The Darkest of the Darkside
 

Well folks, it has happened:

71 days after my retirement from umpiring I have been approached to manage (coach) a 30 and over team in the local adult league.

The team is made up of 22 all-stars that did not want to join any other teams.

Who'd of thunk it . . . yrs trly a "RAT" . . . this could be interesting.

Regards,

Advantage
 

Well, you will know all of the Umpires, and you can keep your rats under control and give them some tips

Time for a pool! How many times will Tim get the hook in his managerial debut season of adult babysitting?

I will go with ZERO on the hook pool, since good umps generally know where the line is. However, I wonder if "22 all-stars that did not want to join other teams" is somewhat tongue in cheek..??

My goodness gracious!

Ain't life funny some times?

I'm waiting to see where they set the over/under on how many games before Tim gets dumped.

Knowing where the line is and not crossing it are two different things.

In retrospect, I found coaching much more stressful than umpiring. You'll have to let us know how it goes if you accept the offer.

JM

No disagreement here! I coached youth football, not baseball, but it was enough to make me want to start drinking at times.

Heaven help any umpire that kicks a ruling in one of Tim's games.

I'll start the book, but two things need to be known:

How many games in the season, and how many of the umpires are known to him?

:eek: You know the rules and how to bend them without breaking them. Just remember to let the umpires umpire (which I am sure you will). But above all, if it comes down to "getting the hook", please, please - get your money's worth! (heh, heh, heh!) :D

[QUOTE]HOWEVER, when TEE is coaching he is a COACH not an umpire. Of coarse with Tee's experience he knows the rules and that will help, but his PRIME responsibility should he take the job is to COACH not umpire.

Will he give the men / women in blue a "break" - most likely but in the heat of battle if an official blows one BIG time sometimes it's a natural reaction to argue for your team. However, I think TEE would argue with class as opposed to coming out ala Lou Pinella.

3 separate and DISTINCT functions.

1. Players play meaning you do not want players acting as coaches as that can be disruptive to the team.

2. Coaches COACH meaning THEY are in charge of THEIR team.

3. Umpires Officiate meaning they are in control of the GAME.

Pete Booth

[QUOTE]Happy New Year Tee

If you do come out an argue a call do not give that DREADFUL line that all of us have heard many times.

" You know I am a certified umpire with xxx yrs of experience and you were out of position etc. etc. etc."

I am pretty certain most of us hate it when a coach suddenly turns into Steve Palermo "on the spot"

If you do decide and take the job - come back with some stories.

Pete Booth

The Darkest of the Darkside
 

Never let it be said that God doesn't have a GREAT sense of humor and can take us out of our comfort zone.

Hmmmm.....Head Cheese to Head Rat....
Remember - be a good example. Whatever you do, your players will perceive as being acceptable.

JJ

PS Just what DID you do to get this "honor"? I remember when Michael Jordan gave up basketball to ride the bus and play minor league baseball, and rumor had it that was punishment for something or other...for you to switch from umpire to coach you must've done something REALLY REALLY bad...;)

Just curious. How many of you actually were a manager/head coach (assistant doesn't count)?

It's a whole different world.

Manager of 3 teams.
LL Majors 1973
Babe Ruth 1976 - 1977
Senior Babe Ruth 1978
3 great teams, great kids, hard players.

Some answers
 

I guess I am just pretty well known as an umpire (BTW, I did not umpire any games in Senior Adult EVER). Just being old and someone who knows baseball might have made a difference. One of the Major Awards I won this year was from the Active and Old Timers Associaiton. A lot of these players attend that dinner as it embraces all Oregonians that have played professional baseball.

I could never go that way. I am way to committed to umpiring (remember I am going to be named a lifetime memeber of my local group, I will still teach at the statewide three umpire clinic, I am still the Secretary of the Fed State Baseball Umpire Committee, I am still an editorial member of the NFHS Magazine High School Today and that simple statement bothers me more than any other.)

I hope that I can talk to umpires (all of the umpires that will work these games are my brothers for my local associaiton.) Being they are working OBR I will need to be understanding.

Actually these are the best individual players in the +30 league. They are banding together (BTW, they are all going to wear uniforms they already own from past teams -- kinda like the Arizona Fall League All-Stars -- few of them will match).

I cannot picture a "Bobby Cox" moment IF I select to take on this task.

Regards,