Future of Officiating
 

In a recent thread, I used the phrase that I was the senior official in a game and basically stepped into a situation to resolve a dispute that had the potential of exploding. Exception was made with the fact that being the senior official on the field meant very little, “#2 It is my understanding that in most areas, the PU is the UIC, being the more senior as far as I know doesn't supersede anything.”

Today, I am reading the article “Ejection in the Cape Cod League” by Peter Osborne and noticed his statement, “However, as the senior umpire, I take a lot more initiative.”

Not exactly the same scenario however, I thought it may be a good topic of discussion.

Now, we have a good mix of young cocky stallions on this forum and some old geezer’s with a lot of experience and knowledge, often going head to head.

Maybe it is just me, but there seems to be a lot more individualism in officiating amateur sports now. Is it truly “every man for him self,” and should we prescribe to a “sink or swim” philosophy in our associations and let the younglings fend for their self?

In today’s competitive world what say you?

Hey all,

There are certain things during a game that the UIC is responsible for, hence the UIC label. However, if there is a relatively inexperienced PU and a very experienced BU, the senior official should, IF asked by the PU, make some input in regards to game management, rules interps, etc...

This should be done in a way that does not undercut the authority of the UIC on the field. Ideally, these things should be covered in a good pregame discussion, but sometimes, doo-doo occurs.

LomUmp:cool:

Sometimes, it is a file line we tread! As defined by the rule books, the PU is the UIC in 2 man work and has certain duties. If I am the BU and I have a rookie at the plate, I will let him "run on the leash" but will reel him in if he is heading for trouble. We are partners and as the senior person, I will offer (not push) my help as needed. Of course, I am not talking about help on a call here, I am referring to help with touchy decisions dealing with rules, arguments and the like.

In 3 or more man crews, we usually agree on a crew chief. Sometimes we use the senior person, sometimes we use the junior person (that really sets off the coaches).

Of course, if a young buck won't "rein in" when pulled upon, I let him go until he runs out of steam. I usually walk away but I leave the barn door open - just in case he wants to stable up. Then as the senior person, I'll get the dogs off his back so he can recuperate.

Regards

I think it is good to have an Umpire in Chief, or Crew Chief, one umpire to make a final decision on anything, some One who is responsible for how a game is generally managed. It matters not to me whether the *Chief" is the Senior, is behind the plate or is in the infield, but it seems more practical that the Chief is not in outfield for reasons of accessibility.

If some problem rears its ugly self during a given game, meet with the crew, come to a conclusion and live with the decision as a crew.

That said, for me, the Crew comes first, the crew follows and supports one another through the final out, the Chief included. If it is determined that it has become difficult, uncomfortable, or impossible to work with, or to communicate with, a member of a game crew, simply refuse to take any such assignments in the future.

This remains a game.

It is a balancing act.

When working with a new or weak partner I'll have an intensive pregame and concentrate on game management.

I'll tell him to feel free to come to me with any questions or if he feels he's getting "in trouble." I'll tell him that I will come to him and speak privately if I feel he has made a mistake in rules, but I will not come to him in regards to any judgment calls unless he invites me. I also tell him that I will leave his game management up to him unless it appears that a situation could get out of hand, at which time I will, again, privately give him my opinon on handling the situation.

The only time I'll step in unvited is if he has ejected someone and they need to be lead away, he gets into a two on one situation and someone needs to be peeled off, it appears he is experiencing a melt-down, or to do otherwise jeopardizes someone's safety or the completion of the game. I won't throw him under the bus, nor will I let him unknowingly climb under one.

I like what I've read to this point. I must agree with what has been said as well. I'd like to think that I, too, handle it the same way. However, I am (in HS) one of the younger "less experienced" umpires. I get into more crap because of the older, "I've been doin' this for 15 years" folks than I care to mention.

The problem around here isn't the new guys don't know what to do. There are very few new umps in either association. The problem is that the old farts have been around for a while, doing things wrong, and don't know any better. It's harder to tell "Pops" he's an idiot and doesn't do things right than it is to tell "Little Johnny" what he's doing wrong, or could do to improve.

As a young guy who is looking to make a career out of this whole umpiring thing, and has tried to absorb as much about every aspect of umpiring as he can, I think I have a little different perspective on this.

