says that they are just playing a pickup game. We say that the field is still unplayable, and that we will be leaving now, and not back for the "second game". It was clear they made little attempt to get the field playable, at least to our standards.

The Philly coach is pretty upset, seems really upset with our percieved "laziness" . The home coach asks if we can stick around for the start of the 2nd game, and we will recieve 2 games pay, as opposed to the one we were getting if we walked off right away. Not knowing how to reply, I informed him that we would go call our assignor, and whatever he wanted we would do.

We didn't get a hold of him, so we decided to go back down to the field and inform the coaches we were leaving, collected 1 game fee each, and left.

So my question is, did I wait around too long? Not long enough? My partner made the point that we can't set precedent by waiting all day as a favor, because the next ump that comes to do one of their games may not feel the same way. Thoughts? Did I do ok?

[Dave Hensley]

If you were scheduled to do two games, and only the first game was canceled but there appeared to be a shot at getting the second game in, I don't understand why you bolted before the scheduled start time of the 2nd game.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Dave Hensley

If you were scheduled to do two games, and only the first game was canceled but there appeared to be a shot at getting the second game in, I don't understand why you bolted before the scheduled start time of the 2nd game.

I can understand. The umpires were there to do a double header, not to waste their day there. The teams are playing on the field rather than getting the field in shape. It's obvious that they don't care enough to make the field right for play, so why waste in entire day hanging around while they play a pickup game? The umpires will still not agree to the field and then the teams will argue that they just played a game there.

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

I can understand. The umpires were there to do a double header, not to waste their day there. The teams are playing on the field rather than getting the field in shape. It's obvious that they don't care enough to make the field right for play, so why waste in entire day hanging around while they play a pickup game? The umpires will still not agree to the field and then the teams will argue that they just played a game there.

They were offered the 2nd game fee if they would just stay until the scheduled start time of the second game on the chance it could be played. He said the "sun was their best friend" so maybe the field was drying. They were assigned to do two games.

In my association, we don't even get a rainout fee, and I can guarantee you we would be expected to be there for the start of the second game, instead of deciding *ourselves* ahead of time that the field was not going to be playable.

Two game fees for hanging around in the vicinity of a ball field sounds like more than a breakeven day to me; certainly nowhere near a "waste of time."

[TussAgee11]

Dave - I thought about doing this, but the scheduled start time for the second game was simply "after" the first.

To boot, the Philly coach was a real prick about it (said he didn't want to play late because of traffic, so lets start now, with mud and puddles, what's more important, your gas milage or your player's safety...)

[Rcichon]

Jeeze man you missed a GOLDEN opportunity:

Tell the Coaches you'll be staying for game 2. Position yourselves in the dugout area, one on each side.

Now call the game like they would. Act like the rats we know they are.

The possibilities are fun to think about, no?



PS: I'd have stayed just for the fee.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dave Hensley

They were offered the 2nd game fee if they would just stay until the scheduled start time of the second game on the chance it could be played. He said the "sun was their best friend" so maybe the field was drying. They were assigned to do two games.

In my association, we don't even get a rainout fee, and I can guarantee you we would be expected to be there for the start of the second game, instead of deciding *ourselves* ahead of time that the field was not going to be playable.

Two game fees for hanging around in the vicinity of a ball field sounds like more than a breakeven day to me; certainly nowhere near a "waste of time."

Dave,

In my world they CAN'T play a second game of a DH unless they play the first. Do your second games actually have times attached to them? Ours start 20 minutes after the completion of the first game. And the umpires are in charge of the weather for the second game of a DH.

I don't blame the OP. I assign a 44-team league and if a game time is changed (like the OP's), I don't require the umpires to stay and work. Their game is at 1PM, not 2PM.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Dave,

Do your second games actually have times attached to them? Ours start 20 minutes after the completion of the first game.

Can't speak for Dave, but our DH's have start times assigned to both games. (HS, Legion and Adult...not college games) They are ususally 2 1/2 hours apart....12:00 and 2:30 on Sundays.

Of course we are flexible with those times. If we are in extra innings of the first game, we don't call it because the second one needs to start.

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Dave,

In my world they CAN'T play a second game of a DH unless they play the first. Do your second games actually have times attached to them? Ours start 20 minutes after the completion of the first game. And the umpires are in charge of the weather for the second game of a DH.

I don't blame the OP. I assign a 44-team league and if a game time is changed (like the OP's), I don't require the umpires to stay and work. Their game is at 1PM, not 2PM.

As you know I work a variety of leagues, but yes, typically doubleheaders have start times for both games. The second game hardly ever gets going on time, because they usually schedule them two hours apart with a 1:50 time limit (no new inning) on the first game. But thinking back over this season, I can remember two different double header scenarios where one team played two different teams, and then a couple of high school double headers where I had an early JV game, and then the following varsity game.

I make the assumption that the umpires are motivated by pay, and in the original situation they were offered a full second game fee if they would only stay to see if the 2nd game could be played. Seems like easy money to me at best, fulfilling your contractual obligation at worst.