Was I being a B!tch?

[waltjp]

Knowing what the rule states and applying it with some logic are two different things. I'm not at the field to be a traffic cop before the game. I like to arrive early enough to take my time getting my gear on and going over a pre-game with my partner. I usually try to time my entrance to the field area to coincide with the teams wrapping up fielding practice ~ 10 minutes before the start of the game. This allows time to check equipment and prior to the plate conference.

A few years back I was scheduled to work a Babe Ruth game. I entered the field about 10 minutes before game time and asked the coach to wrap up his fielding practice. He initially ignored me so I repeated my request. He starts to get pissy and tells me that they just got on the field because the other team took too long. He then said that I should have been there earlier to get the other team off the field. I politely told him (okay, not so politely) that it wasn't my job to babysit. "I'm here to umpire a baseball game that WILL START IN 5 MINUTES. BRING THEM IN."

[MadCityRef]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I hate all the bulls*** that happens before a game. Standing around on my own/in the fan seating area waiting for my partner to show up for 20 minutes, but especially the thing about having to stand around the diamond on my own until my plate partner arrives 5 minutes before first pitch.

Wait by the car.

If your partner is not there 15 minutes before game time, get your gear on or go home.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by MadCityRef

Wait by the car.

Whoops, hang on there...you are assuming he has his license.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

Get to a JV game and home team is taking infield. Visitors are in outfield throwing warm up. I inform they that while the home team is taking infield they need to be in the dugout for safety. The head coach goes on his rant that the kids need to warm up, I promise him that his kids will get their time to warm up. He continues to rant (I've been doing this for 16 years, etc.) but leaves the field asking for my name and assignors name, I give it to him and even offer to spell my last name as it isn't a common spelling. He declines my offer. I ask his kids to have their bats and helmets ready for me to check and he tells me that they don’t have time for that right now they have to warm-up. “Is that the way it’s going to be coach, was my response. When they finally do get their things together he just tosses the stuff out on the field for me to pick up and look at. He then hops on his cell phone to call one of the members of the association that he has on speed dial. That member informs him that as a courtesy they can warm-up in the outfield as long as they are out of the way, the coach then informs him of the situation described above and hands me the phone and this person tells me the same thing, but then goes on to say that by the book I am right. I made a point to say out loud while the coach was standing there, that it was fine as long as he knew that by the book I was right. I felt like my fellow official hung me out to dry and I called him the next day and told him as much. I have always enforced it this way because it was the way I was taught when I worked in Illinois, Indiana and hand not been informed to enforce it any differently here in California. They will bring it up in the meeting on Monday, I’ll be out of town on business, and hopefully we can get some sort of consistency.

1) Team V is in violation of NFHS R3-S3-A1.g.5 with regard to its pre-game warmups. I would consider this infraction to be minor in nature as defined in the Penalty. Team V does not and should not be in the outfield while Team H is conducting its infield warmups both from an unsportsmanlike standpoint as well as a safety standpoint.

2) The instant V-HC continued his rant, I would have restricted him to the dugout for the game and as far as his request for my name, I would have told him that I will sign his scorebook and include my OhioHSAA number.

3) The instant he threw the bats and helmets out of the dugout and onto the field, I would have ejected him. The OhioHSAA penalty for ejection for disqualification for the rest of the day, meaning the second game of a DH if the ejection was in the first game plus the offender must sit out games at all levels until the school has played two games the level of the game in which the ejection occured. If this is the second time the individual has been ejected during season the offender is done for the season and if the offender is a coach, he and his principal get to have a personal meeting with the Commissionr of the OhioHSAA.

4) Because the V-HC was no longer in the game, there would have been need for you to talk to his unethical, lower than a snake's belly, chicken poop, umpiring buddy.

MTD, Sr.