Our association works games from Willie Mays up to 18-19 year old ball, where the kids are some guys I played in high school with. A lot of guys I work with say they can't find people who are willing to work some of the "shaving age" ball we have, but I have no problem doing it. As I see it, any chance I get to walk on the field and learn something- whether it's from a partner, a situation with a coach, or something I pick up on myself and tell myself I have to work on.

Having said that, we have a couple of guys who come in every half-inning and always have something to say. I'm not arrogant enough to think I know everything, but I know where I'm supposed to be with R1/R3 on a fly ball with one out. However, if I know I've screwed something up, but I don't know how to fix it, I'm more than willing to go to an older guy and ask about it. Problem is, we also have a lot of guys who don't really like to help younger guys. Fortunately, we have a few older guys who ask all their partners if they noticed anything wrong with the game. Just because an umpire is younger doesn't mean he can't pick up on something the veteran may have been a little lax in.

I guess the point in what I'm saying is that there has to be give and take. When I'm PU, I expect my BU, whether a veteran or a rookie, to let me run my game and step in if I have a problem. Likewise, if I'm BU, I'll let the PU do things his way unless I need to step in. When I'm working with a veteran, I consider him a resource, not my father. I don't expect to be criticized on everything I do wrong. I expect to be told I'm wrong, but I also believe that I should be able to ask follow-up questions and get an explanation as to why what I did was wrong. We have to remember that we're the only ones out there who like us.

If there's a shortage of officials and you want to attract and retain younger guys, you can't alienate them. The younger ducklings need to be able to find their own footing, but you can't have the older, wiser guys not wanting to have anything to do with them.

Where'd you find this article?

Though we are an umpiring "team" we each have certain responsibilities that we must live up to. Making judgement calls within our pervue and dealing with the HC regarding that call is one of the basics of individual responsibility we have as officials.
It's much like any player on the baseball "team", when he's up to bat he's on his own. No one can do it for him, he hits or strikes out on his own abilities. No one has thrown him under the bus if he strikes out. Training and advice can be given after the fact but he's on his own during the AB. If he continues to strike out maybe he's just playing at the wrong level.

The pitcher is like the ump making rule interps, as long the interps are good it's like an unhittable fast ball and everthing is cool. If an interp is faulty the pitch gets hit and now the "team" is needed to step in, field the ball and get the out(correct interp) and then the ball is given right back to the pitcher.

Kind of a corny way of saying I agree with Garth and Lomump.

[/QUOTE]

There is competition when trying to make umpiring one's living.

However, in the amateur game depending upon where you live there is an overall shortage of umpires so the phrase "competitive world" doesn't apply.

The catch phrase is

"Are you available" is more prevelant in the amateur game
There is competition in getting High end HS Varsity games and sectional games. I do not umpire college but I would think there is competition in getting a College World Series assignment.

Absent the aforementioned there is plenty of games to umpire if you are available.

We should be a Team out there just like when we played and treat our fellow official with the same respect we did our teammates which means we do not throw our partner "under the bus" etc.

If you have a problem save it for after the game.

We give our partner a chance to handle a particular situation but when it gets heated etc. it's time to step in and get the game moving.

Talking about the amateur game only, if you have an ego and are strictly "out for yourself" word gets around no matter how good of an official you are and no one wants to work with somebody like that.

As far as the future of officiating, I see a continued shortage at least in the amateur game.

Pete Booth

And lengthy too!:D

I was minding my own business, enjoying my break at 3B in a 3 man crew during a recent tournament game. We had a pregame but it was not extensive and we did not discuss UIC, me assuming the PU is the UIC. Then we had a situation, a runner awarded home, who should clearly not have been. I called time, had a meeting with my partners and convinced them the ruling was incorrect. The PU, the UIC, then explained the change to the coach who was putting his runner back on 3B. I went back to my rocking chair. I was the senior official, I was the only one who had the ruling correct, but I was not the UIC. We are a team and the team must perform well together.

If you don't have an ego, I don't want to work with you.

I believe MLB adopts the concept that the crew chief (wherever he may be positioned) has a lot of authority with regards to problem resolutions.

When all the umpires get together to resolve a problem, my guess is that the crew chief has final approval of the resolution. But I don't know for sure. That's just the impression I get.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Agree, David, it is PUs butt in the end all.

