Lessons Learned About Rats

[Tim C]

"An understanding of the game, however, also includes an ability to teach skills, deal with players, set strategy (offensive and defensive), run practices, improve a team's running game, decide when to bunt/hit and run, give signals to players, and provide an overall positive experience to anyone associated with a team. I would assume you have very little clue about these aspects of the game."

You know what they say about assuming anything.

Hmm, you've jumped off quite a high cliff here.

As an ex-college and professional player I know a little about the game. Arguably maybe more than you.

Both rats and umpires try hard to make their knowledge mutally exclusive.

I am not some untrained small diamond schmoo . . .

While I don't dare to think I have MORE of an understanding of the game I do know just as much as you, mate.

AND there are at least six to 10 umpires that post here that have an equal knowledge AND there is only one coach who posts here that knows ANYTHING about umpiring.

I will expand my ignore list once more . . .

I Like Turtles,

[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.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

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.

If you're going to lump all coaches into one group wouldn't it be proper to lump all umpires also?

If you want to not include small field beginner umpires shouldn't you also not include small filed beginner coaches?

Some coaches do idiotic things. That doesn't mean all do.

Most umpires know the game inside and out. Some are "less aware". Or are all those "high five outs" and similar posts not true?

If you want to claim the high ground on fairness and integrity, do it across the board.

[canadaump6]

If you're going to lump all coaches into one group wouldn't it be proper to lump all umpires also?

No kidding. I've been taunted and treated like dirt over the past year, both here and at umpire.org. Never once did I generalize a few forum jerks to the entire umpiring population. On the other hand, we've got some of these same jerks stereotyping all coaches as rats who cheat to win ballgames. What gives?

If you ask me, anyone who hates all coaches but continues to make a career out of umpiring their ballgames probably doesn't have much going on in their life outside of umpiring. I've got one of two options for people like TimC who don't like or respect the very same people that they are on the ball diamond to serve:

1) Get your fat *** out of umpiring.
2) Learn to respect the coaches who are paying you, and deal properly with the troublesome ones.

[JRutledge]

I do not care what sport or what level you work, coaches have agendas. Coaches are inherently bias and very few of them ever approach the rules or a position other than how it affected them personally. And baseball is the only sport where it is common place for coaches to create a conflict so that they are perceived as "sticking up for their team."

I hate to say "all" about anyone that displays a specific behavior. But from a baseball umpire standpoint is really hard not to use that when talking about how coaches are idiots and they complain about things they clearly do not see or have any idea about.

Peace

[UmpLarryJohnson]

ahhhh, the squeeking of RATS. So pleasant in the summertime.


If you RODENTS are so self-assured, confident and SMART, WHY do you feel COMPELLED to post on an UMPIRE site all about how WOUNDED you are?

Do UMPIRES infest your COACHES forums and indignently tell you how to BUNT the runner to the next base or WHEN to pull that tired RHP, or how to hit the CURVE BALL?

COURSE NOT. Because that is YOUR province, and the APPLICATION of the RULES are OURS. Now quitcher*****in and go give a clinic on STEALING SIGNS or something on ETEAMZ.

[lawump]

If there are any coaches here who have coached or played on the professional level...feel free to let me know...and I'll be glad to let you know why professional managers are rats. I'll also be willing to compare and contrast your "understanding and knowledge" of baseball with mine.

Simply put: "Nice guys finish last" (a famous quote from a famous coach) is simply another way of saying "you have to be a Rat to be a winner".

"Nice guys finish last" is a hall-of-fame coach stating that you have to be a dick to be a winner. A dick to your own players, sometimes, a dick to the other team and especially a dick to the umpires.

While I don't know if that statement is true or not, I can conclusively state that 80% or more of professional managers believe it to be true.

[Don Mueller]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

If you're going to lump all coaches into one group wouldn't it be proper to lump all umpires also?

No kidding. I've been taunted and treated like dirt over the past year, both here and at umpire.org. Never once did I generalize a few forum jerks to the entire umpiring population. On the other hand, we've got some of these same jerks stereotyping all coaches as rats who cheat to win ballgames. What gives?

If you ask me, anyone who hates all coaches but continues to make a career out of umpiring their ballgames probably doesn't have much going on in their life outside of umpiring. I've got one of two options for people like TimC who don't like or respect the very same people that they are on the ball diamond to serve:

1) Get your fat *** out of umpiring.
2) Learn to respect the coaches who are paying you, and deal properly with the troublesome ones.

I know that in my full time job, if all my customers were liars, cheaters, whiners and child abusers I would find another job and another industry.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

If you ask me, anyone who hates all coaches but continues to make a career out of umpiring their ballgames probably doesn't have much going on in their life outside of umpiring. I've got one of two options for people like TimC who don't like or respect the very same people that they are on the ball diamond to serve:

1) Get your fat *** out of umpiring.
2) Learn to respect the coaches who are paying you, and deal properly with the troublesome ones.

