Pre Game Discussions

[charliej47]

I've had that happen more than once and we both looked stupid and both of us get yelled at.

[canadaump6]

There isn't much point to having a pregame mechanics and positioning discussion when you're only working a 2 man system. First to third rotation, and going out on a flyball are the only 2 things to go over, and everyone knows them anyways. In my city we have a lot of partners showing up 7 minutes before game time. I always try to show up a half hour before the game, but if there is no umpire's room there is no way I am going to loiter around the area before my game. They can provide an umpire's room for me, and only then will I show up early.

[RPatrino]

I don't know about other areas, but 99% of the fields we work on around here have no umpire 'room'. There are bathrooms, restrooms, and your car. We also bring our lawn chairs and find a shady spot and relax and have our pre-game. My partner or I or maybe both of us will bring a cooler and have a cold pop after the game while we change. I have only done two games where we had an official 'umpire' dressing room.

Canadaump, there are many more points to briefly discuss prior to a game. Of the two you mentioned, how many times have you seen those seemingly simple things botched up?

An adequate pre-game with a new partner for 2 man mechanics should take no longer then 15 minutes, and can be accomplished while the plate person is suiting up. If you have more time, you can take more time.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

There isn't much point to having a pregame mechanics and positioning discussion when you're only working a 2 man system. First to third rotation, and going out on a flyball are the only 2 things to go over, and everyone knows them anyways.

Varsity FED game earlier this year.

R1, BU in B. I have the plate. Batter hits a sinking line drive to right center field. F8 and F9 converge on the ball. F9 dives in an attempt to make the catch. BU watches the play and then turns and points to me.

Did I mention that he first appeared as I was calling the managers out for the plate conference?

It's quite apparent from watching other games and listening to the stories some people tell that does not know the proper mechanics.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

There isn't much point to having a pregame mechanics and positioning discussion when you're only working a 2 man system. First to third rotation, and going out on a flyball are the only 2 things to go over, and everyone knows them anyways.

Really?

Who has the second play in the infield, BU or PU?
Who covers third when R2 (only) tags up on a fly? What if it's R1 and R2?

If PU goes to third and the ball gets away, who covers home?

Who takes BR into second when, with no runners on a ground ball to an infielder is thrown past first?

Who takes BR to third on a triple?

Where is the delineation between PU and BU on a ground ball down the line toward first (who has the fair / foul call when)?

etc.


And, yes, there are "standard" answers to some or al of thes in almost all areas. Still, their covered in almost every pre-game, even at the college level.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

Fitty, you don't have a pre-game meeting with your partner(s)? Hmmmm...

Not often and certainly not to cover the dozens of topics that are frequently mentioned here. In 5 minutes of pre-game. Most of what has been posted in this thread is not about meetings, it's about what a poster has to say to a partner. Rare (is there?) a post that talks about what partners want to talk about.

I fall outside of the typical example, I don't have a lot of partners. Most umpires in the Real World (the one that exists outside this highly segregated universe of FO.com) have lots of partners. Unless you are one that likes to have "meetings" where you talk and your partner sits in awe and great adulation of your officiating and verbal skills, then how is one to know what the agenda is for a real discussion?

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

There isn't much point to having a pregame mechanics and positioning discussion when you're only working a 2 man system. First to third rotation, and going out on a flyball are the only 2 things to go over, and everyone knows them anyways.

Going to disagree, there are tons of things (new rules, applying them, local rule interps...) to talk about.

In my city we have a lot of partners showing up 7 minutes before game time. I always try to show up a half hour before the game, but if there is no umpire's room there is no way I am going to loiter around the area before my game. They can provide an umpire's room for me, and only then will I show up early.

I have never seen an umpire's room. The 7 minutes before? Typical. Most umpires are busting their asps to get to the ballpark for an 1800 when they got off real work at 1700..or later.

Which is why all these smug retorts "you should have gotten this squared away in pre-game" I see on this Forum is a bunch of unrealistic BS. Just another method of many posters here to undercut the real umpire and his real issues.

[canadaump6]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Really?

1) Who has the second play in the infield, BU or PU?
2) Who covers third when R2 (only) tags up on a fly? What if it's R1 and R2?

3) If PU goes to third and the ball gets away, who covers home?

4) Who takes BR into second when, with no runners on a ground ball to an infielder is thrown past first?

5) Who takes BR to third on a triple?

6) Where is the delineation between PU and BU on a ground ball down the line toward first (who has the fair / foul call when)?

etc.


And, yes, there are "standard" answers to some or al of thes in almost all areas. Still, their covered in almost every pre-game, even at the college level.

