A LLWS Observation

[GoodwillRef]

Missed a huge check (full swing) swing last night (OH vs HI), the PU asked the ump first base ump and he didn't respond had to ask him twice. Bobby Valentine was all over him...the PU should have gotten the swing it was completely obvious.

[Mrumpiresir]

[QUOTE=KJUmp;690178]

Originally Posted by Mrumpiresir

Fact is,
I haven't seen you post one quantifiable fact, just opinion.

those umpires did not perform well and as a result we will all have to live it down.
Live what down? With whom? Who cares? You think in the next game you work a coach is having LLWS flashbacks as he watches you work the game?

There is no way you can defend their performance.
Go back and read my posts. I haven't said anything about their performance on the field...positive or negative. What I have said is to show them some respect and to stop slamming them.

So, all the criticism is due to the lack of basic umpiring abilities exhibited by some of these guys. I think it has been correctly stated that getting a gig like this, even though they are volunteers,

does not excuse their lack of basic mechanics and rules knowledge.
They call ball, strike, fair, foul, safe and out, they cut into the diamond when the ball is hit to the OF. That's basic LL mechanics, there's nothing lacking. You might not like how they do it...but hey you're not a LL ump.
Lack of rules knowledge? Care to be specific?

If you think this is ok
I'm not their tournament UIC. It's his opinion that matters.

.... well that's a sad statement of the expected qualities of those umpires.[/QUOTE]
And just what are those expected qualities? Obviously they're different than LLBB's.

In a regional game, I don't remember the teams, with a runner on first, a ground ball was hit to the infield. The runner was forced at second and the throw to first went out of play. They awarded the batter - runner third base. WHY?? One of the other five umps should have corrected this. On another play, did you see the first base ump emphatically call the runner out as the ball sailed past the fielder? Extremely bad timing. A batter was walked on ball three. Routine calls badly missed. The list goes on. Have you not been watching? We have to live this down because we are all "Brothers in Blue" and what they do reflects on all of us. These are not just opinion.

[asdf]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

In a regional game, I don't remember the teams, with a runner on first, a groound ball was hit to the infield. The runner was forced at second and the throw to first went out of play. They awarded the batter - runner third base. WHY?? One of the other five umps should have corrected this. On another play, did you see the first base ump emphatically call the runner out as the ball sailed past the fielder? Extremely bad timing. A batter was walked on ball three. Routine calls badly missed. The list goes on. Have you not been watching? We have to live this down because we are all "Brothers in Blue" and what they do reflects on all of us. These are not just opinion.

I especially enjoy "foul ball" being bellowed out by the plate umpire as the ball is rolling back down the screen behind the plate.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

Why do they use 6 anyways...the homerun is only 120 feet away.

225. I've worked in the outfield on a small diamond. On balls hit to center field, you're still a long way away. And many crews will *not* send out U2 because they're afraid U3 won't rotate up to second so you get an umpire running away from a baseball instead of simply turning and ruling on the ball in the outfield. Everything is dumbed down for no good reason.

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

Another missed call last night in the Ohio/Hawaii game at second base...these calls aren't that hard move to get an angle.

They are when the umpires don't have the baseball sense to take a few quick steps and a lean where necessary.

What you see on TV is not what you see everywhere, BTW. When our top district umpires (who all either worked or still work the WIAC, NAC, etc.) have a coach come out and ask for a kumbaya gathering, we tell them it isn't going to happen and that's the end of it. When I work on the bases, I stay outside the diamond as much as possible, including plays at second (unless the ball is hit to straight-away center field). I'm guessing we're not the typical district, though -- although after the top 5-6 umpires, we probably are.

5 of us in the district (not me, although I worked a Senior Regional -- I haven't applied to go to the LL regional cause I prefer working on a normal sized diamond) have worked a LL (majors) regional and one worked the LLWS. 1 of those assignments was a gold watch assignment. 3 of the other 4 worked plates in the regional final and the fourth worked U1 (and should've had a plate, but typical LL politics got in the way).

[Rich]

Originally Posted by asdf

I especially enjoy "foul ball" being bellowed out by the plate umpire as the ball is rolling back down the screen behind the plate.

I enjoy (even more) watching the base umpires thrust their hands up like someone has a gun in their back on foul balls to the screen. I've worked with umpires that do this while I'm handing the catcher another baseball.