You and Joe West would get along fine then.

If you are "out for yourself" and have an EGO I am glad you would not want to work with me.

Also, it's difficult to get umpires if you have a group of officials who think their you know what doesn't stink.

Pete Booth

Wow!
 

Rich noted:

"If you don't have an ego, I don't want to work with you."

I could not agree more!

I want my partner to want to fight me for the dish, be self-assured to the max, and not allow any sign of weakness.

"Big Umpires Make Big Calls In Big Games!"

Pete noted:

"If you are "out for yourself" and have an EGO I am glad you would not want to work with me."

I am "out for myself" everytime I enter the field. I know that if I do my job, get my calls and have a great pre-game the umpire crew will be successful.

Give me too much ego over a "Sally" anytime.



Regards,

Pete:

There is a difference between umpires with a solid, secure ego and those who are egotistical.

I've worked with both

Like Tee, I want a partner with a healthy ego.

Like you, I don't want a partner who inappropriately displays that ego.

What Garth said.

Why do guys find the need to fight over the stick? Nearly all my partners and I resolve the position debate by flipping a coin in the dressing room. We respect each other and each other's ability without having to have some junior-high-like bravado show.

Nearly all the guys I know who display the "I'm the man, and the plate is MINE!" attitude in the dressing room are miserable pr!cks outside it. More than one of them has a FUBAR strike zone to boot.

Go ahead....
 

work with a guy that is (or guys that are) push-overs. You most-likely will find yourself in a game that is tortuous and burdening.

You will have to cover your partners posterior repeatedly or face an unfair judgement of your game management skills.

Best to have a competent, self-assured individual that is unwavering and intrepid. Games will be much more smooth.
Mind you....self assuredness and competence can be misconstrued as ego, especially if the rat has a big one and is set to make the excuse of blaming game officials for his short-comings as coach or manager.

Of course, that never happens.

My $.02
:cool:

Sheeesh. Nobody argued that an umpire that can be walked over is desirable.

There is something between an overbearing pompous egocentric umpire and a dress wearing namby-pamby. Why do you guys have to argue in the extremes?

Well,
 

Publius intoned:

"Why do guys find the need to fight over the stick?"

There is a difference between actually fighting over the dish and wanting a partner that would fight you for it.

I work in a group where you are assigned plate or bases.

I want to work with people that are cocky, not conceded . . . that are brash, not arrogant . . . and most of all, confident in what they are asked to do.

Regards,

Is justified when he finds out you call him that. :rolleyes:

Well I have no problem with what Tim was referring to. We too are assigned our positions when we get our games. So if I show up to a game where I am assigned to work the plate with a younger member and he takes out his gear wanting to do the plate, that fine with me! I welcome partners that come forward wanting to handle the dish because I've had more than my share of partners that:

• forgot their plate gear
• just did a plate 3 days ago and are tired
• have a bruise on their thigh and want to take it easy
• going to run a 5k tomorrow and don't want to get tired
• have a headache
• forgot their cup
• have a boil on their butt so they can't wear their jock.

You see, I was brought through the ranks as a "plate man" in the old days. Almost every assignment was the plate in the early years so I am so used to the dish, I used to treat being on the bases almost like being in exile! Of course now, I welcome the break when I can get it. But if the young buck forgot his gear again, I show him how the old fart can still get the job done!

Regards

My first year and a half umpiring I worked the plate almost exclusively, as most of my games were solo jobs. My partner was Harvey the Rabbit and I was Jimmy Stewart.

As I moved along, working 8 to 10 games a week, I would often have the plate for 5 or 6 of these games. We take turns working the plate here depending on who had it the last time you worked with that partner. Many times I would "owe" someone the plate. Sometimes it would just work out that it was my turn with everybody I was scheduled to work with. On days with multiple games with the same partner, we would of course rotate each game. But I know I've worked many more plates than bases over the years.

As much as I love working the plate, when it came time for me to have my turn on the bases, it was usually a welcome treat.

Senior officials
 

Being a senior official working with a younger (less experienced) person can be very rewarding and fun, if you approach it with the right attitude -- and the younger person does also. One of your first responsibilities, if you're gonna facilitate umpire development, is to try and avoid all the crappy, negative things mentioned about seniors above.

