Most annoying thing heard

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by TxUmp

I don't allow anyone on the field to use the phrase "Call it both ways, Blue!"

That phrase strongly implies that I am favoring the other team, and fundamentally, it questions my integrity. When I hear anyone on the bench say that, I give the coach a warning, and let him know that a bench restriction and/or ejections will follow if I hear it again.

Boy are you strict!

[TxUmp]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Boy are you strict!

Of course I am! How loossly do you let them question YOUR integrity?

[dash_riprock]

I don't take the comment literally, I just ignore it. They're just rats, trying to get a call. I'll sometimes here this when I ring up one at the knees. I just hope the next pitch is in the same place so I can ring it up again.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

I don't take the comment literally,

Okay...then take the comment figuratively and tell me what the coach is saying.

"Where was that", "not your pitch", etc are simple disagreements with your judgment. But "Call it both ways" implies strongly that you are favoring one team over the other, or put otherwise, cheating.

I'll tolerate a coach saying that once, but he won't be around to say it three times.

[TussAgee11]

Ok Garth, I'm curious to see how you'd play this out. Game management is something I need to get better at, particularly with coaches. So here's the sitch A...

You're in A, close play at first, you have him safe. You start to pivot into B as the ball is being returned to F1 when head rat yells from his cage "CALL IT BOTH WAYS".

What do you say back, it its the 2nd time he's said it to you?

Sitch B...

You're PU. Strike 3 called, 3rd out. As 3rd base coach (who is also HC) walks by to return to dugout, he says "you gotta give our pitcher that too." What is your reply? Note: He never stops walking and keeps on to the dugout.

Sitch C...

Same as B, but its an overly obnoxious assistant.

Others with experience other than Garth, please chime in with your responses.

[JJ]

Sitch A I make eye contact and I'll say, "Don't go there" or "That's enough".
If I hear it a second time he's done for the game.

Stich B I will say "If he throws it there, he'll get it" to the head cheese.

Sitch C I will either ignore the assistant or dump him. Since you indicated he was "obnoxious", he's evidently already done or said something to make that fact known, so odds are better than 50-50 that he'll be done.

I know probably 80% of the coaches I work for, and they know what they can say to me with or without reprocussions. The other 20% can be generalized into the Sitches outlined above.

JJ

[Tim C]

You can accept anything you want . . .

"Call it both ways" in my games equals ejection.

Of course I am limited in my experience:

Only 39 years and about 4,000 games.

Your mileage may differ.

Regards,

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Ok Garth, I'm curious to see how you'd play this out. Game management is something I need to get better at, particularly with coaches. So here's the sitch A...

You're in A, close play at first, you have him safe. You start to pivot into B as the ball is being returned to F1 when head rat yells from his cage "CALL IT BOTH WAYS".

What do you say back, it its the 2nd time he's said it to you?

Sitch B...

You're PU. Strike 3 called, 3rd out. As 3rd base coach (who is also HC) walks by to return to dugout, he says "you gotta give our pitcher that too." What is your reply? Note: He never stops walking and keeps on to the dugout.

Sitch C...

Same as B, but its an overly obnoxious assistant.

Others with experience other than Garth, please chime in with your responses.

A. Like I said, he'll get to say it once, but never three times. After the first time he'll be told "Don''t question my ethics." If it starts to leave his lips again, he'll be gone.

B. If he continues walking away, I will not follow him, but I will suggest loudly enough for him that both pitchers will get what they throw.

C. An assistant? If it's his first crack, I'll ignore him. If he's a repeat offender, he's done.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Ok Garth, I'm curious to see how you'd play this out. Game management is something I need to get better at, particularly with coaches. So here's the sitch A...

You're in A, close play at first, you have him safe. You start to pivot into B as the ball is being returned to F1 when head rat yells from his cage "CALL IT BOTH WAYS".

What do you say back, it its the 2nd time he's said it to you?

"Safe -- he beat the throw. He beat the throw -- safe. How's that?"

[MichaelVA2000]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Ok Garth, I'm curious to see how you'd play this out. Game management is something I need to get better at, particularly with coaches. So here's the sitch A...