[w_sohl]

he didn't throw them from the dugout onto the field, he just started pulling them out of the bag and tossing them in a manner that was meant to imply disrespect, if that makes any sense. If he had actually tossed them from the dugout, he would have been restricted before the plate meeting. I just went over, checked the equipment and made sure they had to pick them up from where he left them.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I hate all the bulls*** that happens before a game. Standing around on my own/in the fan seating area waiting for my partner to show up for 20 minutes, coaches not hustling to ground rules, delay in getting game started, having to request game balls from coaches, coaches getting *****y when I ask for 3 instead of 2, etc.; but especially the thing about having to stand around the diamond on my own until my plate partner arrives 5 minutes before first pitch.

Why are you not waiting in the parking area? You should not be waiting in the "fan" area for your partner. So what if your partner doesn't show and it's 10 minutes to game time, do you run to the car and put on the plate gear? There is absolutely no excuse to be waiting anywhere but by your car (although I'm sure you will come up with some BS to qualify this).

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

[COLOR=black][FONT='Times New Roman']Get to a JV game and home team is taking infield. Visitors are in outfield throwing warm up. I inform they that while the home team is taking infield they need to be in the dugout for safety. The head coach goes on his rant that the kids need to warm up, I promise him that his kids will get their time to warm up.

First and Foremost the coaches should be well aware of these rules. Just like when FED changed the bat restrictions from -5 to -3.

I do not know if this is the case in your area but from my experience this is what I have found to be a MAJOR problem. Some umpires especially those that fall in the category "I am in it for the money only" couldn't care less what the teams are doing. They show up start the game and go home and that's it.

I have umpired games (towards the end of the season mind you) in which I have checked the bats/ hats and had to throw out at least 2 bats and 1 helmet was cracked.

The response from the coaches:

We have been using those all year long.

Therefore, the main problem you might be encountering is that the majority of umpires who umpired this coaches game did not make him conform to the rules as evidenced by the phone call.

The aforementioned should be brought up in the association meetings.

In addition, your thread falls under the category of such phrases as:

1. Blue you are the only one who called a balk on us all year long.
etc. etc.

If the coach as in your thread is really giving you a hard time, then it's See ya coach you can warm up all day long in the "other" parking lot.

Pete Booth

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

he didn't throw them from the dugout onto the field, he just started pulling them out of the bag and tossing them in a manner that was meant to imply disrespect, if that makes any sense. If he had actually tossed them from the dugout, he would have been restricted before the plate meeting. I just went over, checked the equipment and made sure they had to pick them up from where he left them.

Yeah, I know what you mean. This is similar to when a partner of mine, during a game, told a coach that he needed more baseballs. The coach unwrapped two and then dropped them on the ground and walked away.

He was told to keep walking.

[canadaump6]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Why are you not waiting in the parking area? You should not be waiting in the "fan" area for your partner. So what if your partner doesn't show and it's 10 minutes to game time, do you run to the car and put on the plate gear? There is absolutely no excuse to be waiting anywhere but by your car (although I'm sure you will come up with some BS to qualify this).

Actually the "BS" that I have to "qualify this" is that I do not have my license. No reason to get jipped for insurance costs. 19 year old male; certainly gonna cost way too much to get my G2 right now.

Do you know of any other places I can go before the game? I could hide out in the dirty umpire's changeroom. I just don't want to take the chance of my partner showing up late, going straight to the diamond, and making me go to the diamond so that it looks like I was late.

[sargee7]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

Actually the "BS" that I have to "qualify this" is that I do not have my license. No reason to get jipped for insurance costs. 19 year old male; certainly gonna cost way too much to get my G2 right now.

Do you know of any other places I can go before the game? I could hide out in the dirty umpire's changeroom. I just don't want to take the chance of my partner showing up late, going straight to the diamond, and making me go to the diamond so that it looks like I was late.

10 minutes before game tie? You should be on the field checking equipment at least 15 minutes before game time. If by then, it's about 10 minutes before game time, if your partner hasn't shown up, you tell the coaches you'll be right back and you now run to your car and gear up and hope that your partner has finished putting his on and is on his way to the field and meets you half way.

