The Smitty Chronicles

[aceholleran]

Loved Tuss' Smitty thread. It made me think of incompetent or over-the-hill officials I have known.

The ones who pi$$ me off most are the shopworn vets who love to dispense advice.

There was a guy in my area who was the best ump around--all you had to do was ask him. He came to spectate at a HS game I was doing and chastised me between innings for wearing a watch. I didn't take it off. After the game he asked me how I dare defy him. I calmly said, "Well, sport, if I take your advice and really follow it, I'll end up being just as mediocre as you are."

I knew a similar guy who did hoops. I was on his board. Once I watched him do a key state game where he totally botched a player DQ. At the next meeting, the same ref went into a longish screed about fouling-out procedure, citing his own botched work (but not referring to himself). I knew I was leaving the board soon, so I stood up and asked, "Hey Frank--who worked that game?" He sat down, speechless, and the room cracked up.

I worked on that same board with a sharp, young ref who couldn't BUY a varsity game. So he quit, went to a camp and was doing D-2 college a couple of years later. I watched him do a game in my area and one of the board honchos came up to me and said, "Hey Ace, isn't that Harry Refname out there?" After I assented, he said, "But he's a jayvee official!"

I said, "Not anymore."



Ace

[BigUmp56]

I'm curious as to why you'd feel the need to wear a watch during a game. They guy could have been a total douche bag for the most part, but he was right on this point.


Tim.

[Tom H.]

Well the official that you speak of may have been incompetent or over-the-hill, but he was right about taking off the watch.
I would also add that IMHO your attitude and response was rude, crass and uncalled for.
You know, someday YOU will be considered the "incompetent or over-the-hill" guy by some "newbe".
Very distastefull to me.

[BigUmp56]

In Ace's defense, Tom, I have to say his response wasn't all that uncalled for given what the guy said to him.

Originally Posted by aceholleran

After the game he asked me how I dare defy him.

Ace

That's an invite for a terse response.


Tim.

[canadaump6]

I do not think it is fair for us to refer to poor umpires as "smitty", because it reflects negatively on coaches and implies that most coaches are not up to the task.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I do not think it is fair for us to refer to poor umpires as "smitty", because it reflects negatively on coaches and implies that most coaches are not up to the task.

Please explain. Maybe it's a language thing between Canadian English and idioms and American English and idioms.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I do not think it is fair for us to refer to poor umpires as "smitty", because it reflects negatively on coaches and implies that most coaches are not up to the task.

ahhh heck its Friday, I'll play

How does the word 'Smitty' refer to coaches? Too much Labatt's last night, eh, cd?

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I do not think it is fair for us to refer to poor umpires as "smitty", because it reflects negatively on coaches and implies that most coaches are not up to the task.

I have no idea what you're saying, but I'll try to respond.

You can be a poor umpire and not a smitty. Its really not hard, take advice, wear a proper uniform, and have an inquiry as the rules of the game and the mechanics.

You could miss every call in a given game and not be a smitty. Just a bad umpire.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I do not think it is fair for us to refer to poor umpires as "smitty", because it reflects negatively on coaches and implies that most coaches are not up to the task.

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

I have no idea what you're saying, but I'll try to respond.

You can be a poor umpire and not a smitty. Its really not hard, take advice, wear a proper uniform, and have an inquiry as the rules of the game and the mechanics.

You could miss every call in a given game and not be a smitty. Just a bad umpire.

CD, here in the US, a Smitty will wear his hat backwards at the plate, wear his shin guards on the outside of his pants, and have a ball bag full of seeds. On the bases, he will brush off the pitcher's plate, brush off the bases, and flash the count back to the PU. As Tuss stated, it is not the bad umpire that is the Smitty. And Smitty has no references to coaches, it is strictly pointed to umpires.

[Adam]

Why do I doubt that "smitty" used the word "defy" in his query?

[canadaump6]

I always thought a "Smitty" referred to a coach, and that umpires used it as a synonym for "rats". Now it seems it is a term used solely to describe umpires with a bad attitude.

[zebra2955]

How did that name originate? "smitty "

[mick]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I always thought a "Smitty" referred to a coach, and that umpires used it as a synonym for "rats". Now it seems it is a term used solely to describe umpires with a bad attitude.

Oops !!! Ya got that rear-end to.
I don't think attitude comes into play for them, unless they just don't care about their appearance on the field.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I always thought a "Smitty" referred to a coach, and that umpires used it as a synonym for "rats". Now it seems it is a term used solely to describe umpires with a bad attitude.

Not bad attitudes necessarily, but many bad habits which they believe to be the proper way of doing something and refuse to listen to anyone who tries to correct them. Ozzy gave a good partial list of things that identify "Smitty."

[aceholleran]

Originally Posted by Tom H.

Well the official that you speak of may have been incompetent or over-the-hill, but he was right about taking off the watch.
I would also add that IMHO your attitude and response was rude, crass and uncalled for.
You know, someday YOU will be considered the "incompetent or over-the-hill" guy by some "newbe".
Very distastefull to me.

I KNEW some of youse would jump all over me for wearing a watch. Why can't you cull through this to the actual point of the post?

Thois is my problem with the board--too many of you try to rip a post apart without getting to its crux.

When do YOU go to a game you are not working, and, during the game, walk up to an official and give him grief--for anything--much less something as minor as wearing a watch. BTW, he was not my assignor, an officer on the board... nuttin'.

Jeeze, Louise.

Ace