Attention Rookies
 

Well after reading some of these recent posts, some of you guys need to get a life. I've never been on a forum as intimadating as this one. Here I try to get some advisement on starting out as a rookie ump and get knock downed for asking stupid questions. You guys have some ridiculous EGOS!! And when I'm in the big leagues,
I for sure won't forget the little people.
Well I found another forum that welcomes rookies and I encourage you fellow rookies to follow suit. PM me for the site.

Ego plays little or no role in anything on this site. This is about the being on the internet where people can say and do almost anything with little accountability, just like you are doing now in this thread. The problem is that people spend their time trying to tell everyone how to do things and people actually give a damn what they say. At some point, do not give a damn and your life will be easier to deal with. ;)

Peace

Forget it Rut! This is just another poster that came here for advice, didn't get the advice that suited his opinion and is having a hissy fit. Don't waste your time on him.

Mr Ozzy....some guys come here for advice....and its not that they dont hear what they want....its guys like you who dont even answer the question, which was baseball related..but tell them to leave and go to the other forum...Are you really that compelled to log in, and leave negative responses along with many others on this forum? You just cant ignore it? Does it really bother you that much?
Yeesh, we are all in this together. Help out the younger guys. Yes they may ask a seemingly inane question, or ask a question thats been asked many times before. Maybe they are new to the site, maybe they dont know if its been asked, so? Either leave a helpful response , or just ignore it.
I remember when I was first starting a few years back..and this site was an invaluble piece of learning. I was able to read about situations, rules etc, and learn from guys who had been doing this for awhile.
Why be such a tool?

Maybe you need to go back and review my posts, Chuck! Aside from a few posts to the Good-by from Garth & Rob, I usually answer anyone and if they do not like the answer that is fine. When a poster asks a question and gets several correct answers from the people on this forum, then that person starts an argument with every return post, I simply let them have it! I do not believe that you were ever involved with any of these so why are you trying to start another "problem thread"? You are correct, we are all in this together so if you have a question please post it. We will be more than happy to help.

I dunno, ozzy6900.
When I came to the baseball forum, I always felt quite intimidated.
So, I know and believe what rngrck is talking about.

If I pose a question, there are a few kind souls that will give me an answer, and I do thank them for that. But, unlike any newbee, I do realize that I am considered a *stray* on the Big DOGS' porch, and I have always felt the need to walk carefully.

The big sticks make me really uncomfortable.

Mick-

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you on this one. I am new to posting on this forum but have read it for years. I don't think this is an intimidating forum at all. All the questions I have ever asked have been answered or at least addressed. I'm of the opinion that if someone gets upset over what someone posts on an internet forum/message board then maybe they need to find a new hobby (meaning officiating) however. Officiating does not have a "report post" button that an official can push to every comment they hear that they perhaps do not like. You have to have a thick skin sometimes and move on. I'm not saying that some comments don't go over the line but you'll always have those people as well.

I do, on the other hand, regret that some people do not feel welcome because I think this forum has greatly improved my knowledge of officiating over the years. I hope that those who do not feel like they are welcome, find a forum. Just my thoughts....

-Josh

Hi Josh.
I think it's great the your experience has been positive, and I am not sure we actually disagree here.
I agree that the information available here is marvelous.
I agree with the need to be thick-skinned.
I agree that officiating skills "greatly improve knowledge.

Yet, a newbee, who hasn't yet developed the thick skin but is interested in becoming an umpire, can be intimidated. But then, I think we agree on that, also. :)

:D Ha! I remember your first experiences here! Yeah, we were a little rough on you but you turned out okay! :D

The stray on the Big Dog's porch, as you say, always is a little insecure. We have all been there but here is the difference (yourself included). You may feel intimidated because the Big Dogs are gruff and coarse but a little respect goes a long way. When I went over to Rob Drake's site, I was a stray on his porch. I followed the "rules" (like we do here) and was accepted in no time. The stray that shows he is willing to learn and is respectful soon gets the lion's share. That is the way Life itself is! The stray that comes on the porch barking and showing off gets ignored. The young pup has to learn when to show his teeth and when not to. If he can do it here, he can do it on the field (and that is what it is all about). Rather they fail here, Mick, than on the field.

That rings true, ozzy6900. :)

[/QUOTE]

Reference, please. (I'm not doubting you, I just don't know to specifically to what you are referring).

Thanks

Bob - Ok, here's an example of a obnoxious reply to a stupid question in which I wanted some clarification or different view points.
See "Ozzy 6900 " reply dated 3/28/08 at 8:43 A.M. I tried to copy the post here but couldn't. My topic was called "Batter's Hands".

The thread is here: http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?t=43100.

Ozzy's "obnoxious reply" was that he wanted to know where these crazy questions come from. Hard to see how that insults rngrck.

DA , does the word "Crazy" ring a bell?

I'm not DA, but "crazy" modified "questions," not you. Ozzy was complaining about how the questions persist, which has little to do with you personally. Why would you take offense?

Sorry but I see nothing obnoxious. As you stated it was a stupid question and upon reading further I didn't understand what you were asking either.

Then I read your reply of

"Well I got news for you!! I had a batter extending hands so far over the plate, that the pitcher complained he couldn't see F2's target. Well, I agreed and had the batter back off the hands."

That's fine, but if you could just put a reference with your ruling etc.,

Amazing but in my 27+ years I just haven't come across this type of incident.

Thanks
David

DA ?
And you say others aren't playing nicely ?

rngrck, if you're really a newer official seeking advice, I would offer 2 relevant pieces.

1. Learn to distinguish personal from non-personal comments. For instance, when I make a call, sometimes a coach says: "That's a terrible call!" Maybe so! Maybe the coach had a better angle than I did. Maybe I just blew it. He's entitled to his opinion of the call. But if he says, "You're terrible," well that's personal and he's got to go. Ozzy's comment in the thread you cited was not personal.

2. Learn the rules and enforce them. Newer officials in many sports get in trouble when they stop players from doing something because "that's just not how to play the game." Maybe so, but it's a coach's job to correct that, not yours. This advice can be hard to follow for people who played a sport and are passionate about it being played correctly. Such people can find it hard to limit themselves to enforcing the rules.

As a friend of mine says, advice is the cheapest thing. But that's mine.

Well one thing for sure, if you can't take a little from people that you can't see or for that matter never see, how are you going to handle the abuse your gonna get trying to make it to the "big leagues" ,from people standing in front of you?

They are certainly not going to sugarcoat anything when you get to camp.

I truly wish you the best in your endeavors to strive for a level many of us will never realize however, your gonna have to toughen up if your gonna make it.

This forum is NOTHING more than a learning tool. Many here take it much more seriouly than it is. (and at times that has included me)

However, as with any tool, YOU, have to make the final decision how helpful it is to you and then move on. If you can't handle that, then officiating is probably not made for you.

Good Luck

Why would you delete my comment about replacement umpires?

here let me restate it in better terms.........

I believe a large reason why people get attacked at this website is because a large number of the "big dawgs" here were replacement umpires during a UNION labor disagreement. In my opinion these people do not care about other umpires and they are only in it for themselves. By not cultivating the younger umpires they do not have to worry about some one passing them in the food chain.

They put people down just so they feel better!

Sorry if the truth hurts who ever deleted my post.....

I deleted it. I found the wording distasteful.
The restatement is, like you said, "better".

Please know that the truth doesn't hurt me, not even a little.

In your statement it seems you have written that you "believe", and then you imply it is the "truth".
Is your belief really the truth ?
Do you truely believe ?
You have shown your belief.
Can you show the truth ?

so this proves that the word SCAB is offensive

GOOD

I'm glad you see it the way I do Scab = distastefully

There are a lot of folks that believe and KNOW what I'm talking about.... We know what kind of umpires these "big Dawgs" are...