"We're not talking about balls and strikes anymore!'

[UmpJM]

I concur with ManInBlue.

The coach WAS talking to his player, not the umpire.

If he says something like, "Keep it there, Jimmy. That was ABSOLUTELY a strike!", THEN he's talking to the umpire.

As described, it sounds like you had a complete redass for an umpire and you were wise to "tread lightly". In my experience, that's really all you can do in that situation. If it's horrible, follow-up with the assignor afterwards.

Or maybe he just had a bad moment and tried to make up for it later by explaining during an inning change.

JM

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

If he says something like, "Keep it there, Jimmy. That was ABSOLUTELY a strike!", THEN he's talking to the umpire.

Exactly. In the OP, coach was telling his pitcher to change; in JM's example, coach was telling the umpire to change. BIG difference.

[BK47]

"Keep it there Jimmy", "That ABSOLUTELY was a strike". I've heard those pharses before too along with "Throw it there again, next time you'll get it" but I often hear that from the players in the field too. I wonder to myself sometimes if when a player says things like that if he is trying to get inside the batters head. Saying stuff like that might make the batter think he needs to swing at the next pitch which works out for the Defense.

Just a thought.

Either way, those are good points to remember. Is the coach talking to his team or is he talking to me?