You're in A, close play at first, you have him safe. You start to pivot into B as the ball is being returned to F1 when head rat yells from his cage "CALL IT BOTH WAYS".

What do you say back, it its the 2nd time he's said it to you?

Sitch B...

You're PU. Strike 3 called, 3rd out. As 3rd base coach (who is also HC) walks by to return to dugout, he says "you gotta give our pitcher that too." What is your reply? Note: He never stops walking and keeps on to the dugout.

Sitch C...

Same as B, but its an overly obnoxious assistant.

Others with experience other than Garth, please chime in with your responses.

Sitch A

Cage my need to be cleaned:

Coach: "CALL IT BOTH WAYS".

Umpire: What I'm hearing you say coach is that I'm cheating by not calling them both ways.

Coach: No Blue, that's not what I'm saying.

Umpire: Good, for now I don't need to take any further action. Knock off the chirping.

Sitch B

It's all about the tone. If he says it just load enough for me to hear and he's walking away I'll ignore him.

Sitch C

Same response as situation B unless the overly obnoxious assistant begins putting on a show. If it's the show, I lower the curtain quickly.

[DG]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Ok Garth, I'm curious to see how you'd play this out. Game management is something I need to get better at, particularly with coaches. So here's the sitch A...

You're in A, close play at first, you have him safe. You start to pivot into B as the ball is being returned to F1 when head rat yells from his cage "CALL IT BOTH WAYS".

What do you say back, it its the 2nd time he's said it to you?

Sitch B...

You're PU. Strike 3 called, 3rd out. As 3rd base coach (who is also HC) walks by to return to dugout, he says "you gotta give our pitcher that too." What is your reply? Note: He never stops walking and keeps on to the dugout.

Sitch C...

Same as B, but its an overly obnoxious assistant.

Others with experience other than Garth, please chime in with your responses.

A - there are only two ways, SAFE or OUT, are you suggesting I call it both ways? When he asks the same time I say "what part of this did you miss the first time?"

B - "What does "too" mean hoss?

C - what's an overly obnoxious assistant doing in the game?

Seriously though:

A - ignore
B - ignore
C - toss the overly obnoxious assistant earlier in the game when it is evident he is an overly obnoxious assistant and C don't happen...

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by GarthB

But "Call it both ways" implies strongly that you are favoring one team over the other, or put otherwise, cheating.

Garth - ya gotta switch to decaf buddy!

If I really thought he was seriously questioning my integrity or accusing me of being intentionally dishonest ("cheating" as you put it) of course I would dump him on the spot. It depends on a lot of things including tone, volume, frequency, etc.

All coaches think the other guy is getting the better calls. It's a trait inherent to rats. I don't see much difference between a whiny "call it both ways" and a whiny "not yours Timmy." You characterize the latter as a simple disagreement with your judgment, but it could just as easily be construed as a statement that you are incompetent.

If it's nothing more than the occasional whine, I'm not going to let it get under my skin. I like to use the response that JJ gave to Sitch B. If it escalates or gets personal, then I'll deal with it differently. A redass ump looks just as unprofessional as an a-hole coach.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

I don't see much difference between a whiny "call it both ways" and a whiny "not yours Timmy." You characterize the latter as a simple disagreement with your judgment, but it could just as easily be construed as a statement that you are incompetent.

The difference is, and you point it out nicely, is that "not your's Timmy" can be interperted a number of ways, whereas, "call it both ways" clearly states that you are not calling it "both ways", thus, cheating.

Gone.

It has nothing to do with caffeine. It has nothing to do with being a red-***. It has everything to do with where one draws the line. I have never allowed a coach to imply that I cheat in anyway. Perhaps, partly because of where I draw the line and how well that is known, it doesn't come up except for the occasional new comer or visitor who has yet to learn.

You can choose to accept that kind of treatment, and thus show your coaches it is acceptable behaviour.

I don't. Never have. Never will.

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by GarthB

It has nothing to do with being a red-***.

Yes it does.