[Rich]

In a regional game, I don't remember the teams, with a runner on first, a ground ball was hit to the infield. The runner was forced at second and the throw to first went out of play. They awarded the batter - runner third base. WHY?? One of the other five umps should have corrected this. On another play, did you see the first base ump emphatically call the runner out as the ball sailed past the fielder? Extremely bad timing. A batter was walked on ball three. Routine calls badly missed. The list goes on. Have you not been watching? We have to live this down because we are all "Brothers in Blue" and what they do reflects on all of us. These are not just opinion.

I've read the account of the umpire working first (who actually should've known the location of the BR TOT, since he would've watched the release from F4 to read the throw before focusing on the call at first). Being on TV keeps a lot of people from stepping up, I think.

Truth is, an award of third on this play should be so rare that eyebrows should've immediately raised when the award was made.

Enough bashing. Time to start work for the day. First FB game tonight.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

Lack of rules knowledge? Care to be specific?

While I applaud your "show them some respect" mantra - surely you can't be serious here... are you watching? Are you reading here? My brother knows that it takes 4 balls to walk a batter, and he knows the base awards... and he's not umpired his first game yet. It's not like these guys have had to deal with one of the TWP's we post here and argue about, or a typical cluster-F that an 8U umpire deals with every week. The rules they have screwed up, and the mechanics they have completely botched are elementary.

[LMan]

[QUOTE=Mrumpiresir;690210]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

One of the other five umps

This still makes me chuckle.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

While I applaud your "show them some respect" mantra - surely you can't be serious here... are you watching? Are you reading here? My brother knows that it takes 4 balls to walk a batter, and he knows the base awards... and he's not umpired his first game yet. It's not like these guys have had to deal with one of the TWP's we post here and argue about, or a typical cluster-F that an 8U umpire deals with every week. The rules they have screwed up, and the mechanics they have completely botched are elementary.

I've lost track of the count before, so I won't crawl up their butts for that. Anyone who hasn't lost a ball or rung up strike two either hasn't been doing this long or is lying.

And in terms of mechanics, I can't agree more. They'll dutifully pivot in unnecessarily on a clean hit, but can't bother to take a quick step or two and lean in order to get the right angle on an actual play.

I'm afraid replay will actually lower the expectations of LL -- they'll be happy to bring even more terrible people to the WS (You managed the concession stand for 30 years? Well, we contract that function out in WP and pay for it (imagine that), but would you like to umpire? No, no real experience necessary. We bring retired DAs all the time.)

[zm1283]

My favorite mechanic is the bounding foul ball down the line that hits up against the fence. Meanwhile, the base umpire on that line or the outfield umpire is throwing his hands up and pointing foul like it was a foot from the line and he needs to sell it. Guys, if it's obvious there is no reason to sell it. Everyone in the park and watching on TV knows it was foul.

[GoodwillRef]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I've lost track of the count before, so I won't crawl up their butts for that. Anyone who hasn't lost a ball or rung up strike two either hasn't been doing this long or is lying.

And in terms of mechanics, I can't agree more. They'll dutifully pivot in unnecessarily on a clean hit, but can't bother to take a quick step or two and lean in order to get the right angle on an actual play.

I'm afraid replay will actually lower the expectations of LL -- they'll be happy to bring even more terrible people to the WS (You managed the concession stand for 30 years? Well, we contract that function out in WP and pay for it (imagine that), but would you like to umpire? No, no real experience necessary. We bring retired DAs all the time.)

The one black shirt and 5 light blues ones are killing me...and if i see one more darn goatee or beard on an umpire I am going to scream. Can't shave your mutt for 2 weeks at the LLWS...seriously!

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

if i see one more darn goatee or beard on an umpire I am going to scream.

I've never understood this particular bias. There's nothing inherently incompatible about facial hair and umpiring. In fact, once I started wearing a goatee, I received far more respect from coaches than I did when I was clean shaven.

[GoodwillRef]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

I've never understood this particular bias. There's nothing inherently incompatible about facial hair and umpiring. In fact, once I started wearing a goatee, I received far more respect from coaches than I did when I was clean shaven.

It is just the way it is! It killed me when Jim Joyce was wearing a goatee...looks horrible. Maybe you just became a better umpire...it wasn't because you grew facial hair.

[GoodwillRef]

What is up with the red undershirts under the jackets that are black with light blue and white stripes...that looks stupid!

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

It is just the way it is! It killed me when Jim Joyce was wearing a goatee...looks horrible. Maybe you just became a better umpire...it wasn't because you grew facial hair.

Actually, it was. My thought is that I looked about 15 clean shaven and about 23 with the goatee, but it changed the way coaches interacted with me for the better.

Again, there's nothing inherently incompatible about umpiring and facial hair, even if you don't like it.