Preventative Umpiring

[njdevs00cup]

What do you do which falls under the category of preventative umpiring?

[bossman72]

Well there are many things that go on during a game which "preventative umpiring" will come into play.

For example- pitcher is coming set, but he's very close to balking. Using Preventative umpiring, i would go up to the pitching rubber, act like i'm kicking dirt off and say to the pitcher "hey bud, make sure you're coming to a complete stop before you deliver. you're close to balking."

This will usually make the pitcher set better.


That is just one example. There are a bunch of other instances where that comes into play; though the basis of preventative umpiring is to stop crap before crap happens.

[aceholleran]

"Batter, watch your feet."

"There's your oustide corner, catch."

"Bring that pitch up an inch."

"The fewer warmup pitches you take, the more strikes I'll call [wink]."

I've only used this a couple of times: the first was on a "mini-balk," where F1 had a little hitch I hadn't seen yet. Offensive coach said, not obnoxiously, "What was THAT?"

I simply tapped my right index finger to the corner of my right eye, as if I were wearing glasses.

F1 did not repeat the hinky move. After the game, same coach came over to my car and thanked me: "That little tap let me know that you saw it, and you were looking too."

This isn't something I would normally espouse, but the violation, if any, was miniscule.

Ace

[jicecone]

True Story:

HS Var. Level, Weak teams

"Time"

I take out my plate brush and tell the catcher to go to the mound and tell his pitcher to come to a good set, as I clean the plate.

Catcher takes one step towards the mounds and yells "John, ump says to get your head out your arse and come to a stop or he is going to balk you."

I said "thanks catch, but I don't think I meant it that way."

Catcher says, "thats ok blue, he a real flake anyway and it was the only way he would understand."

It worked.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by jicecone

True Story:


Catcher takes one step towards the mounds and yells "John, ump says to get your head out your arse and come to a stop or he is going to balk you."

Exactly why I no longer send messages by catchers. I've seen this bite umpires in the arse too many times.

The first time they call a balk on the opposing pitcher, the coach goes nuts that when the umpire saw the other pitcher balked he let it go.

Maybe it's the level worked, but I find calling the balk prevents more crap than not calling it.

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Exactly why I no longer send messages by catchers. I've seen this bite umpires in the arse too many times.

The first time they call a balk on the opposing pitcher, the coach goes nuts that when the umpire saw the other pitcher balked he let it go.

Maybe it's the level worked, but I find calling the balk prevents more crap than not calling it.

I agree Garth, this was too humorous to pass up though.

Considering the level, I too, will most generally go with the balk call first. Using preventive umpiring tehniques can be effective, when used properly.

[TussAgee11]

When I think of preventive umpiring, I think of it in a game management sense.

Simple things like shadowing a batter who has been hit to first base, when the batter is upset at the pitcher.

I don't suscribe to the concept of having the catcher fix balks. Maybe in a lower level game when the kid just doesn't know how to pitch, I'll have the catcher go out and tell the kid to take his signs from the rubber, but that would be it.

[ozzy6900]

Preventative Umpiring?

Well let's see:

• See a strike, call a strike.
• See an out, call an out.
• See a balk, call a balk.
• See interference, call interference.
• See obstruction, call obstruction.
• When ejection is called for, eject.

How much more "preventative" do you want in umpiring?

Regards

[DG]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

What do you do which falls under the category of preventative umpiring?

Today, batter is crowding the plate severely Catcher asks do I see it, I say sure. I hear the defensive coach ask the catcher how close the batter is to the plate. He says he is taking away the inside (I think how is this possible, the corner is where it is). Finally, after several close inside pitches I tell the batter, if you get hit by a pitch in the strike zone it's going to be called a strike and you will not be going to 1B.

It didn't help. He kept crowding and didn't get hit, but if he had I would have told the complaining manager (after I called a strike) that I had told his batter what would happen.

[charliej47]

I consider age to be the deciding factor. 12U and over 50, any other age group and I go with Oz.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by aceholleran

"Batter, watch your feet."

"There's your oustide corner, catch."

"Bring that pitch up an inch."

"The fewer warmup pitches you take, the more strikes I'll call [wink]."

I've only used this a couple of times: the first was on a "mini-balk," where F1 had a little hitch I hadn't seen yet. Offensive coach said, not obnoxiously, "What was THAT?"

I simply tapped my right index finger to the corner of my right eye, as if I were wearing glasses.

F1 did not repeat the hinky move. After the game, same coach came over to my car and thanked me: "That little tap let me know that you saw it, and you were looking too."

This isn't something I would normally espouse, but the violation, if any, was miniscule.

Ace

Wow, Most of this would be great if you are calling recreational under 12 baseball. If not, wow.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Preventative Umpiring?

Well let's see:

• See a strike, call a strike.
• See an out, call an out.
• See a balk, call a balk.
• See interference, call interference.
• See obstruction, call obstruction.
• When ejection is called for, eject.

How much more "preventative" do you want in umpiring?

Regards

So you disagree with lawump, mbyron and all the others that claim "professionally acting umpires" call what the fans and coaches see and not the actual play as it happens.

Right on, Bro.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

What do you do which falls under the category of preventative umpiring?

None if the players are, or should be, mature in the game.

[aceholleran]

Originally Posted by fitump56

Wow, Most of this would be great if you are calling recreational under 12 baseball. If not, wow.

It was a HS Fed game. And I'm not 100% in love with your tone here, Fit.

If the kid had balked, I'd have called it.

Once again, you jump into the thread not to reply to it, but to address another issue.

I'm afraid you're all done.
Ace

[Rcichon]

Pre game with partners.
Plate Meeting with Managers.

Not much else.