Is it my duty as a fellow umpire?

[gdc25]

I’m strictly a slow pitch softball umpire. However I am on the UIC staff for my state and always catch myself evaluating umpires whether I’m on duty or just a spectator. My son plays J.V. baseball for his high school and last evening I attended one of his games, and as mentioned I caught myself mentally evaluating the umpires and here is what I had.

Note: I’m admittedly untrained in baseball so I can only give a fans perspective.

Base Umpire:
• Runner on 1b only. Stood w/in 6 inches of the mound and about a foot behind the pitcher. Definitely in the pitchers field of vision.
• Runners on 2b. Positioned himself to where he had to duck on a pick-off attempt at 2b. IMO interfering with the throw.
From a fans perspective (the one sitting 10 feet from me in the stands) “His horrible positioning caused him to miss numerous calls”. From my perspective he really only missed one, a pulled foot that he couldn’t see.

Plate Umpire
•Very obviously new and nervous.
•Used left hand slot for every batter. Surprisingly he didn’t take any off the face mask, however his strike zone was surprising wide on righties ( ) and tight on lefties.
•Had a hand motion for every call, pointing to where balls missed. His signal for a pitch that missed high and outside looked identical to his strike.
•Missed the help on the above mentioned pulled foot. He was already turning to brush the plate when the call was made.

It was obvious that these guys were new and trying to learn but are need in some instruction (and confidence.)

So here’s the question. Is it my duty as a fellow umpire to try to find these guys UIC/Assignor and provide some feedback or do I just leave well enough alone?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by gdc25

So here’s the question. Is it my duty as a fellow umpire to try to find these guys UIC/Assignor and provide some feedback or do I just leave well enough alone?

In general, IMO, no. In this particular case, where bad positioning and poor mechanics seem to have added up to one missed call over the entire game, IMO, no.

In my association, baseball and softball guys work for the same assignor. So if it were me, given the relationship I have with my assignor, I could call him and talk to him about what I saw, if it were really bad.

But my assignor almost always has a better sense of the quality of his umpires than I would have after seeing just one game, so I wouldn't bother unless I had witnessed a major screw-up or mechanics so horrible (BU in the outfield at TOP) that made the association look bad.

And I haven't mentioned the fact that you don't work baseball. We don't care about or build our mechanics around being "in the pitcher's field of view," for example.

So, still, no.

[gdc25]

'swat I thought.


oh and I expected this, so no offense taken.

And I haven't mentioned the fact that you don't work baseball.

I'll go back to adult t-ball now.

[jicecone]

A couple of points to consider.

Had you attended that game as an evaluator and not a parent it may have been a little different.

Had you been a respected veteran baseball official for their assoication or well known within the area it may have been different.

JV baseball is useually the training program for future Var officials.

Otherwise, sit back and enjoy watching your son play ball and NO to your question.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by gdc25

oh and I expected this, so no offense taken.

I certainly intended no offense, and don't think I said anything offensive about you or softball. So I find your implication that you've declined to take offense puzzling.

My point was simply that softball and baseball mechanics do not coincide. It was a point about limited expertise, not a slam on your sport of choice.

[ozzy6900]

Just for the record, the base umpire in baseball, can only interfere with a batted ball, not a throw. As an evaluator, what you described as the BU's position would be considered incorrect.

But as another said, if you are going to your son's game, sit back and enjoy as you will never get those moments back. I used to have bite may tongue in those days also - several times, I had to walk away.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by gdc25

I’m strictly a slow pitch softball umpire. However I am on the UIC staff for my state and always catch myself evaluating umpires whether I’m on duty or just a spectator. My son plays J.V. baseball for his high school and last evening I attended one of his games, and as mentioned I caught myself mentally evaluating the umpires and here is what I had.

Note: I’m admittedly untrained in baseball so I can only give a fans perspective.

Base Umpire:
• Runner on 1b only. Stood w/in 6 inches of the mound and about a foot behind the pitcher. Definitely in the pitchers field of vision.
• Runners on 2b. Positioned himself to where he had to duck on a pick-off attempt at 2b. IMO interfering with the throw.
From a fans perspective (the one sitting 10 feet from me in the stands) “His horrible positioning caused him to miss numerous calls”. From my perspective he really only missed one, a pulled foot that he couldn’t see.

Plate Umpire
•Very obviously new and nervous.
•Used left hand slot for every batter. Surprisingly he didn’t take any off the face mask, however his strike zone was surprising wide on righties ( ) and tight on lefties.
•Had a hand motion for every call, pointing to where balls missed. His signal for a pitch that missed high and outside looked identical to his strike.
•Missed the help on the above mentioned pulled foot. He was already turning to brush the plate when the call was made.

It was obvious that these guys were new and trying to learn but are need in some instruction (and confidence.)

So here’s the question. Is it my duty as a fellow umpire to try to find these guys UIC/Assignor and provide some feedback or do I just leave well enough alone?

I think you should just enjoy the game and say to yourself "Wow, I hope I didn't look that bad when I was a new umpire".

[waltjp]

I find the most enjoyable position to view my daughter's games from is far away from other parents. I never criticize the officials and this usually leads to problems when I'm near the other parents who want to complain about every call, whether justified or, usually not.

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE=gdc25;675963]

I’m strictly a slow pitch softball umpire. However I am on the UIC staff for my state and always catch myself evaluating umpires whether I’m on duty or just a spectator. My son plays J.V. baseball for his high school and last evening I attended one of his games, and as mentioned I caught myself mentally evaluating the umpires and here is what I had.

I am with the others.

You were NOT there as an evaluator and since you are a softball umpire I doubt whether the state would send you to evaluate a baseball official.

You are a spectator and should enjoy the game.

FWIW: Typically in an umpire association the newer umpires do modified / JV. Sounds like this asociation has a shortage because what should happen is that a veteran official is assigned X amount of Modified / JV games so that THEY can evaluate and also help the newer officials. However, sometimes it's not feasable and the modified or JV level gets 2 rookies.

Pete Booth

[JRutledge]

Just watch the game. This is like me going to a soccer game and talking about the positioning of the officials with them from a place of knowledge. I know baseball and softball are similar, but there are different mechanics and different positioning just because of the size of the fields.

I was more shocked that there were two umpires working a lower level game from my point of view. We only have one umpire working those games in my area.

Peace

[billken]

Originally Posted by gdc25

It was obvious that these guys were new and trying to learn but are need in some instruction (and confidence.)

So here’s the question. Is it my duty as a fellow umpire to try to find these guys UIC/Assignor and provide some feedback or do I just leave well enough alone?

Done in the right context, it wouldn't be bad in my opinion. Every umpire should always be open to constructive criticism. If you are demeaning in any way, it would be wrong for you to be involved. If you are truly looking out for their best interest and not your own kids', then it wouldn't hurt to let the assignor know what you saw.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by billken

Done in the right context, it wouldn't be bad in my opinion. Every umpire should always be open to constructive criticism.

Barney, is that you?