Important lessons learned....and more questions asked

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

if there are NO foul lines passed the bases i see no prob making sure the rats note that and that theres gonna be no crap taken on fair--foulcalls down the lines..if the RATS think thatsa issue then call the feild unfit for play and go home!

Amen. My sentiments exactly.

Imagine having no foul lines whatsoever. You are having to guess by lining up where the ball is in relation to the edge of the base. Real accurate. It happens during off-season games, yet they still b*tch and complain about close calls near where the line should have been.

In a perfect world, under ideal circumstances, nothing needs to be said during a plate conference. But there are times where you dang sure better say something, or you will be in for a long day.

[ozzy6900]

Addendum to my normal rant about plate meetings.

The lack of proper field lines needs to be addressed. This is handled by you and your partner taking a stroll to the field before the game and getting a bead on things. My partner & I will determine an object to line up with the outside edge of 1st & 3rd base. This will take care of us calling the fair & foul.

Now when the plate meeting rolls around, I simply let the managers know how we are lining up everything. This lets them realize that we are aware there are no lines but have made a plan to compensate. I then tell them, "Gentlemen, due to the lack of proper field preparation, my partner and I will be as accurate as we possibly can. Please assist us by allowing us and only us to make the call." Total additional time = 15 seconds bringing the total plate meeting to about 1 minute even.

I work many fields that are not properly marked in the early Spring and during the Fall seasons. I rarely have any problem because we are honest with the managers. Also by showing them that we have objects that we use to help with our decisions, it shows them that we are trying to do a proper job.

Regards