Pre-game umpire conference

[SanDiegoSteve]

A, B, C, D...E through Z, the center field bleachers...it doesn't matter. I can tell if a player offered at a pitch from just about anywhere. Anybody that says something like "you can't tell from there" is a moron and should just pack up their gear and go away.

[BK47]

I'd like to mirror jdmara, you cant fix stupid and unfortunately you cant shoot them either.

I've only been umpiring for 5 years, and with every new partner I get, wheather they are new themselves or a mulity-year vet, I always do a pregame. I have been able to learn from the vets and have been able to teach the newbees as well. I feel my game has gotten better with learning from others as well as my past mistakes. But you guys are correct, trying to do a pregame with some is hard. Some think they know it all and can not benefit from a little pregame reasurance. And when you do talk with them about some simple coverages they just look at you like "No Sh*t" but when the game gets going that exact coverage brakes down somehow.

As for help on check swings, I will tell my partner to give me what he has. I am not so damn hung up on myself that he "MUST" agree with me. If I missed it call it, but he better call what he has, not to just agree with me, thats all I ask.

[David B]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

A, B, C, D...E through Z, the center field bleachers...it doesn't matter. I can tell if a player offered at a pitch from just about anywhere. Anybody that says something like "you can't tell from there" is a moron and should just pack up their gear and go away.

Thank you, could not have said it more clearly. When we work three man I always say the best place to see it is from D.

The only reason you hear stupid coaches say "you can't tell from there" is because there are dumb umpires who have told them, "i can't see it from there".

Thanks
David

[DG]

I have never had a partner who refused a pre-game. If I have someone with many years experience who I have not worked with I will go through my standard pre-game and most of the time they just nod and say OK, or occasionally ask a question, or offer suggestion. If I have worked with the same partner many times I don't go through the motion. I know what he will do and he knows what I will do.