Partners "stepping in" to your discussion...

[PeteBooth]

The aforementioned is a Life question as well. In other words are you willing to "swallow your pride" for the sake of advancement.

Also, is umpiring your profession as opposed to a hobby. This might sound "off base" (no pun inteneded) but umpiring should be fun. One gets enough stress at work and if your working with "top dogs" who make you feel uncomfortable then it's up to the individual to determine if you are going to "take it" or say something.

Advancing through the umpiring ranks in a way is no different than advancing in the sport itself. Managers often leave some young pitcher's in the game simply to see how much guts they have or whether or not they can work their way through it. They want to find this out before the playoffs begin etc. if every-time a young pitcher got in trouble he was replaced, it would make that pitcher's life more difficult to succeed because he was never given the chance.

Same is true when umpiring. You need to learn how to handle cerrtain situations and you will not find the answers in some book. You will learn through experiences and if someone is constantly "stepping in" for you he is doing you an injustice because you will not learn that way.

I fully understand a veteran umpire "stepping in" if he has given you a chance to talk to the coach but now the conversation is dragging, getting very heated and going no-where. It's now time to step in and get the game moving.

There is a reason for a POST game evaluation and the reason is to critique your performance so that you as an umpire can improve. Sometimes "Top Dogs" do not want to critique etc. because they are afraid (especially if the umpire they are critiquing is talented) they will be replaced as top dog.

The answer lies in ones goals and if you truly want to get to "that level" then you do whatever it takes.

Pete Booth

I had a long discussion with another umpire who is at that next level today about this scenario. He had an interesting take on it. He said "Hey, if the guy is crazy enough to step into your discussion, let him have it. Peel away and go to your position".

There was a little more to it than that, but that was the essense of the talk. Pete, he also more or less affirmed what you were saying about how you just have to sort of "take it" sometimes.

Personally, I don't think at the college level that anybody "needs" protection from a partner. If an umpire has made it to that level, they have usually shown the ability to handle coaches fairly well eh?

[Durham]

Originally Posted by rei

I had a long discussion with another umpire who is at that next level today about this scenario. He had an interesting take on it. He said "Hey, if the guy is crazy enough to step into your discussion, let him have it. Peel away and go to your position".

There was a little more to it than that, but that was the essense of the talk. Pete, he also more or less affirmed what you were saying about how you just have to sort of "take it" sometimes.

Personally, I don't think at the college level that anybody "needs" protection from a partner. If an umpire has made it to that level, they have usually shown the ability to handle coaches fairly well eh?

Well, I have been on the field many times where the coaches might of needed protection from my partner.

In all seriousness, I can only remeber two times where I stepped in a cut off a partner. Both were last year, one was DI the other was JC. So read and then let me have it.

The first one happened after a partner was MFing Pat Casey and ejected him. He kept MFing him and at one point when I was trying to get between them, I told my partner to go to the Fing outfield. I even called Pat's 1st base coach over to grab Pat and get him out of there.

The 2nd happened as my partner called a double play to end the inning that he got right. The dugout popped off and he started dropping the F-Bomb on them from the middle of the diamond as he was running towards the dugout. It was a JC game and my partner had just finished his 1st year of Pro ball. The way he was handling the situation wasn't going to help him accomplish anything, so I stepped in and defelected the heat. There was an ejection, but my actions helped him calm down and the situation was handled well after my short comment to the dugout.
After the game he thanked me for helping him from making a bad situation worse. We talked about how to handle those situations and he used some of it in his second year of pro ball and got promoted.

What do you do when you see a partner headed down the wrong road?

Originally Posted by Durham

The first one happened after a partner was MFing Pat Casey and ejected him. He kept MFing him and at one point when I was trying to get between them, I told my partner to go to the Fing outfield. I even called Pat's 1st base coach over to grab Pat and get him out of there.

Pretty good bet that neither of them used any Verbal Judo!

[Durham]

Nope it was more like Verbal MFing Kung Fu!

[RPatrino]

You have to protect your partner(s). Sometimes from themselves.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Sure, you need to protect your partner, but if he's doing fine without you, then don't interrupt him. If he is out of control, as in Durham's examples, then you need to step in and regain control of the situation. By the same token, if you have a very inexperienced partner, and he is just getting pummeled by the coach, and he clearly can't handle the situation, then it's a good thing to move in and take his place, and have him take a walk.

[Justme]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

You have to protect your partner(s). Sometimes from themselves.

You should if you can but sometimes they just can't be helped. Recent war stories:

Adult League game a season or two ago. My partner, a pretty good varsity HS ump, on the plate. Struggling with the pitches being thrown by the big boys, his zone was all over the place. One of the coaches complained that he never called the same position twice in a row. After my partner exchanged a few words (from the plate) with the coach in the dugout he set to watch the next pitch. Clearly up (way up). "STRIKE, how'd you like that one coach?" He yelled out. He called a couple of other bad pitches strikes too, with comments. Not much you can do there......

Last season, HS varsity playoff game. I'm the 3B ump. My PU kicks a call at home, we all saw it but he wouldn't go for help. Coach was all over him. They spent several minutes yelling at each other. I looked up at the sky, no clouds...no rain. I looked at the lights around the field, no ending this game due to darkness. I remembered that there was no time limit on the game. I looked at one of the asst. coaches and waived him toward where his head coach & my PU were still screaming at each other, the direction I was now walking too. It was like we read each others minds. He grabbed his guy and I got my guy. A few moments later we were back playing ball. Right or wrong I did it.

Originally Posted by Durham

Nope it was more like Verbal MFing Kung Fu!

I remember a game a couple of years ago where a coach who I know quite well came out on me because I called his stealing runner out at second. He is one of those coaches that never gets thrown out because he never says anything to get himself thrown out. When he yells, it is usually just so everybody knows he is out "protecting his player". Never any disparaging comments, personal insults, questioning your actual judgment, or any crap like that. He just argues stuff like "are you sure you had the right angle to see that?", or "is that really the rule?". It is almost comical. I usually give him a little time to say his peace and I know I will not hear from him for the rest of the game.

Anyway, in said game, he is out there asking all the usuals, and my fairly new partner (about 4 years umpiring) comes out and says "Come on guys, lets go". The coach turns and looks at him, turns towards me with that look of like "Who is this guy?", turns back to my partner and asks "Who the heck are you? I was discussing this with your partner!", turns back to me and says "Thanks for listening", and heads off to his dugout. From this point on, the assistant from that team started taking little sniper shots about balls and strikes from the dugout on my partner, of which, he didn't deal with at all! LOL

I am not sure if he really learned any kind of lesson there because the post game didn't go so well for various other reasons. He didn't get any Varsity assignments after the pre-season.

[Rcichon]

Originally Posted by rei

I remember a game a couple of years ago ....................

Managers that snipe like this get the 'cold shoulder' on the outside but also burn up what little 'jurisdictional license' they have with me.

Not to mention fuse length! To me, small bullsh*t remarks concerning Strikes/Balls that are repeated is Prolonged.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by rei

The coach turns and looks at him, turns towards me with that look of like "Who is this guy?", turns back to my partner and asks "Who the heck are you? I was discussing this with your partner!", turns back to me and says "Thanks for listening", and heads off to his dugout.

You seem to think this was funny. I'd work with your partner anyday. This is the second time you've come on here with a story you thought was funny where it sounds (even from YOUR words) like you were the problem. What are you doing playing pattycake with this guy for? Kudos to the new guy for not letting you waste everyone else's time. And no kudos to you for not tossing the jerk for disparaging your partner to your face. Nice sticking up for the partner there.