Every danged one of us owe -- if we are senior enough to be senior -- our development to the previous generation. Somebody mentored you and took an interest and helped you get where you are know -- and it's time to pay it back by developing umpires who'll still be working in 2050.

A rookie cop on the street has the same authority as a 30 year veteran working beside him -- so does a rookie teacher or a rookie judge or many ofher authoritative positions. It would be ludicrous to believe that because the they are in equal positions that the rookie cop should perform all his duties without benefitting from the veteran's experience.

Likewise, when I work w/ a rookie, I often learn new ways of looking at things, occasionally a new mechanic -- things that they have been exposed to.

Really, it comes down to the attitude of the senior and the junior -- either one can defeat the whole learning experience by coppiing an attitude.

In my first season umpiring, I have worked a total of 39 games with a partner so far. In 21 of those I worked the plate, the other 18 the bases. I always offer the choice of plate/bases to my partner and am always happy to work either one.

Since the majority of the games I do I'm working solo, I feel like it's good for me to get the experience on the bases. I probably have a little more fun working the plate, so that's fine too.

Over the course of the season I've worked with partners as young as 18 and as old as 75, and all ages in between. Virtually every umpire I've had as a partner has more experience umpiring than I. Some of my partners have truly been excellent umpires, others not so much.

I always show up at the game site a minimum of 1/2 hour before game time to do a pregame, and I always ask my partner for a postgame critique. If asked, I will offer my partner a postgame critique.

I make my own calls and handle my own situations. Three times during the season I had partners come to me for help on their calls and twice over rule situations. In each case I gave them what I had and left the call to them.

The only time I ever went to a partner was when the defense appealed a check swing (in which case I will pretty much always go to my partner).

JM

IOW: I agree.

Pretty much always?

Somewhat definitive!!

That was rightly said and when I was a rook, and some Old Guard wanted to have an intensive pregame and concentrate on him trying to teach me how not to het him in trouble.

It was alike a long, boring lecture, Old Guuard bables about his being avaialble to me, any questions or if I'm getting in trouble (Translation: "Move over, Sonny, we don't want this to get out of hand"). Followed closely by how he will to speak in low tones over behind the water coolers when he thinks (knows) I have screwed the pooch. He will be there for me on judment calls ( yeah right) if I ask his advice.

<yeeeyawn>

Of course, if things (iho) might get out of hand, he will calmly whisper to me how to control all. Old Guard wants to control everything. Of course there is this litany of things where he just has to stick his nose in "for the good of the game and for your safety". :rolleyes:

Then the 8 yos would take the field. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

As the senior umpire in almost every game I work, I always offer my partner his choice of plate or bases. If he wants the plate it tells me he is aggressive and eager to show me what he has. If he wants the bases it tells me he is either unsure or he wants to watch (and learn from) me. If he has no preference, I do NOT automatically take the plate (though I do very much enjoy working the plate). I tell him I don't have a preference either, and pull out a coin. "Heads I do it, tails you do it". That removes "choice of the winner" which we've already gone through. I don't offer insight during the game UNLESS it's a major problem "Oh, you DON'T wear a ballbag on the bases?"... but I will ask after the game if he'd like feedback. If he says "No", we part ways. If he says "Yes" I give it to him straight. If I see several things that need work, I will tell him what I saw and I will always suggest he "work on ONE thing at a time" when making changes to the way he works. I say the same thing at clinics - work on ONE thing at a time. It's easier to master one thing and get comfortable and move on to the next item than it is to experiment with a bunch of changes.
That's me rambling....

JJ

In my area the games are assigned by an assigner who designates who does the plate. As one of those assigners I go along with this. If I am working with a less experienced partner I will offer advice on his/her work. Also there are very few solo games in this area - only if there are shortages on a particular night and only one is available to work that game.

I got feedback once from a D1 umpire working bases with me in a HS game (he had undergone surgery and had not been working lately). He gave me 5 things. I went to work on 4 of them and ignored the 5th because I couldn't agree on that one. My point is you should work on what needs working on, however many it is.

Might be reading a lot into that JJ. I always prefrred the late plate. Easier to stay awake.What happens if HE wants to do the flip?:eek: