Admitting to your mistakes?

[Fan10]

Originally Posted by LMan

If you work where you can enter confessional and the coaches don't use that as a weapon, then you aren't working competitive baseball. Aim higher.

Last year at a Division I college baseball game, I was sitting even with first base. With a runner on first and two out, there was a dropped third strike. As the batter ran down the first base line, the first base umpire (who has worked the College World Series on several occasions) exclaimed very loudly, "He's out! He's out!" Since there were two out even though first was occupied, that wasn't true. Right after the umpire exclaimed that, the catcher made the routine throw to 1B well ahead of the batter for the out.

As the defense ran off the field to change sides, the home plate umpire came down the line to talk to the 1st base ump. I overheard the 1B ump say, "That's right. There were two outs." The first base ump then looked over at the offensive dugout (which was on the first base side) and told the coaches, "There were two outs. I'm sorry. I made a mistake." Nothing further was said. That was the end of it.

That mistake had no consequence since the throw retired the batter (I would have been interested to have seen what they would have done had the throw gone into right field. Would the 1B ump's erroneous declaration have created a dead ball?).

However, according to what I quoted from you above, an umpire who has been to the College World Series on several occasions is not working competitive baseball.

[TussAgee11]

I can see admitting to a mistake if there is an aggregious gaffe such as the one mentioned in the post above. The only way you are getting out of that pickle is by telling the coach, "Hey Coach, I kicked it." What else can you say in a situation like that?

If its judgement, I will never agree to admitting to a mistake on the field. I have only done so only once. I was in the press box following a tournament game where I kicked a rule where I apologized to the coach.

Very sparingly, only when rules are in question and you have a serious mental gaffe.

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by Fan10

With a runner on first and two out, there was a dropped third strike. As the batter ran down the first base line, the first base umpire (who has worked the College World Series on several occasions) exclaimed very loudly, "He's out! He's out!"

I made this same mistake once. Fortunately, it was in the last inning of a blowout (I screwed the team that was ahead), and no one cared. I will never make that call again. If you never call it, you will never F it up. The rats are supposed to know the rules anyway.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by LMan

Admit nothing to a coach. Nothing. There is no benefit, and the downside can be substantial.

To every whine/request/petulance of a coach, a repeated "I'll keep an eye on it" will do nicely.

This 'earn their respect' by confessing errors is nuts. That only tells the coach that you are a soft touch who can be 'worked' for calls...and word gets around. The umpire coaches respect is the one that a) doesnt make mistakes, and b) if he did, he wouldn't go Oprah to a coach on the field.

If you work where you can enter confessional and the coaches don't use that as a weapon, then you aren't working competitive baseball. Aim higher.

I work the highest level of baseball in my area (HS/D3) and I have told a coach I kicked one. Still can't figure how this could be used against me -- on the contrary, that's the cue to him to shut up since there's nothing more to say now.

[David B]

Originally Posted by Fan10

Last year at a Division I college baseball game, I was sitting even with first base. With a runner on first and two out, there was a dropped third strike. As the batter ran down the first base line, the first base umpire (who has worked the College World Series on several occasions) exclaimed very loudly, "He's out! He's out!" Since there were two out even though first was occupied, that wasn't true. Right after the umpire exclaimed that, the catcher made the routine throw to 1B well ahead of the batter for the out.

As the defense ran off the field to change sides, the home plate umpire came down the line to talk to the 1st base ump. I overheard the 1B ump say, "That's right. There were two outs." The first base ump then looked over at the offensive dugout (which was on the first base side) and told the coaches, "There were two outs. I'm sorry. I made a mistake." Nothing further was said. That was the end of it.

That mistake had no consequence since the throw retired the batter (I would have been interested to have seen what they would have done had the throw gone into right field. Would the 1B ump's erroneous declaration have created a dead ball?).

However, according to what I quoted from you above, an umpire who has been to the College World Series on several occasions is not working competitive baseball.

Reputation goes a long way in this game. I can get away with lots of things that younger umpires will get eat up over simply because of the experiences that I've had with these coaches through the years.

I'm sure it was the same way with the umpire above who has the reputation, and nothing was said, keep playing etc.,

And I would be willing to bet that he doesn't miss a whole lot also...

Thanks
David

[SanDiegoSteve]

Admitting an obvious blown call to a coach who is out on you screaming in your face "how can you call that?" can be an option if used very sparingly. Definitely do not make a habit of copping out.

Hopefully, none of you kick calls on a daily basis, so getting a call wrong to begin with should be a rarity. You can difuse a ranting and raving coach by simply saying "I kicked that one Skip, I'll bear down next time."

As long as you don't make a practice out of doing this, a coach really has nothing left in his argument. It will exasperate him momentarily, but he will then accept the call and trot on back to his dugout/coach's box.