I will not put myself in a category of hating all coaches. I will say I respect only a handful of coaches. But to address your little points I will say this to you.

#1--I am far from fat. I am in better shape than many players I umpire.

#2--I do not know any coaches that pay me. I get paid by the conference, assignor or school. Dealing with coaches is a necessary evil.

Peace

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Don Mueller

I know that in my full time job, if all my customers were liars, cheaters, whiners and child abusers I would find another job and another industry.

Umpiring is not a full time job for most of us. So what is your point?

Peace

[stmaryrams]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not care what sport or what level you work, coaches have agendas. Coaches are inherently bias and very few of them ever approach the rules or a position other than how it affected them personally. And baseball is the only sport where it is common place for coaches to create a conflict so that they are perceived as "sticking up for their team."

The best quote on this subject. I do have to side with some of those who feel the Baseball portion of these boards is usually in attack mode. I do not work baseball but do officiate both basketball and volleyball and have coached baseball for 10 years. I must be one of the few coaches who as a fellow official gives all due repect to the umpires working my game. If I do not understand a call I ask a question. I do not openly discuss or comment on judgement calls. It bothers me to listen to our parents complain about a call against our team to the point of going over to them and telling them to basically shut their mouths and keep their opinions to themselves. I realize from working other sports that the angle I see may not be the same as the official but 99% of the time they are both closer to the play and in position to make the call. I appreciate the work that these men and women do in all types of weather so that my team can have a fair game. Many of the people I work with in basketball and volleyball are also baseball umpires. If I have a game situation I may talk with one of them....after the game for future reference. This is similar to a coach posting to this forum. We all run into situations where a coach is ill informed about a rule. I guess this might be a cause for the feelings on this board toward coaches. I've never seen an umpire act the way many on this board seem to post on here. With few exceptions every umpire I've dealt with is always professional. I applaud those coaches who post here to learn more from the other side of the plate.

Can't we all just get along?

[Don Mueller]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Umpiring is not a full time job for most of us. So what is your point?

Peace

If all my customers were liars, cheaters, whiners and child abusers I would find another job and another industry.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Don Mueller

If all my customers were liars, cheaters, whiners and child abusers I would find another job and another industry.

I do not consider coaches customers. If you are an assignor they might be. But to an independent contractor that can pick and choose where I go and whom I work for, I do not see that same connection. When the money is not the only motivation for umpiring as it would be with "customers" in a business, I disagree with your analogy you are trying to make with umpiring and a job or business.

Not liking one aspect of a job does not mean I will quit the job. I do not like everything family members do, that does not mean I will not hang around anyone in my family because of a couple of flaws that I personally see. I might think coaches are most of those things you just described them to be, but what they complain about is not going to change my call. It just shows I identify their behavior and we move on. If they do not move on, they will not be around until the end of the game. I know I will be around until the game is over.

Peace

[UmpLarryJohnson]

LAWUMP has said it perfectly, and has clearly a LOT OF EXPERIENCE in the PEST CONTROL BUSINESS. RATS have AGENDAS, and are BIASED de facto. They will do WHATEVER they can to win including LYING, SUCKING UP, and STABBING a unsuspecting umpire in the back if thats what it takes. They dont have a JOB if they dont WIN. They would PUT THEIR MOTHER ON A STREET CORNER to WIN.

The UMPIRES have NO agenda other than to the RULES. They shouldnt give a FIG who wins, only that both sides are only allowed to CHEAT, SCREW EACH OTHER, and play BUSH BASEBALL EQUALLY. (thats a small joke-ok). Do UMPIRES make mistakes??? G-D they do! But theres no AGENDA, or SABOTAGE PLAN to make 1 side lose, despite what RATS say.

I dont take any RAT behavior PERSONALLY. I just KNOW What they are, WHAT they do, and HOW they act. Like the ANIMALS they resembel, they are always TRUE to thier NATURE. Do you HATE a dog for licking its ****? COURSE NOT. ITs what dogs DO!

So, when RATS try to justifie their behavior with BULLSPIT, we UMPIRES see it for what it is. And SAY SO. especialy when they COME to a UMPIRES forum to spout NONSENSE. Ask a RULES question get it answered... JEHOVAH KNOWS we need more RODENTS with better rules knowlege.

BUT SQUEEK, WHINE, CRY ABOUT THE SAND IN YOUR VAGINA about that the last umpire who GOT YOU on that BALK call when your pitcher aparently never HEARD of a "DISERNABLE PAUSE", and how it COST you the OMYGODWORLDFREEKIN 7U CHAMPEENSHIP OF THE OUTER UNIVERSE, then SCURRY OFF and NEST SOMEWHERE ELSE.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

BUT SQUEEK, WHINE, CRY ABOUT THE SAND IN YOUR VAGINA

The Borat movie taught me the proper pronunciation is "va-zheen." HTH.