Lessons Learned About Rats

[aceholleran]

I didn't get the whole "rat" thing my first few years of umpiring.

I had this misguided "be a nice guy--no one will get mad at you" notion, until someone set me straight. He was a local guy who had umped about four seasons of organized ball.

He basically said what some of you have iterated: They will bend you, cajole you, suck up to you and [bleep] you at every turn.

Here's a great example: Big game, tightly contested, then things turn sour for the Weasels one inning, and their ace allows 3-4 runs.

After the inning, I (PU) am standing on the foul line, all by my lonesome. The Weasels' manager sidles up to me, all nice like.

"Jeeze," he says, "that kid [his pitcher] hasn't had that bad an inning all year. He's a nice kid."

So, like a dope, I answer him in kind. "Yeah, skip. He looked good to me the first coupla innings, and then he just seemed to lose it for a few batters."

Suddenly, Rattus changes his tone of voice. "And your lousy strike zone ain't helpin' him neither."

QED.

Ace in CT

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by aceholleran

I didn't get the whole "rat" thing my first few years of umpiring.

I had this misguided "be a nice guy--no one will get mad at you" notion, until someone set me straight. He was a local guy who had umped about four seasons of organized ball.

He basically said what some of you have iterated: They will bend you, cajole you, suck up to you and [bleep] you at every turn.

Here's a great example: Big game, tightly contested, then things turn sour for the Weasels one inning, and their ace allows 3-4 runs.

After the inning, I (PU) am standing on the foul line, all by my lonesome. The Weasels' manager sidles up to me, all nice like.

"Jeeze," he says, "that kid [his pitcher] hasn't had that bad an inning all year. He's a nice kid."

So, like a dope, I answer him in kind. "Yeah, skip. He looked good to me the first coupla innings, and then he just seemed to lose it for a few batters."

Suddenly, Rattus changes his tone of voice. "And your lousy strike zone ain't helpin' him neither."

QED.

Ace in CT

Here's another viewpoint. You have learned that people are systematically dishonest. Wow. "Welcome to the world, won't you come on in."

Look at this forum, the dishonesty and the disingenuity is a perfect study in human nature.

Oh, I can hear the Forum Elite (100,000 post Members and their Poodle Pups) bleating about their honesty..all the "rats" are the dishonest ones.

When Mr. Rattus said what he said, you had two choices. Be hurt over the fact that he was being dishonest ( a truly irrational view of humans) or be comfortable and adjust. Don't stop having these talks, coaches with agendas are everywhere. Because if you are realistic, you are also prepared.

"Coach, here I thought we were good buddies. I suppose there is no use in speaking to each other again. It would be too painful. Understood?"

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by David M

13 Year old Babe Ruth game on Sunday. Every time team A had a man on base the team B pitcher, who looked like he had little or no pitching experience, was balking (not coming to a stop) on every pitch. Team A had no problem stealing so I let the balks go and told the team B coach after the first inning. Fast forward to the 7th inning. The game is relatively close (3 or 4 runs) when I hear the coach of team B complaining about the team A pitcher not coming to a stop.

The lessons learned are that no one gets a break and that no good deed goes unpunished.

In situations like this, when a pitcher is pretty green and does not come to a stop, I will say to him (if I'm BU) or have his catcher tell him (if I'm PU) to be sure to come to a stop. He gets one freebie. After that he gets balked. You would be surprised how fast they learn how to stop when you keep advancing the runners 90 ft. and their coach gets on their butts.

[canadaump6]

David,

You screwed up on this one. Call the game by the rules. Invoking the God Rule just confuses people and takes away from the consistency the rulebook provides. Not calling the game by the rules is what umpires do when they haven't read the rulebook or don't know the rules.

Now, as for the attitude towards coaches and players that some of the people on here express, I agree it is disgusting. Anybody who doesn't respect what players and coaches do and isn't there to serve them should get the f out of umpiring. I am a ballplayer myself, and I can't stand when I have umpires that don't give it 100%.

[Canuck]

CanadaUmp, that was very well said. I lurk around this board for a few laughs and to learn something now and then (the umps here certainly do know the rules, which I respect as a coach). What's sad is the pure disdain some of these folks have for coaches and players, the very people who are there to create the actual game - this attitude shows a complete lack of disrespect for the game of baseball as a whole. This is noticeable in this thread and the thread where a coach came to ask a question about how best to handle a situation and was treated like pure crap.

Of course, I am sure these folks are in the minority. Just like there are some pretty horrid coaches, we all know there are some pretty horrid umpires - be it in their rule knowledge, ability to get judgment calls correct, game management, or just overall miserable attitude.

I always teach my kids to respect umpires, it really is a shame new umpires are not being taught to respect the game as a whole.

Cheers!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I am a ballplayer myself, and I can't stand when I have umpires that don't give it 100%.

