Quick Pitch?

[David B]

Originally Posted by Tim C

In games played by high school aged players and above most successful umpires will interface with the catchers and clearly define to them that it is their responsibility to keep a pitcher from pitching too quickly.

Now that does not mean that as the PU you do nothing but better quality umpires handle it this way:

PU: "Hey Jmmy, let's make sure the batter is in place before you give signals to your guy on the mound, OK?"

Jimmy: "Yeah, I know he just wants to go in a hurry."

PU: "Well we just want to make sure we're all on the same page and if I get involved it makes it a whole lot more important than it needs to be, OK?"

I am the plate guy that when a batter holds his hand up asking for "time" to dig in that the first time I give it the BIG: "Time, time" and walk away from the plate!

As the batter gets into the box, quietly I say: "Hey, don't raise you hand unless you want to call time . . . we'll make sure he won't pitch until all three of us are ready, OK?" I then generally ignore the "raised hand for I want to dig in sign" from the batter.

Remember as the Plate Umpire you "own" the pitcher, the catcher and the batter . . . nothing should begin until are ready.

I am always one of a few plate guys that games generally come in well under 1:50 minutes. I run my games and make sure that everyone is treated equally and are safe.

Regards,

Great advice and very well put. Its our game and we handle it. I will add this to my list of saved material to use in training new officials (and older officials)

Thanks
David
ac

[LakeErieUmp]

Actually, it's the players game and we as umpires are supposed to make calls based on the rules. I always cringe when I read "it's our game" - the teams contract with us to officiate, not the other way around. We don't contract with teams to play for us. The fields are lined for the teams. Spectators attend for the teams. We as umpires should call the game to the best of our ability, education, and training, making decision upon the rules that exist, and do our part to have the game played fairly.

Too often I see the "our game" mentality (and it's cousin the "it's my strike zone coach live with it") causing unnecessary friction. Call THEIR game, enforce the rules in THEIR rule book (speed the game up if Fed asks you to, for example) fairly and competently.

Just my two cents which I anticipate will not be well received.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by LakeErieUmp

Actually, it's the players game and we as umpires are supposed to make calls based on the rules. I always cringe when I read "it's our game" - the teams contract with us to officiate, not the other way around. We don't contract with teams to play for us. The fields are lined for the teams. Spectators attend for the teams. We as umpires should call the game to the best of our ability, education, and training, making decision upon the rules that exist, and do our part to have the game played fairly.

Too often I see the "our game" mentality (and it's cousin the "it's my strike zone coach live with it") causing unnecessary friction. Call THEIR game, enforce the rules in THEIR rule book (speed the game up if Fed asks you to, for example) fairly and competently.

Just my two cents which I anticipate will not be well received.

There are three teams on the field. It is OUR game. They can't play without the third team.

I am part of the third team. I am not hired help. To be hired help, I would have to paid a LOT more as I take a big pay cut to umpire games compared with my day job.

You probably also think that a good umpire is one that nobody remembers.

[David B]

Originally Posted by LakeErieUmp

Actually, it's the players game and we as umpires are supposed to make calls based on the rules. I always cringe when I read "it's our game" - the teams contract with us to officiate, not the other way around. We don't contract with teams to play for us. The fields are lined for the teams. Spectators attend for the teams. We as umpires should call the game to the best of our ability, education, and training, making decision upon the rules that exist, and do our part to have the game played fairly.

Too often I see the "our game" mentality (and it's cousin the "it's my strike zone coach live with it") causing unnecessary friction. Call THEIR game, enforce the rules in THEIR rule book (speed the game up if Fed asks you to, for example) fairly and competently.

Just my two cents which I anticipate will not be well received.

We are not talking about rules here, we are talking about administration of the ballgame.

That is what separates the good umpires from the rest of them.

In order to maintain and have a crisp, clean game it all depends on the umpires and "its my game mentality" is IMO the best way to handle coaches and players.

We are not calling "their game", and its not "their rule book". I don't work for the NFHS, they don't pay me a penny, actually we pay them to join their associations.

I am paid by the schools and they under the umbrella of the NFHS. But once I step on the field, everything has to go through me. And that is the authority given to me by the rule book.

Thanks
David

[LMan]

There is the rulebook, and then there is game management. They are inextricably intertwined, and to simply 'call the rules' without 'managing' the game results in poor-to-middling games, unnecessary conflict, and a stalled career. Game management separates the poor/mediocre from the good/great.

Don't ever think you can just 'call the rulebook' and move up beyond middle school ball.