Little League umpire in the regionals

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Tim C

The plate umpire was far superior to any umpire I have EVER seen at the LLWS.

Really? Because I wasn't that impressed. I thought he looked very average, and he kept taking his mask off with his right hand, which brings up a red flag with me whenever I see that.

Also I saw blown rotations and coverages, as well as a few Smitty characteristics in the base umpires.

Tee, the 3rd base umpire violated your "no fixing the bases rule." He looked like a regular groundskeeper.

[Tim C]

"I thought he looked very average, and he kept taking his mask off with his right hand, which brings up a red flag with me whenever I see that."

This the type of comment that DRIVES ME CRAZY when I read evaluations.

Taking your mask off with your right hand has NOTHING to do with your quality as an umpire.

As long as the mask is quickly moved to your left hand (so during an out call you aren't jabbing the mask around) there is NO DIFFERENCE of which hand was used.

This is the type comment is the "easy out" used by evaluators to separate the field.

Steve, you and I see umpiring from far different camps . . . you will always champion the weak, the young and those of the small diamond and I respect that.

Please don't tell me you can evaluate an umpire's performance simply by which of his hands first touches his mask.

Regards,

[SanDiegoSteve]

It wasn't the determining factor, he just didn't stand out as above average to me.

I don't champion the weak, or necessarily those of the small diamond. I do champion umpires at all levels who strive to improve and become better officials.

I call them just the way they are. Some are good, some are not, some are great, and some are terrible. I have no respect for those who don't try to get better.

I don't think it is a positive attribute to have never worked sub-varsity games. These are games, as you admitted, that are much harder to work. The small diamond games are far more stressful than Varsity or above games. More stupid, third-world crap happens in them, and those who umpire them gain valuable experience because of it.

Tee, from reading your posts this past year, I can tell that you really do fit the cliche of "you start out perfect, and improve from there."

Like I said before, there are umpires here who are just like you. Too good (perceived self-image only) to work youth ball. Varsity only for them. Some of these clowns are horsesh*t umpires too, but think they are really great. They shouldn't be given games above JV, but only get Varsity assignments and great playoff games.

Now, I'm sure that you are as great as you say you are. After all, you have pro baseball experience. But I don't understand the reason anyone thinks they are too good to work lower level ball, if called upon to do so. I know, your association only does high school. We don't do it that way here. You can request not to work youth ball if you so choose, but most people work whatever ball they are presented with after the HS season ends. And these guys are usually better umpires than the stuck up ones who won't work lower than Varsity.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Tim C

[B]

Taking your mask off with your right hand has NOTHING to do with your quality as an umpire.

As long as the mask is quickly moved to your left hand (so during an out call you aren't jabbing the mask around) there is NO DIFFERENCE of which hand was used.

This is the type comment is the "easy out" used by evaluators to separate the field.

Please don't tell me you can evaluate an umpire's performance simply by which of his hands first touches his mask.

Hopefully, friends may disagree on this.

I have seen first hand how taking off the mask with the right hand can cause (and did) cause a huge sh!t storm.

4A district play-offs. Winner goes to state, loser goes home. Visitors up by one. Bottom of 7, twos out, R3. R3 has been getting a bigger and bigger lead. For whatever reason, decides to steal home and is off on the pitch.

PU steps back to 3BLX and, (go through the steps with me here) 1. takes off his mask with his right hand. 2. Transfers the mask to his left hand in front of his body. 3. Rings up R3.

Here is what EVERYBODY in the stadium saw: PU calls runner safe and then when catcher throws ball to ground, PU calls runner out.

The transfer looked precisely like a safe call....both hands came together in fron of the PU and then separated.

After tagging the runner, the catcher lobbed the ball to the ground, as the PU signals out.

Holy crap, did we have "issues" and it took every bit of restraint possible to not toss the home coach after the final out of the game.

Yes, taking the mask of with the proper hand will remain part of our evaluation.