Newsflash Slick, most of us are or were ballplayers. To successfully umpire, you have to approach it from a different perspective than that of a player.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Newsflash Slick, most of us are or were ballplayers. To successfully umpire, you have to approach it from a different perspective than that of a player.

Newsflash Steve - the same applies to managing.

[Canuck]

I nearly fell off my chair laughing when reading the whole post about being guardians of the game. The job is an umpire is to call balls and strikes and ensure a game is played fairly - the second this job erupts into something more is where we get the big egos.

Like I said, I always teach my kids to respect umpires. In the same way you call us child abusers and cheaters, I could call you racists (Bruce Froemming) and power-hungry losers. I don't do that because I realize the majority of umps are in it for the kids and do not possess the attitude displayed on this board.

One problem, I think, with baseball is the lack of penalties. Officials from other sports have experience dealing with intolerable behaviour because they have varied penalties to apply that are not quite as severe as removing someone from a ball game (in the real world you can't just toss someone who upsets you). Also, remember that coaches have little power to control a bad or power hungry umpire (they do exist, I have read some of your posts about bad partners).

Coaches, although you may see them as rats, are the ones who are shaping youth by teaching baseball skills but also life skills. Umpires do not do that. Most coaches also do it out of a love of the game and a desire to work with young people - unlike you, they are not paid. It's a shame you don't respect that.

Over the years I have grown close with a few umpires who have called my games. I have told them about some of the posts and attitudes here and have found them to be equally disgusted. I encourage some of you coaches to do the same; you will realize this is a phenomenom unique to this board and the type of umpire drawn to such online discussions.

Cheers!

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by Canuck

I nearly fell off my chair laughing when reading the whole post about being guardians of the game. The job is an umpire is to call balls and strikes and ensure a game is played fairly - the second this job erupts into something more is where we get the big egos.

Like I said, I always teach my kids to respect umpires.

You truly have no idea what you're talking about. Let's take you at your word that YOU respect umpires and you teach your kids to do so.

Your experience and perspective is from that point of view. You make an amazingly faulty assumption that since YOU feel this way, most coaches do. Assuming, again, that you truly do believe what you say, you are, sir, EXTREMELY in the minority. Walk a mile in our shoes if you wish to presume that our assertion that MOST coaches are rats is false. You'll make it perhaps half a year before you realize that most coaches are, indeed, exactly as we've described them to you.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Canuck

I nearly fell off my chair laughing when reading the whole post about being guardians of the game. The job is an umpire is to call balls and strikes and ensure a game is played fairly - the second this job erupts into something more is where we get the big egos.

Like I said, I always teach my kids to respect umpires. In the same way you call us child abusers and cheaters, I could call you racists (Bruce Froemming) and power-hungry losers. I don't do that because I realize the majority of umps are in it for the kids and do not possess the attitude displayed on this board.

One problem, I think, with baseball is the lack of penalties. Officials from other sports have experience dealing with intolerable behaviour because they have varied penalties to apply that are not quite as severe as removing someone from a ball game (in the real world you can't just toss someone who upsets you). Also, remember that coaches have little power to control a bad or power hungry umpire (they do exist, I have read some of your posts about bad partners).

Coaches, although you may see them as rats, are the ones who are shaping youth by teaching baseball skills but also life skills. Umpires do not do that. Most coaches also do it out of a love of the game and a desire to work with young people - unlike you, they are not paid. It's a shame you don't respect that.

Over the years I have grown close with a few umpires who have called my games. I have told them about some of the posts and attitudes here and have found them to be equally disgusted. I encourage some of you coaches to do the same; you will realize this is a phenomenom unique to this board and the type of umpire drawn to such online discussions.

Cheers!

Your entire post makes me want to vomit. Thanks for the misinformation.

You are pretty stupid to think that umpires don't know the game inside and out. Many have managed, coached, and played the game for years.

Why don't you just get off this site if you don't like what is said here. Go hang out with your disgusted umpire buddies.

Makes me want to puke, I'm friggin' serious.

[Tim C]

spokane:

Just maybe you're one of the tools that Garth has told us about in his wonderful stories of rats in Spokane.

"If players and coaches didn't lie and cheat you wouldn't need umpires."

Factual statement after working my 39th season I have documented proof of this.

This is an umpire site . . . when rats come here they are free meat.

Regards,

[spokanelurker]

Wondered how long it would take someone to make the Spokane connection with Garth. Love the name-calling, Tim--reference my first post! Again, thanks for supporting my point.

[Tim C]

And "eteamz" would be a great place for you to go.

I do not understand why coaches think they have a value posting to an umpire website. It just makes me chuckle . . .

And spokane (species: ratamusamoungus):

" . . . and friend of the game."

Don't you dare think you have anymore of this understanding of the game than any of us.

Regards,

[spokanelurker]

Maybe just you, Tim, for one. Regards.

[Tim C]

God I love the "ignore" function.

Peace at last.

I Love Turtles,