Arrogance and Being "Bigger than the Game"

[Rich]

[QUOTE=PeteBooth;539214]

Ozzy you hit the "nail on the head". Until the "old guard" fianlly calls it quits and the new corps of young umpires takes over this will be the perception.

I believe this type of scenario happened when we were young also. It takes time.

For the most part IMO the coaches have been "spoon fed" by the old vets

It starts right away during the equipment check. Many of the old vets do not even bother checking the equipment in the first place and then when a young rookie starts checking equipment and tossing out a few "bats and hats" "right away' the coach thinks that he is arrogant and he is simply doing his job.

Then there is this "bucket business" Many of the old vets (to appease the coaches and get good ratings in other words kiss their yoo know what) turned a blind eye and when a young umpire trys to tell a coach that he can sit on the bucket as long as he is DBT, again the coaches say that this umpire is arrogant.

In Summary: IMO, it's the "old guard" that caused this type of descrimination in the first place because they became complacent and did not want to upset "the apple cart" and when a new young umpire is simply doing their job they appear arrogant.

Pete Booth

The young guys become the old guard. I was once a young guy. I'm not anymore. The old guys still think I'm young and the new guys look like teenagers. (I look young for my age, but I'm in my 22nd school year of working high school sports.)

TCB and doing the right things has nothing to do with age. It has to do with your philosophy and with what's important to you as an umpire or as an association.

[aceholleran]

I'm pretty sure that I am the only poster here who has worked with Tuss, and I have read this thread with interest.

I don't have time to address specific pernts with all the respondents, but I will tell you this: If I were the Big Cheese, I would have no trouble with assinging--and would promote--this arbiter to HS varsity immediately... and eventually above. Hustle, a calm demeanor and commitment are top-notch, for starters. Tell me how many of these qualities you wouldn't love to drive into the crania of some of the folks with whom you work.

I'm asking this august body to trust me and take my 31 years of work into account. This ain't about me. Tuss "has it," and the years will prove this out, if he chooses to stay on.

The only caveat: He's intelligent. As one MLB umpire told me, "They don't want you to be too smart."

Ace

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by aceholleran

The only caveat: He's intelligent.

Ace

Care to call up my history professor and tell him that And as always Ace, wonderful verbiage.

On a serious note, thanks to all responders: I will do some self reflection this fall and see if any of this other stuff may be true about my game. Maybe I'll even find somebody to tape me work.

Back to the books on this rainy day...

[Nigel Tufnel]

A couple things to remember.
Anything like Varsity HS or Connie Mack/Legion ball, these guys will test your patience.
Anything below, coaches usually are not paid to manage and their lack of rules and knowledge of the game will surface...shrug those things off and go enjoy a cold one...

No one said that this was going to be easy...keep working hard on the diamond and get that degree for backup...

[tcarilli]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

...I will do some self reflection this fall and see if any of this other stuff may be true about my game...

Better words could not have been written for all of us. All criticisms should be, at least initially, treated as having some truth value. If after reflection (the amount of which has a great deal of variation) one decides that the criticism is not valid, then dismiss it. Umpires (in fact anyone) do themselves great harm by immediately dismissing criticism out of hand. And even worse by starting a response with "yeah, but..." Yeah butters rarely advance very rapidly or very far.