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by Tim C

"I thought he looked very average, and he kept taking his mask off with his right hand, which brings up a red flag with me whenever I see that."

This the type of comment that DRIVES ME CRAZY when I read evaluations.

Taking your mask off with your right hand has NOTHING to do with your quality as an umpire.

As long as the mask is quickly moved to your left hand (so during an out call you aren't jabbing the mask around) there is NO DIFFERENCE of which hand was used.

This is the type comment is the "easy out" used by evaluators to separate the field.

Steve, you and I see umpiring from far different camps . . . you will always champion the weak, the young and those of the small diamond and I respect that.

Please don't tell me you can evaluate an umpire's performance simply by which of his hands first touches his mask.

Regards,

Two questions:
1. Is mask removal a taught mechanic at pro schools?
2. Which hand do you remove your mask with?

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Originally Posted by Tim C.

Taking your mask off with your right hand has NOTHING to do with your quality as an umpire.

As long as the mask is quickly moved to your left hand (so during an out call you aren't jabbing the mask around) there is NO DIFFERENCE of which hand was used.

I humbly disagree with this opinion.

If it doesn't matter, then why do we teach the left handed mechanic at EVERY recognized school in the country? Which hand do you make your out call with? Try doing that with a mask in it.

If it only matters that the call is made correctly, why wear uniforms - apperance has no place on a ball feld, right?

Why not invent personalized hand signals for calls, I mean if the call is accurate, who cares what it looks like?

Evaluations require adherence to an accepted standard, whether at work or on the ball field. Otherwise, we would see white socks, yellow shirts and blue jeans at the next championship game. Take a look at an NCAA evaluation form sometime and see how points are attributed to many criteria. While this may create robots, it also prevents free thinking and left handed out calls! (Again, who cares as long as the call is correct, right?)

This had to have been a lapse in judgement or an attempt to bait for a future column. I have grown to repsect your opinions, even when we disagree. This one deviates from your normal tone though T.

[midtnblu]

If my evaluation says "need to take my mask off with left hand"...then I'm pretty happy if that's all anyone is worried about.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Exactomundo, mon frere...the fact that your evaluation form contains many provisions for analyzing accepted performance of duties says it all. Why not stand in the "C" position for all calls at first? There is a reason why certain mechanics are taught. For this example, the plate umpire needs to have his right hand empty to make calls correctly.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by WhatWuzThatBlue

Exactomundo, mon frere...the fact that your evaluation form contains many provisions for analyzing accepted performance of duties says it all. Why not stand in the "C" position for all calls at first? There is a reason why certain mechanics are taught. For this example, the plate umpire needs to have his right hand empty to make calls correctly.

I've always wondered why outs MUST be called with the right hand. If an umpire takes his mask off with his right hand and punches a runner with his left hand, what harm would it do, other than get traditionalist umpires' panties in a knot?

I'm left handed and have called outs with my right hand since I started umpiring since I was told "that's how you do it." I eject people with my left hand, though

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

I've always wondered why outs MUST be called with the right hand. If an umpire takes his mask off with his right hand and punches a runner with his left hand, what harm would it do, other than get traditionalist umpires' panties in a knot?

I'm left handed and have called outs with my right hand since I started umpiring since I was told "that's how you do it." I eject people with my left hand, though

Do you have to transfer the mask to your right hand to give your ejection mechanic?

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

I've always wondered why outs MUST be called with the right hand. If an umpire takes his mask off with his right hand and punches a runner with his left hand, what harm would it do, other than get traditionalist umpires' panties in a knot?

I'm left handed and have called outs with my right hand since I started umpiring since I was told "that's how you do it." I eject people with my left hand, though

As was written earlier, why should we wear blue shirts and grey pants?
- let's be free thinkers and wear short shorts and tube tops!

Why call 'Safe' with two arms outstretched?
- maybe we can just flipoff the opposing coach to let him know his team blew it.