[sargee7]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

Actually the "BS" that I have to "qualify this" is that I do not have my license. No reason to get jipped for insurance costs. 19 year old male; certainly gonna cost way too much to get my G2 right now.

Do you know of any other places I can go before the game? I could hide out in the dirty umpire's changeroom. I just don't want to take the chance of my partner showing up late, going straight to the diamond, and making me go to the diamond so that it looks like I was late.

10 minutes before game tie? You should be on the field checking equipment and walking the field at least 15-20 minutes before game time. If by then, it's about 10 minutes before game time, if your partner hasn't shown up, you tell the coaches you'll be right back and you now run to your car and gear up and hope that your partner has finished putting his on and is on his way to the field and meets you half way.

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

I have umpired games (towards the end of the season mind you) in which I have checked the bats/ hats and had to throw out at least 2 bats and 1 helmet was cracked.

The response from the coaches:

We have been using those all year long.

I wouldn't put any stock into that statement. I got that once after disqualifying 4 cracked helmets and replyed, "Coach, I threw out 3 helmets when I had you two weeks ago."

[blueump]

Originally Posted by sargee7

10 minutes before game tie? You should be on the field checking equipment and walking the field at least 15-20 minutes before game time. If by then, it's about 10 minutes before game time, if your partner hasn't shown up, you tell the coaches you'll be right back and you now run to your car and gear up and hope that your partner has finished putting his on and is on his way to the field and meets you half way.

I never enter a field without my partner, and my partner doesn't go on the field without me. We always go together. If he doesn't show, (10 minutes before game time) then and only then will I get my gear on and enter the field alone.

You shouldn't be on the field checking the equipment alone in the first place, unless you are working alone.

[David B]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

Get to a JV game and home team is taking infield. Visitors are in outfield throwing warm up. I inform they that while the home team is taking infield they need to be in the dugout for safety. The head coach goes on his rant that the kids need to warm up, I promise him that his kids will get their time to warm up. He continues to rant (I've been doing this for 16 years, etc.) but leaves the field asking for my name and assignors name, I give it to him and even offer to spell my last name as it isn't a common spelling. He declines my offer. I ask his kids to have their bats and helmets ready for me to check and he tells me that they don’t have time for that right now they have to warm-up. “Is that the way it’s going to be coach, was my response. When they finally do get their things together he just tosses the stuff out on the field for me to pick up and look at. He then hops on his cell phone to call one of the members of the association that he has on speed dial. That member informs him that as a courtesy they can warm-up in the outfield as long as they are out of the way, the coach then informs him of the situation described above and hands me the phone and this person tells me the same thing, but then goes on to say that by the book I am right. I made a point to say out loud while the coach was standing there, that it was fine as long as he knew that by the book I was right. I felt like my fellow official hung me out to dry and I called him the next day and told him as much. I have always enforced it this way because it was the way I was taught when I worked in Illinois, Indiana and hand not been informed to enforce it any differently here in California. They will bring it up in the meeting on Monday, I’ll be out of town on business, and hopefully we can get some sort of consistency.

We have game administrators at each contest that regulate pre-game stuff.
We don't have jurisdiction until we enter the field, and especially for a JV game - its just not that big a deal.

Now once I enter the field, then I'll tell a coach to clear the field etc., I have noticed a team in violation before as I was getting dressed in the dressing room (several of our fields have dressing areas for the umpires)

I found a runner to inform the coach that they needed to fix the situation and let them handle it.

I'm sorry, but I'm never letting a coach run over me once I'm on the field.
If he doesn't like it tough, see you later.

Thanks
David

[LMan]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

Actually the "BS" that I have to "qualify this" is that I do not have my license.

ahem.

Do you know of any other places I can go before the game?

Does Canada have Chuck E Cheeses?