Smittyisms - Page 3

waltjp · #31 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 11:58am

I saw a base umpire signal time by using the signal for a technical foul in basketball.

BigUmp56 · #32 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 12:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by waltjp

I saw a base umpire signal time by using the used for a technical foul in basketball.

Was it the same guy who said the ground can't cause a fumble when a fielder dropped the ball after diving for it?

Tim.

lawump · #33 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 12:06pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry

By inference, we should be able to reason that MLB umpires receive those instructions somewhere in their training. Yes?

Jerry

Yes, its called "Umpire School". There used to be three...now there are two. They are in FLA.

Publius · #34 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 12:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by rei

Mr.Childress also condones calling a play at a base the way it looks obvious to everybody else, even if it is the wrong call.

Just because Carl says it doesn't mean it is a good idea.

What the hell does he know about calling the bases? He always has the plate.

BTW, I found the second sentence of your quote elsewhere. It was in a combo dictionary/thesaurus as an example of "understatement."

(In our association, he'd have the bases at something approximating 50%, or he'd be a different kind of umpire--unemployed.)

jicecone · #35 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 12:57pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Publius

What the hell does he know about calling the bases? He always has the plate.

BTW, I found the second sentence of your quote elsewhere. It was in a combo dictionary/thesaurus as an example of "understatement."

(In our association, he'd have the bases at something approximating 50%, or he'd be a different kind of umpire--unemployed.)

I agree, EVERTHING Carl has said should not be held gospel but one thing for sure his contribution to basball officiating ranks at the top. Controversial or not.

As I once told a rookie getting ready to work a game with a very very good umpire, "You should be lucky if he lets you hold his indicator while he ties his shoes."

waltjp · #36 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 02:12pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Was it the same guy who said the ground can't cause a fumble when a fielder dropped the ball after diving for it?

Tim.

No, he claimed it was a catch because the outfielder held it for 2 steps.

scarolinablue · #37 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 03:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by waltjp

No, he claimed it was a catch because the outfielder held it for 2 steps.

Was that both feet down BEFORE he crossed the foul line? Or is it DBT?

jkumpire · #38 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 03:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitump56

Brushing off the pitcher's rubber is most often for the umpire to be able to determine when he actually mounts the rubber. Perhaps the MiLB umps I see doing this, on much more pristine fields, are also untaught.

56,

Please give us more details, like when and where did you see this?

I have worked with hundreds of college umpires, professional umpires, and ex-professional umpires. I have seen people kick dirt off covered bases with a foot, I have never seen an umpire of that caliber brush or clean off a pitcher's plate, or brush off a base.

I admit I did clean off a pitcher's plate once, with my foot, after a pitcher asked me to. It was a 14 yr. old kid game. I beg forgiveness......

I have seen tons of less-experienced umpires and "sm*****s" brush off pitcher's plates and bases. Some of them are SB guys, they can be excused for being from the DARK SIDE.

TussAgee11 · #39 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 03:36pm

I'll bite on this one. Bases used in a recent game were popup bases unlike any other I've seen. It was like a Lego into the ground, a bunch of holes on the bases that snapped into a plate that was put in the ground with a bunch of dots on it.

Base came off, dirt covered the plate that was in the ground, and I had the SS and 2B use their fingers to get all the dirt out in between all these bumps that were about 1/2 inch high. They still couldn't get the base in after about 2-3 minutes.

The PU called out "need the brush", to which I beckoned him over, he brushed off the plate that was in the ground, removing all the dirt, and the fielder reattached the base.

Does that make me smitty?

waltjp · #40 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 03:47pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

I'll bite on this one. Bases used in a recent game were popup bases unlike any other I've seen. It was like a Lego into the ground, a bunch of holes on the bases that snapped into a plate that was put in the ground with a bunch of dots on it.

Base came off, dirt covered the plate that was in the ground, and I had the SS and 2B use their fingers to get all the dirt out in between all these bumps that were about 1/2 inch high. They still couldn't get the base in after about 2-3 minutes.

The PU called out "need the brush", to which I beckoned him over, he brushed off the plate that was in the ground, removing all the dirt, and the fielder reattached the base.

Does that make me smitty?

If those are the bases I'm familiar with they don't snap into place. The base sits on tip of the nubs.

waltjp · #41 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 03:47pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

I'll bite on this one. Bases used in a recent game were popup bases unlike any other I've seen. It was like a Lego into the ground, a bunch of holes on the bases that snapped into a plate that was put in the ground with a bunch of dots on it.

Base came off, dirt covered the plate that was in the ground, and I had the SS and 2B use their fingers to get all the dirt out in between all these bumps that were about 1/2 inch high. They still couldn't get the base in after about 2-3 minutes.

The PU called out "need the brush", to which I beckoned him over, he brushed off the plate that was in the ground, removing all the dirt, and the fielder reattached the base.

Does that make me smitty?

If those are the bases I'm familiar with they don't snap into place. The base sits on top of the nubs.

TussAgee11 · #42 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 03:53pm

They may "sit" but the definately have an exact location where they need to be, and when they are secure, there is a bit of noise that lets you know its on correctly.

Jim Porter · #43 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 04:15pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by rei

Mr.Childress also condones calling a play at a base the way it looks obvious to everybody else, even if it is the wrong call.

Just because Carl says it doesn't mean it is a good idea.

You have that a bit wrong. The call that's obvious to everyone is the *right* call. The call can't be, "wrong," if it's obvious to everyone. It might not be exactly what you think you saw, but it's most certainly the *right* call.

Don Mueller · #44 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 05:06pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Porter

You have that a bit wrong. The call that's obvious to everyone is the *right* call. The call can't be, "wrong," if it's obvious to everyone. It might not be exactly what you think you saw, but it's most certainly the *right* call.

And why praytell would you make a call contrary to what you saw?
That indeed would be a smittyism

GarthB · #45 (**permalink**) Tue Jul 17, 2007, 05:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Mueller

And why praytell would you make a call contrary to what you saw?
That indeed would be a smittyism

Quiz:

R2 stealing third, F2 fires down. F5 receives ball before R2 begins head first slide. F5 lays glove down six inches on 2nd base side of the bag. Everyone, including his coach see R2 slides into the tag clearly before the bag, but you, and only you, think that you saw his right hand touch the bag a micro-second before his left hand touched the glove.

Your call?