Come on, Rich...I've been gone for a month and a half and things couldn't have fallen apart here that fast. Baseball is America's pasttime - full of a myriad of traditions - some of which govern the arbiters. We make strides to improve outdated conventions, but there is no upside to having your mask in your hand when you have to make the dramatic punch out. Unless of course, you have a bat in your left hand at the same time.

[Tim C]

Where to start???

Garth thanks for the excellent "real world" example. I remember that we spoke about this exact play when it happened.

My position on removing the mask with either hand is based on moving the mask EVENUTALLY (and that is almost immediately) to the left hand. We know that more than one MLB umpire over the years have signalled "out" with the left hand but I still believe in some uniformity.

Rich's point is extremely important -- there is NO REASON (other than a trained uniformity) that out be called with the right hand.

WWTB, I know what ALL schools teach but I still say, even in light of Garth's example, that the hand is insignificant and IF you evaluate an umpire's performance by this "skill" then it is silly.

Mr. Hensley, we KNOW what is taught at professional umpire schools, clinics, camps and weekend outings. Professional school also teaches umpires to be a-holes to skippers, robots in Short A ball and to be ready to work for peanut wages. Not all those things are "good things". I have never said anywhere that teaching to remove a mask with only the left hand is silly . . .

Also, I am proud to say, that after my shoulder reconstruction and TWO rotator cuff surgeries that I am yet again able to follow the whims of teaching and remove my mask with my LEFT hand. While I was guilty of removing my mask with my RIGHT hand (both hands actually) while going through rehab I have joined the thousands that now do it, yet again, "correctly."

SDS, I left you for last:

I think you would freely admit that people learn in different ways. We also know that people teach in different ways.

While even working one man games "could" teach some it is probably the WORST way for young umpires to "progressively" learn.

The same goes for working Sub-Varsity games. Rather than argue with you about whether a sub-varsity game or varsity game has "more pressure" I will simply intone that they both have "pressure" for an umpire -- just different types of pressure.

SDS wrote:

"Too good (perceived self-image only) to work youth ball."

Steve I ask you the following:

"Why should I work a level of baseball and a system that I find morally bankrupt, reprehensible in concept and nothing more than an extension of parental desire?

"Why should I work a level of baseball "just to work that level"? -- umpires all over the Nation select to work "Certain" levels and not work others . . . your socialistic view of assignment and umpiring scares me."

SDS also wrote:

"Tee, from reading your posts this past year, I can tell that you really do fit the cliche of "you start out perfect, and improve from there.""

Please remember that I am not the umpire that entered the Umpire Message Board community and intoned that "had I gone to umpire school I would now be an MLB umpire."

I am not the umpire that CONTINUALLY reminded us that because of "life style descisions" decided to not pursue a professional umpire career but still has the ability to work that level of ball.

And Steve, (like I told Dale Scott, Gary Darling and Jim Joyce the other night), I don't "drop the names" of MLB umpires all the time.

In closing Steve, I do believe I eject with my left hand . . . is that also a training weakness? How many demerits is attached?

Regards,

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Tim C

Mr. Hensley, we KNOW what is taught at professional umpire schools, clinics, camps and weekend outings. Professional school also teaches umpires to be a-holes to skippers, robots in Short A ball and to be ready to work for peanut wages. Not all those things are "good things". I have never said anywhere that teaching to remove a mask with only the left hand is silly . . .

AMEN!!!!

Peace

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

AMEN!!!!

Peace

I am sorry to hear that WWTB has been ailing but, here we have the other side of the coin. Whilst he was gone, we did not have JRut around, either.

Theory: JRut and WWTB are the same person.

Joe

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

I am sorry to hear that WWTB has been ailing but, here we have the other side of the coin. Whilst he was gone, we did not have JRut around, either.

Theory: JRut and WWTB are the same person.

Joe

Nope.

I did not go to pro school. I have never worked a minor league baseball game, nor have worked minor leagues at one time. Umpiring baseball is not my life. I do not play golf. I also have not been away for over a month in a half. I also have a little more soul.

Peace