It's Why We Call Them Rats......

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Rats either--

dont bother to know rules or--

learn rules to twist to thier advantage. they see no other reason to do so!

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by GarthB

You're confusing a Rat's knowledge of the rules, which can be impressive, with a Rat's attitude of right and wrong, which is dismal.

Rats, at times, know the black and white of the rulebook, but come time for application, they still think like a Rat.

Is the term Rat used perjoratively or tongue-in-cheek or both?

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

Rats either--

dont bother to know rules or--

learn rules to twist to thier advantage. they see no other reason to do so!

Is that your entire experience with coaches?

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

Is that your entire experience with coaches?

ANY umpire whos been in the 'game' long enough....this WILL be your experience-- if its not, then you arent umpiring games of conseqence.


if you want to study the back ground of the term "rat' you need to do a search here--if you are not familair with the term then you are brandnew to umpiring!

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

ANY umpire whos been in the 'game' long enough....this WILL be your experience-- if its not, then you arent umpiring games of conseqence.


if you want to study the back ground of the term "rat' you need to do a search here--if you are not familiar with the term then you are brandnew to umpiring!

I think I have enough experiences and game counts to say that my overall experience with coaches has been as varied as their's with umpires. A lot of good, bad and mixed. I catch the drift of the word Rat and, no, the term is common only here as far as I know.

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by ManInBlue

And the umpire's manual dictates that I be standing there with you to make sure you are not tending to issues other than the injury. Once the conversation chagnes course, we're through and we're playing ball. If you want to keep talking to him, then we have a charged time out.

With the batter sitch mentioned - if I hear the "coaching" I'm moving you along, and if I get the "I'm checking on my player, he's hurt" comment I'm going to ask .....

I'm with you until here. No asking, it's time to remind the coach he's over stepped his bounds and to exit, Stage Right.

Discussion leads away from the injury looks like a good line to me.

Draw it tight, sharp and quick.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

Is the term Rat used perjoratively or tongue-in-cheek or both?

Depends on the Rat.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

the term is common only here as far as I know.

Having worked in four states and having close friends in at least ten others, I know the term to be common in many areas of the country.

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump
Is the term Rat used perjoratively or tongue-in-cheek or both?

Originally Posted by GarthB

Depends on the Rat.

Glad to hear.

[spokanelurker]

Are your association officers and league officials (district and school athletic coordinators) aware that you write in such a derogatory manner about the coaches, in at least some cases, of their member schools?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by spokanelurker

Are your association officers and league officials (district and school athletic coordinators) aware that you write in such a derogatory manner about the coaches, in at least some cases, of their member schools?

Coaches like you are the main reason that the term "rats" is so widely used.

Just saying.......

[RPatrino]

Why should we care what the school district administrators think? I only see AD's at playoff games anyway.

[spokanelurker]

They sign your checks, for one thing.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by spokanelurker

Are your association officers and league officials (district and school athletic coordinators) aware that you write in such a derogatory manner about the coaches, in at least some cases, of their member schools?

Coach, I suspect some are. Just as we are aware of the derogatory terms and language used by certain area coaches towards umpires.

The term Rat is an old one and, in part, refers to the fact that some coaches, while appropriately acting as lobbyists for their teams, take that to such an exteme that, during the game, what they say becomes suspect and disbelieved. Some of the top Spokane area coaches have outright lied to me and tried to cheat during games and admitted it afterwards, shrugging it off as, "part of my job."

Hard as it is for some beginners to believe, we accept that, although we still consider it dishonest and rat-like behavior.

Off the field, I have an excellent relationship with many of the coaches who display this kind of behavior on the field.

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Having worked in four states and having close friends in at least ten others, I know the term Rat to be common in many areas of the country.

SE USA, FL presently (if I ever get a flight back instead of missing them -duh). Never heard Rat. Others terms less kind, by the truckload.