When you arrive at a game site....
 

I was just wondering, how many of you go the the field in your street clothes to let the Host Manager/Head Coach or AD or TD know you're there and then go get geared up and come back? As a standard practice, I mean. Is it level dependent?

Please comment on your answer if you choose to participate in the poll.

Thanks.

JM

High school and college, always.

Summer ball, it depends. I still voted that it's my standard practice.

Nomally, I will let the home coach know I am on-site. If I'm not really familiar with the team (which is rare), I will wear an association hat, otherwise I wear nothing but street clothes. If I arrive after my partner, I will always ask him if he's made contact with the coach. If not, I do.

Chuck

High school playoffs- yes.

All others - no.

(I can probably say yes to college when I start doing college games this year)

For big games with a crew, yes. For most others, the umpires are on the field ready to go at the proper times. Our policy was to step on the field no later than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Here, if you don't show for a game or are late, your butt is in a sling really quick. The HS coaches just assume you are going to be there. I know some coaches that if you came up to the field (usually a long way from the parking lot around here), and told them you were here, they would look at you funny and say, "so, good for you!"

It is expected of us by all three of the associations....
 

I work for and by the coaches. Plus it is good manners. I have called the AD or coach's cell when I got there from parking lot IF the parking lot was far from the game field AND I had worked there before (high school only).

College associations require us to be there one hour before game, dressed to impress (jacket and t-neck or tie and dress pants shoes. No sweats/jeans, ever) from JUCO/NAIA to D-1 and report to head coach/AD/game management personnel that we have arrived.

I usually try to get to the site at least an hour before game time.
I usually know if I am on the dish or bases. So I get dressed then go to the field
and tell the HC that I am here.

Allan

poll....
 

99 times out of 100, I let them know as soon as I arrive, then I go get dressed. However, when I do Little League games, the managers have the decision to make if a field is playable or not (rain) up until we have the plate meeting. Then it's the umpries call. If I know a field will not be playable, and these managers are too scared to make that call, I will mention that if it goes to a plate meeting, that the game will be called on account of playing conditions. Then I don't have to bother getting dressed at all!!

Similar to Allan for the big games and like Steve said most of the time.

First of all, I am conditioned by Southern California navigating to be over an hour early, just because of contingencies. So, I'm never struggling to gear up in a hurry, and I'm never hitting the field later than the 15 minute mark. Now, as far as my partners go ... If I don't see my partner before the half-hour mark, and I even begin to put on a piece of plate gear, then I work the plate.

Yes for all college and all HS playoffs.

Yes for all HS if I get there in time (As CoachJM knows, it's sometimes tough to be "early" for a 4:00 game.)

I foregor this if I'm running "late" and / or the field is far from the parking lot (Lake Park, South Elgin come to mind)

Yes for HS, no for Summer & Fall.

Yes, I always let mgt know I am there, but usually by pulling Tim C's Equipment trailer with a flashing red light on top of it!

HS: Always
College: The attendant who lets us in the locker room alerts the skipper that we've arrived.

if you have a school that lets you change in the locker room...LOL A ot of the schools out here in Missouri and all of the JUCO school i did in Northern Cali did not have a locker room for us... So i did go and tell the coach I was here. Most of the HS games I did not say anything.

At all levels ("youth" ball through Legion), if it's practical, I'll inform the home coach.

I find that it is increasingly not practical at most fields I have been working.

at most HS games I get dressed in the parking lot, do pre-game with my partner and then go to the field and introduce ourselves. If I can get there early, I will let the coach know before I get dressed.

Not usually in these parts. We're expected to be there, and on the field 15 minutes before the game starts.

It's required in the JUCO conference I work, but for anything else, no.

Always do for HS and college, gives them no excuse to not have completed infield or have their pitcher ready to go.

This is my first year working in Missouri, but when I worked in Virginia I never informed anyone. We were always within view of the field. In addition, being out in the open while changing it was kinda hard to miss us.

On the instance we had a walk, we would always get to the field a little early (dressed) and sneak through the concession stand for a cold one to take on the field.

I always let the coach/AD/site administrator know that I am there as soon as I arrive.
My only exception is the few wreck league games I may work during a slower time in the HS/College world.

The last two options of the poll are interchangable. The poll has no value.

Then add those two together, and then it has value. :D

You must be new to the English language and you certainly are no pollster.

Maybe if he had just taken out the last option, because the last option could go with the second last one, and it could go with any of the other ones.

I'm pretty sure they speak english in his part of Canada.

That said, no one claimed that the poll was designed to be "valid" or "scientific." I see a difference between the last two answers, but if someone else doesn't then they don't need to act on the information in the poll. <shrug>

I see a difference between the last two...
 

The last option-"Why would I do that?" is for the clueless or the absolute neophytes to umpiring.

The next to last is for those who do not need to let anyone know or just don't care.

At least that is the way I see it.

My two cents. Your mileage may vary.

I voted for Not usually, but I've done it for big games., but I don't see what you mean about "Why would I do that?" indicating cluelessness or a rank beginner's answer. I nearly answered it that way, because very rarely would I even consider doing that. It is not mandated (the last I knew) here, and most fields are a long walk from any parking area. Plus, we are expected to be there, and the coaches really would say "Good for you" if we reported in like Gomer Pyle to Sergeant Carter.

I also don't see how saying that it is "not my practice" is the same as "I just don't care." It just isn't necessary in many areas. There is no shame in NOT letting the coaches know you've arrived. Perhaps if an area has trouble getting umpires to show up for games, then it would be a great idea. As I said earlier, if you don't show for a game around here, you're pretty much done.

I do it at every HS game,