Disaster...
 

It just keeps getting worse and worse...

For your viewing entertainment, not a lot went right in this video for the men in blue. They did get the call right, but what looks to be awful awful game management (especially from U3).

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xtDReU...eature=related

Butch probably needed a fix.

What are you going to do to stop an idiot like this, anyway?

I had a problem with U3 not stepping in an bringing away the offensive manager when U1 and PU were conferencing.

When he entered the picture, he did a poor job off shielding U1 and defensive manager. Not the worst thing in the world though, until...

Manager reaches down for the base and U3 puts his foot on top of it. Now, U3 has made this confrontation physical in nature. Now manager pushes him off, and you see U3 point at him, probably informing him of the contact and suspension. But if we stopped the video right when U3 put his foot on the base, and took a poll, I bet a majority would have correctly predicted the manager's response.

Of course you're not going to stop the guy from looking like an idiot, you just have to try to keep him from getting there. Its not always possible, and when you can't do it, you just need to step back and let him cause his scene, and look like you are "above" that. U3 didn't do that, IMO. The video of that Braves Minor League manager (where he pulled the pin on the grenade behind the pitcher's mound) was handled much better than this incident, IMO.

Doesn't anybody think the defensive coach that came out to argue is a rat? The runner was clearly safe. Yes the base umpire should have made the right call in the first place, but it was his fielder that made the error and they got the call right in the end. If anything he should be chewing out his own shortstop.

Ok,
 

Ok, I can admit it when someone gets me totally confused.

The coach that came out was the offensive coach wanting to know why the umpire had called his runner out when the ball appeared to have been dropped.

Can't see what makes that "ratish." Just an arguement.

Then he convinced U1 to go to the PU who obviously saw what appeared to be a bobble.

Then U1 changed his call to safe.

Then Hobson, the defensive coach came out on the reversal.

Under "old hide" mechanics U1 would have stayed with his call . . . under "new world" mechanics he reversed an OUT CALL. Remember we only call outs when we actually see them.

You just have me confused.

Regards,

I think our boy from up north doesn't understand why Hobson blew a gasket when it was obvious to everyone except U1 that the BR was safe. And frankly, neither do I.

I'd like to have that announcer moved up to MLB games - I can't imagine any of the CURRENT crew acknowleding that PU has the best angle on that particular play.

Egads!
 

Rich, what I was trying to elude to with the "old hide" reference was really about the concept of changing an "out" to a "safe".

Hobson is an old hide. Trust me his argument was not about whether the batter runner was safe or out. His argument (and subsequent ejection) was probably based on what he felt was an incompetent job of umpiring by U1.

Again, this appears to be a Cape Cod League game and Hobson is the only person in view that had MLB expereince and was "older". I am sure Hobson has never been a fan of the "new and improved" system of doing everything to "get the call right."

Just this year I have been convinced to teach that even a call of "out" can be reversed if the calling umpire goes for help.

Again, I may be reading this wrong but coaches seledom worry if a runner was actually safe (or out).

I could swear that this hapened last year! Unless I am a time traveler, I saw this over the winter at one of our meetings! Butch Hobson managed a CanAm team called The Nashua Pride out of NH. They are not afiliated with The Cape Cod League as this league is only for invitational NCAA players. I believe Hobson is now with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

Hopbson is with them. Andy Etchebarren is their Hitting Coach. Below is an excerpt from their website:

BUTCH HOBSON, MANAGER
After an extensive search, Southern Maryland Blue Crabs owner Brooks Robinson announced on November 19, 2007 that former Boston Red Sox Manager and third baseman Butch Hobson would be the first-ever Manager and Director of Baseball Operations for the Blue Crabs.

The CanAm league is Indy Pro ball. They use two school guys and one local umpire. I am gathering that U3 was probably the local guy.

Why? Listen, a lot of recent grads are a green as they come. Local guys with college experience have seen a lot more than a first or second year right out of school

Tee defending a coach? Stock up on bottled water and canned goods. :eek:

It's bad umpiring. But I will never understand a coach wanting to go to these lengths on a play he knows the umpires got right. And a coach doing this is simply going to get ejected a lot quicker at the levels I work.

This was the first game of the series. U3 is always the local guy in the first game.

I was also wondering the same. Either the coach had a beef about something else or he and the umpire at first have a "history" and this just was overflow.

Surely, U1 should have seen the bobble, don't know what he was watching, but for the coach to go so overboard with this one umpire - something is unusual.

Notice, he said nothing to the PU who actually made the call on the overturn.


Thanks
David

As a New Englander, it was nice to hear the announcer (bad as he was) say, "The bawl's hit to shawtstup."

Ace

And I love hearing an official being called an "umpiah."


Tim.

My point is that Hobson didn't have a right to argue for so long just because U1 changed his call. I don't see a reversed call as a good reason to argue for so long and so vehemently. It looked to me like the "coach" was just out there to be a problem.

you, sir, are incorrect. the PU is the local in the video. the CanAm league full time guys stay in rotation throughout the season. wherever the rotation is at when they arrive in town dictates where the local guy works that night.

Thanks, I was told otherwise. I knew they rotated. I thought U3 to start was always the local guy.

The PU in the video does not have the body type of a recent PBUC grad.

Who said anything about PBUC Grads? These are most likely proschool grads. They come in all shapes, sizes and ages.

the PU was not an attendee of either school (at least not recently)

I did. :p

It's possible that U2s perspective was a bobble on the exchange.
Maybe F3s habit is to flip the ball from his glove after the out and U2 saw it that way.

The real problem is U3 putting his foot on that base.

U1 made a gross miss, but fixed it. Manager blew up, it happens.

But why would U3 step on that base and not let the manager get to it. If anything, let him cause a good ruckus... his suspension will be longer and he'll look like more of an idiot... hence legitimizing the EJ to begin with.

I'm sure you're not saying the ejection wasn't legitimate prior to the 'base stealing' episode, but that's what it sounds like.

Must be a pro thing because I'm not going to allow an out of control coach to pull up a bag in a game I'm working if I have the opportunity to stop him. And he won't be pushing me off of a bag without a fight..............


Tim.

So you're going to welcome a physical confrontation with a coach?

What did you think was going to happen after coach reached down for the base and then U3 put his foot on top of it? How was this going to end peacefully at that point?

Granted, coach was a lunatic... but don't try to physically stop him from doing something. Then he's going to turn physical on YOU.

butch is not a coach.

I don't look at it as "welcoming" a physical confrontation. But I've never been one to worry about a coach trying to get physically aggressive with me either. I simply don't believe in letting someone put their hands on me. I could never work professional ball because I'd never be able to put up with some of the crap they have to.


Tim.

What level or for what organization do you work that condones, tolerates or encourages umpires to either initiate physical contact or retaliate physically? I know of none.

Indiana Penal..................

Seriously though, if you feel it's alright for a rat to push you around and not defend yourself, that's great. I'm not that compassionate. They can yell at me, kick dirt on me, and act like total idiots around me, but if they were to put their hands on me, all bets are off. And please don't try to make me out to be some fight mongering bruiser on a ball diamond. I don't condone violence, but I do condone self preservation....................


Tim.

I don't think of you as a "fight mongering bruiser", just misguided.

When a player throws a punch at another, and the second player retaliates, we dump them both, right.

Why would you expect any different treatment as an adult umpire?