Hate working teams like this?
 

Do any of you guys have teams that you hate to work because they usually destroy their competition?

Yesterday I was assigned to work a team that I had a couple of weeks ago in a 29-4 game. The team they were playing was a good team with a winning record but after 2 it was 15-0. Luckily the winning coach starting pulling his starters after the second inning and stopped running his players so we were able to complete 7-innings in only 2:20 with a score of 19-3. I dread games like this. The winning teams F1 couldn’t throw a ball (lots of wicked strikes) and the other F1’s could hardly throw a strike and if they did it was hit.

While I’m venting, my partner, who is new to our association but suppose to be a hot shot umpire from up north, showed up about 5-minutes before the start of the game (he got lost). He had forgotten to put his uniform in his car so he was in his work clothes but did have a black cap and an indicator. He apologized and told me that while this was only his 2nd game with our association he was a good umpire, even cocky. Great, not only do I have a mismatched game I also have a ‘cocky’ partner. His umpiring skills were “unique”. He went out on all fly balls from the B/C position, even after I told him not to. He ignored my signals and verbal communication and was running all over the place, even helping me make my calls. I had to look at him before making a call to see if he was signaling something :) He would go to one knee to avoid a throw rather than get into the correct position. He made his calls no later than the exact moment that the ball reached the play. The F6 had to ask him to move because he was blocking his view when he was in the "C" position (he would stand closer to 3B). The list goes on and on. I figure that he has photos of our assignor cheating on his wife, that’s the only explanation for him getting any assignments.

Okay thanks, I feel better now.

What level and rule set?
Do you have the 15 runs difference after 3 innings and 10 runs difference after 5 innings rule?
Talk to your assignor about you not working games with your poorly dressed and seemingly unprepaired "cocky" and "unique" umpire partner.
From your description he sounds like a "knucklehead". :eek: :rolleyes:

[QUOTE]The Mercy Rule should be adopted

In my HS association you MUST be properly dressed. If the umpire in question showed up as you indicated, he would not work with me.

Pete Booth

It sounds like this "Yankee" from up north's experience was limited to some low-level Little League. That kneeling to avoid the throw reminds me of the adult "helpers" (more like "hindrances") that leagues would foist upon me to work the bases. Whenever possible, I would tell the league, "no, thanks, I would rather work alone."

I wouldn't have allowed a so-called "real" umpire on the field with me without his uniform. One badly dressed umpire, and all people will remember is that the umpires looked like sh*t.

HS varsity (FED rules).....no mercy rule. There are 3 or 4 teams that we all love to work when they play each other but it's usually not a lot of fun when they are playing the other teams.

I was hoping that my partner was as good as he said he was even though he didn't look the part. Before the game started one of the F2's asked me if I got my partner off the street?

I spoke with my assignor as I was driving home from the game.

I guess I was so shocked by this guy that I didn't know what to do, so I let him work.

You're right about how one poorly dressed umpire can make his partner(s) look bad. Even my 'late-in-life' 14-yo son who just recently began umpiring Pony/Babe Ruth ball never leaves home for a game unless he looks the part 100%.

[QUOTE=PeteBooth]Too bad you'd have to miss the game, then :)

I'd call the assignor and have him sent home. There is NO excuse for not showing up in proper attire

Too many people worry about things other than themselves.

I'd be happy to have a partner, myself. Stuff happens.

I would rather work alone, personally. I don't need a partner that badly. Especially one without a uniform and can't umpire to boot.

Rich, are you saying that this clown without his uniform (how do you forget your damn uniform) wouldn't make both umpires look unprofessional? You could be the sharpest dressed umpire ever, and nobody will even remember anything besides how bad the umpires looked.

Stuff happens, eh? Doesn't say much for you then if you'd work with a jerk like this. Not only would I send this guy home, but I would report him to the state association. If you're so willing to lower your standards, it's not what you'd call a good reflection on you as a professional.

I'll work a whole season alone rather than have a partner who doesn't have enough self-respect to show up in uniform. If that makes me an SOB, so be it. If you don't look like an umpire, nobody will think you are one.

Physical restraint, if necessary. He is not working on my ball field. I could see it if he was called to come fill in, and didn't have his uniform. That would be a different story. I've filled in for no-show umpires while I had no uniform or gear with me. But to "forget" to bring your uniform? Never happened to me in well over 3,000 games.:rolleyes:

I would tell him to go trot on back home, get his uniform, get dressed, then come back and work whatever is left of the game for free.

Yes, that someone is the plate umpire, who, if push came to shove, should be able to man-up long enough to work a solo job if need be. Perhaps fans could care less, but most good coaches know incompetence when they see it, and have a pretty good idea of what the job of umpiring entails. At least the successful coaches, that is.

Careful throwing that Knucklehead name around, us die hard Boilermakers are known as Knuckleheads. ;)

Well, I'm not in the business of 'physically restraining' other umpires. If he's there and insists on working, he's going to want to be paid, and that's not under my control.

Call the assignor when done. You know the coaches are going to call the assignor about him, anyway.

I agree with the above - in addition in order to umpire a game, it's mandatory to be in uniform and I can understand the fill-in. However, for a pre-scheduled assignment, an umpire is not present unless properly in uniform. In Illinois, if you're not wearing the IHSA patch some coaches would turn you in for uniform violation and they would be correct. Part of being an umpire is looking like one and that means being in the proper attire.

It's just MHO but physical restraint of another individual is not called for in this type of situation. It was only a HS baseball game not a life-or-death situation. Unless of course you enjoy lawsuits. Personally I give my attorney enough money to handle business things without adding thousands to fight a lawsuit.

Also I never take it upon myself to change my assignors assignments, if I did I would be working only the top teams each day. I know for a fact that both coaches and one AD called to complain about my partner. Also, I wont work with him again.

It appears that I, and my reputation, have survived working with a "dufus" partner. Yesterdays varsity game went fine (only 1:40) with no one even being aware that the day before I worked with an embarrassing partner and I truely believe that todays HS and Adult League games will not be impacted adversely either. So bottom line I'm glad that I didn't kick his a$$ and send him home :) I left it to the noble leaders of my association take care of if their strange and mysterious way.

Are you serious????? You would actually resort to a physical confrontation to keep someone, who you did not think was prepared for the game, from working? If you feel passionately enough to actually get in a fist fight over this, put your gear back in your car and go home. I would rather be remembered as the guy who looked pretty sharp who worked with the doofus than be remembered as the guy who got in a fight with his partner in the parking lot (and then went to jail and opened himself up for a civil suit).

Well, he'd have to be a purty big feller to lay me out, and be able to take a punch, too. Maybe the little guys out there would have to worry about that.

I wouldn't let the guy work with me, plain and simple. If a firm "no, you ain't working with me" doesn't work, and the jerk wants to come onto the field, he can umpire the game by himself. I would at the very least go to my car and immediately inform my assignor.

Like I said, I would tell the guy to go get his uniform, and then come back.

Whatever.

Stuff happens. People forget uniforms. Life goes on. One day we'll stop acting like this is brain surgery.

And Steve is quite brave, but I don't exactly have the power to stop someone from working an assigned, contracted game. Physical restraint? This is THAT important to you? Geez.

They would remember me as the guy who had a uniform, too.

I work about 10-12 games in Illinois each season. I had a drawer full of patches.

I've never heard the Knuckleheads remark before. I too am a die hard Boilermaker, Chem E '78.

No, the last person that tried got his a$$ kicked, though. Aren't I entitled to my opinion on this without the smart-mouthed response?

Oh, yeah, I forgot how easy it is to mouth off over the internet. Sounds like someone else I know on this forum.

See ya later PWL.