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First Game Coming Up
I just got a call from my assignor asking me to do a game this coming Sunday afternoon in a neighbouring city as they were short on umpires. It's going to be an adult recreational game, but the players still take it seriously and can get really mad. Canadaump6 is going to be umpiring adult baseball.
I tried doing an adult rec game a couple years ago when I was 17 and that didn't go over too well. I felt out of place and didn't have my best game. I called a guy out for being hit by a batted ball at second base, and it turned out he was never hit by it. They were already mad at my plate partner, and then they started screaming at me, and I was too chicken to throw anyone out. Sunday's adult league game is going to be my first game of the season. I'm on the bases again, and it's with the same partner. Fortunately this is a different league than the one in which I had my other problems in. Does anyone know how I can not be nervous this time around? |
canadaump6,
Just slam 4 or 5 7 & 7's in the parking lot right before you walk on the field. Gaurantee you won't be nervous. JM |
Don't you think we should stick to that as a post-game ritual?;) Afterall, an umpire in my league did a game while high on marijuana, and he had some problems with the coaches in that game.
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C'mon man, give it up already! That sounds like it could be a really good story! You've got to tell us about it. In regard to my earlier post, that was kind of what we here in the States refer to as a "joke". There may have been some embedded sarcasm. My point, elliptical though it may have been, is that it's fine to be nervous before a game. You should be worried if you're not. Leave it in the parking lot and go do the best job you're capable of and have fun. If you make a mistake (EVERYBODY makes mistakes), learn from it and try not to make the same mistake again. Finally, be courteous, impartial and firm, and so compel respect from all. JM |
Nervous is not necessarily a bad thing. The only advice I would have is to slow everything down except your positioning. Pause, read and react, make the calls a little slower.
And I can't believe this is your first game of the year. Our HS district and regional tournaments are starting this week and I am on game # 36 this weekend. Thank god for the South! |
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It's May 4 and this is just now your first game?? I've worked 43 and HS is in state playoffs. Thank God I don't live in Canada!!!!
Jerry |
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Garth,
I think that may be the motto for the entire USA!!!!!! Congrats on your son by the way! I hope he's successful. Jerry |
Thanks for the help guys. I'll let you know how it goes. It is pretty frustrating that baseball season here only lasts 4 months. Still glad to see the season upon me though.
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Canadaump,
In all seriousness, I was given some great advice by my assignor when we were talking about appearance. He said to make sure you look VERY sharp and professional when you umpire. If you do that, it'll be at least the 5th or 6th inning before they realize you're not any good!!!! And by that time, it's just about too late!!! Jerry |
I just did my first game. Things went okay, although one team ended up not happy with calls on the bases (this must be a very familiar situation to all umpires).
I let the pitcher go to his mouth with his hand, and decided not to say anything about it because he was on the edge of the dirt circle, basically almost off of it. This raises the question of a philosophy of umpiring; should you call things strictly by the book, or call things more in the spirit of the game? I am more in favour of going right by the rulebook, but I let it go today. Also, how do you guys feel about only calling that if someone on the other team complains about it? I don't agree with this, as it results in the other team calling the game for you. |
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I also believe that veracity and vitriol of their opinions fell under the categories of "thou doth protest too much" and "joining the popular crowd". I may be mistaken, YMMV. |
There are certain things that can't be overlooked. You can't overlook anything related to on field conduct. Ignore inappropriate behavior at your own risk, because it will escalate and you will have a big problem on your hands.
If you ignore something that within the rules you must react to, what does that tell the players and coach's? Why do we wait until one coach complains before we do anything? That tells the coach that you either don't know the rules, or don't care enough about the game to make the tough calls. Which things can we ignore, in my opinion? No one cares if one base is too small, no one measures the correlational cooefficient of the baseballs, and I really don't care if all the players have the same color of undershirt. Yes, there are rules about all that, but it really doesn't effect the playing of the game. |
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Just let the Force flow though you, Luke. |
The following is a list of things that I have heard umpires say they would only call if the coach complained about:
*Pitcher going to the mouth while on the dirt circle *Pitcher not coming to a full stop with runners on base *Shoulder turn towards first by the pitcher when there is a runner at first *Interference due to running outside the 3-foot running lane *Batter making contact while outside the batter's box *Using a bat with a 5 point weight-length differential when a maximum 3 point differential was allowed *Pine tar one inch beyond the 18 inch legal limit:eek: *Third base coach tapping the runner on the shoulder to direct him to run to homeplate *Tagging up on a foul ball *12 second rule with no runners on base *Suspending a game for less than 30 minutes during a rain delay I could think of more but I think that is enough for now. What do you guys think? Which of these rules that I mentioned should one go about strictly enforcing as the rulebook states, and which ones should we call in the spirit of the game? |
I think you randomly listed every balk and rule you could think of while sitting at your keyboard just now.
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I sincerely pity you, should you chose to follow the advise if these "umpires". Your career will be short, but not without excitement.
Let us know how it goes!!!! |
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Thanks for the help with those rulings Bobjenkins. Seems like you hold a similar philosophy to me in that the game should be called by the book.
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Suspending a game for less than 30 minutes during a rain delay.
Does this mean if it stops raining you should wait until 30 minutes have passed before resuming play? Or were you trying to say "calling a game on account of rain before a 30 minute rain delay?" The former would be an ignorant statement, and the latter would be a violation of the rules. |
Sandiegosteve
I was referring to rule 3.10 c. The last part of the rule reads; "He shall not call the game until at least thirty minutes after he has suspended play, he may continue the suspension as long as he believes there is any chance to resume play,". If the umpire suspends a game due to rain or whatever, he has to wait at least 30 minutes. Where I'm from we often only wait 15 minutes because we will be waiting for ever if we wait 30 minutes. I got the rule interpretation correct.
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If we wait any longer than 15 minutes, it'll probably end up getting dark. In this case 15 minutes does seem like forever when it cuts into the brightness. And no the rain won't freeze and we won't see a polar bear appear out in centre field.
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