Okay I'm going to try to answer those questions that you posted just to see if I know where I am going.

1) What do you mean by second play in the infield? Second play by an infielder?
2) Depends on where the ball is hit. Ball pulling left or right fielder to the line- base ump watches the tag up and takes the runner to third. Ball not pulling them to the line- plate ump takes the runner to third, and base ump covers home.
4) Plate umpire. This is actually something I should go over with my plate partners, because often I find myself behind the baseline after an overthrow because I was positioning myself for a grounder.
5) Base umpire. I have a lot of partners that want to look fancy, so they take the play at third, but I prefer to keep it simple.
6) Plate ump has all fair/foul calls, unless the base umpire stays out with nobody on, then he makes the fair/foul call and the plate umpire leaves home plate to the third base side and takes any play at second or third. Base umpire runs his *** all the way back to home to make the call at the plate if the batter tries for an inside the park homer.

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

Okay I'm going to try to answer those questions that you posted just to see if I know where I am going.

1) What do you mean by second play in the infield? Second play by an infielder?

...

Originally Posted by canadaump6

4) Plate umpire. This is actually something I should go over with my plate partners, because often I find myself behind the baseline after an overthrow because I was positioning myself for a grounder.
5) Base umpire. I have a lot of partners that want to look fancy, so they take the play at third, but I prefer to keep it simple.
6) Plate ump has all fair/foul calls, unless the base umpire stays out with nobody on, then he makes the fair/foul call and the plate umpire leaves home plate to the third base side and takes any play at second or third. Base umpire runs his *** all the way back to home to make the call at the plate if the batter tries for an inside the park homer.

Reread this and honestly think whether you need to have a pregame or not. I would say you have missed something in number 6. You yourself point out in #5 that some umpires "like to look fancy". Seems as though that should be discussed in the pregame as well. #4 you admit to yourself that you should be going over things with your partner.

Seems to me there is a very good point of having a pregame meeting with you or any partner I'd have, because these are things we need to work out before we step on the field.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Varsity FED game earlier this year.

R1, BU in B. I have the plate. Batter hits a sinking line drive to right center field. F8 and F9 converge on the ball. F9 dives in an attempt to make the catch. BU watches the play and then turns and points to me.

Do you think a 5 minute pre-game is going to educate this umpire out of this gross mistake? I don't. He is clearly short on many major mechanical functions, 5 minutes isn't going to change much of anything.

[RPatrino]

Canadaump6, I think you missed the point of Bob's post. He wasn't quizzing YOU to test your knowledge, he was bringing out some situations that might occur in 2 man that can be butchered if both partners are out of synch.

"Okay I'm going to try to answer those questions that you posted just to see if I know where I am going." It really doesn't matter where you are going, where is your partner going?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

Okay I'm going to try to answer those questions that you posted just to see if I know where I am going.

1) What do you mean by second play in the infield? Second play by an infielder?
2) Depends on where the ball is hit. Ball pulling left or right fielder to the line- base ump watches the tag up and takes the runner to third. Ball not pulling them to the line- plate ump takes the runner to third, and base ump covers home.
4) Plate umpire. This is actually something I should go over with my plate partners, because often I find myself behind the baseline after an overthrow because I was positioning myself for a grounder.
5) Base umpire. I have a lot of partners that want to look fancy, so they take the play at third, but I prefer to keep it simple.
6) Plate ump has all fair/foul calls, unless the base umpire stays out with nobody on, then he makes the fair/foul call and the plate umpire leaves home plate to the third base side and takes any play at second or third. Base umpire runs his *** all the way back to home to make the call at the plate if the batter tries for an inside the park homer.

Good enough answers, but at least 4 and 5 require discussion, and some parts of the others are "different" from how I would do them. So, if we were working together, then we'd better have a pregame so we know how these things are being covered. That's the point.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

There isn't much point to having a pregame mechanics and positioning discussion when you're only working a 2 man system. First to third rotation, and going out on a flyball are the only 2 things to go over, and everyone knows them anyways. In my city we have a lot of partners showing up 7 minutes before game time. I always try to show up a half hour before the game, but if there is no umpire's room there is no way I am going to loiter around the area before my game. They can provide an umpire's room for me, and only then will I show up early.

As Simon said to Melvin, "The best thing you have going is your willingess to humiliate yourself."

[justanotherblue]

WOW.....may I suggest the purchase of a Red Book!! Better yet, attend a Desert or Winter Classic!!

[GarthB]

Today, 08:12pm

This message is hidden because fitump56 is on your ignore list.

Ahhhhh. Sitting on the deck watching the sunset over Monterey Bay and then seeing this on my laptop screen. Life is good, indeed.