Asking for Help

[constable]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

Spence,

Good question.

That's why I put all the "ands" in. Most of the time a coach asks me if I would get help, I just tell him, "No, Bob, I saw everything I needed to."

But every now and then you get straightlined or your vision gets obstructed and you make a call. You can tell by the reaction of the team that benefited that you DID "kick it". Your partner is trying to make eye contact and keeps taking his hat off. The coach asks for time, and politely and without insulting you asks if you would mind checking with your partner.

Sometimes it's the right thing to do.

Oh, and on a check swing appeal request, I ALWAYS go to my partner.

JM

That's good because according to ORB, you have too.

Rule 9.02(c) Comment: The manager or the catcher may request the plate umpire to ask his partner
for help on a half swing when the plate umpire calls the pitch a ball, but not when the pitch is called a
strike. The manager may not complain that the umpire made an improper call, but only that he did not
ask his partner for help. Field umpires must be alerted to the request from the plate umpire and quickly
respond. Managers may not protest the call of a ball or strike on the pretense they are asking for
information about a half swing.
Appeals on a half swing may be made only on the call of ball and when asked to appeal, the home
plate umpire must refer to a base umpire for his judgment on the half swing. Should the base umpire call
the pitch a strike, the strike call shall prevail.

[kylejt]

If a manager calls me Blue, Mr. Umpire, ( do like Your Majesty, though) or any other standard moniker, it just means they didn't bother to remember my name at the plate meeting. If they use "Hey Kyle,....", it meant they were paying attention, and my plate meeting wasn't a waste of time. To me, it means something.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by constable

That's good because according to ORB, you have too.

I suppose you mean OBR. In FED there's no such requirement, so it's saying something when JM announces that he always checks.

[JRutledge]

I am old school with a new school feel. I cannot stand the "get it right at all cost" philosophy. It drives me crazy that umpires every situation feel they need to ask for help. No other sport spends that much time trying to get help on every situation. For one we are not always looking at the same thing and we should not be looking at the same time. And I am with Rich, I hate umpires that cannot refuse a request for "help" from a coach. When it is not appropriate or I know my partner cannot help, I am not asking for help. And yes I have refused requests for checked swings when it is obvious there was no such call that needs to be made. But then again I do not do what the pack does and some reason I have been fine most of my career. We worry way too much about what coaches think when they clearly have an agenda.

Peace

[David B]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I am old school with a new school feel. I cannot stand the "get it right at all cost" philosophy. It drives me crazy that umpires every situation feel they need to ask for help. No other sport spends that much time trying to get help on every situation. For one we are not always looking at the same thing and we should not be looking at the same time. And I am with Rich, I hate umpires that cannot refuse a request for "help" from a coach. When it is not appropriate or I know my partner cannot help, I am not asking for help. And yes I have refused requests for checked swings when it is obvious there was no such call that needs to be made. But then again I do not do what the pack does and some reason I have been fine most of my career. We worry way too much about what coaches think when they clearly have an agenda.

Peace

Good point. Too many umpires that I run into spend way too much time worrying about what a "coach" wants.

A coach only wants a couple things, to win and get the next call to go his way.

thanks
David