Help with abbreviations

[Rufus]

Originally Posted by greymule

Remember "can o' corn"? Anybody know the origin?

I believe this harkens back to the days when canned goods were stacked up high on shelves in general stores. Customers would indicate what they wanted and clerks would use some kind of pincers to pick the top can off the stack and catch it as it came down.

The part I was unaware of until I looked it up was: The reason a can of corn was considered the easiest "catch" is that corn was the best selling vegetable in the store and so was heavily stocked on the lowest shelves.

[MrUmpire]

Rat is a term used by confident umpires at all levels, including the very highest professional levels, who have been exposed to those coaches who think lying and cheating are acceptable forms of lobbying and who are always whining for a little cheese.

Umpires who have not been so exposed should consider themselves lucky.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

"Rat" is a term used by those who have never had the joy of coaching their son or daughter. When used, it speaks volumes about their insecurities and lack of respect for the game.

Completely untrue. I have coached. When I coached, I was a rat too. If you can get a crumb, as a coach, you'll get the crumb. I respect the game tremendously, but also understand that coaches will use whatever they can to get an edge, and will profess to not know something if it benefits them... i.e. a rat.

[jophyal]

A ball is a ball and a strike is a strike... a RAT is a RAT.

[greymule]

Re: can o' corn

I heard basically the same story, Rufus, with the added detail that the grocer would use his apron to catch the can and thus couldn't miss.

The narrators in some of the old highlight films use the term "shoot a cripple," as in, "Musial shoots a cripple for a double to right center." I believe that the term originated with something Ty Cobb said.

Now the narrator would be instructed to say, "Shoots a differently abled."

[MikeStrybel]

I feel sorry for those of you who qualify all coaches as being less than you. Misplaced arrogance is in evidence with such posts.

If all you experience are coaches who have problems with your calls then you may want to invest in a mirror. If you are worried that a coach is trying to get an advantage over an opponent then you should hang up the gear. Considering the insecurity displayed towards other officials by some of you it is not surprising that coaches are a threat.

I learned long ago that the best compliment a coach gave me was worth exactly the same as when he barked after I made a call that went against his team. Coaches are only rats to those who blow calls consistently and need someone to blame.

I coach my son because I want him to revere the game, be safe and have fun. I umpire because someone taught me the same things long ago.

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Completely untrue. I have coached. When I coached, I was a rat too. If you can get a crumb, as a coach, you'll get the crumb. I respect the game tremendously, but also understand that coaches will use whatever they can to get an edge, and will profess to not know something if it benefits them... i.e. a rat.

I'm sorry you considered yourself to be a rat when coaching your child(ren). I hope they didn't see you behave inappropriately towards an umpire, opposing coach or player.

I take great pains to separate my umpiring from my coaching. Harboring animosity towards another adult who is doing their job is a waste of time. I expect that the umpires I see working my son's 11U team will make mistakes. Hell, I worked a college game the other day; after the final out the catcher turned to me and said, "Nice game, Blue. You only missed three pitches. That's better than we've seen all year." I smiled and said, "Nah, I missed two. Thanks for keeping me safe." Coaches should be no more perfect than umpires. I keep trying but still haven't called a flawless game. I don't expect to coach one either.

[pastordoug]

And here is some for our "senior" umps such as myself

LOL: Living on Lipitor
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
ROFL ..... CGU: Rolling on the Floor Laughing .... and Can't Get Up!

Not sure where my wife came up with these but might get a laugh!

[MikeStrybel]

L2L, N2T = Line to Line and Nose to Toes (the strike zone employed at my son's 11U games last weekend)

[DG]

I don't know where the term came from, but RATS are uncivilized and always want the cheese and will die trying to get it. Seems appropriate for some coaches, but I have met many who are not RATS.

[MrUmpire]

The term, Rats as applied to some managers/coaches and players goes back decades. It started in pro ball with umpires who are not insecure.

It is not applied to all managers/coaches or players. It is not applied to those who lobby appropriately for their team or simply disagree with calls. It refers to the type of coacb/manager whose lobbying involves outright lying and cheating.

I have heard MLB, MiLB, D-1, D-111, JUCO, Varsity and LL umpire use the term appropriately.

If it offends the sensibilities of umpires who are fortunate enough to have never been exposed to a Rat, they should simply not adopt its use. No one will ever force them to say the "R" word.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

"Rat" is a term used by those who have never had the joy of coaching their son or daughter. When used, it speaks volumes about their insecurities and lack of respect for the game.

This made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that.

[MikeStrybel]

As an umpire, I earned my thick skin long ago. I don't call players, coaches and administrators names and don't tolerate it in kind. I have not encountered a reason to hold a grudge against any of them in the many years I have worked ball games. I find it funny that anyone thinks that coaches should behave better than they do.

The rules of baseball at all levels allow us to penalize cheaters. Do your job.

The rules say nothing about lying. I can only think of a few things that a coach could misrepresent the truth about that concern me and most of these involve player safety. If his lie breaks a rule then I do my job.

Over the years, I have met several umpires who work or worked MLB. One regaled me with stories of Billy Martin and Earl Weaver that would make a nun cringe. Though he despised some of their behavior, he held the utmost respect for them. I have never forgotten that lesson. It is what I teach my son and his team and how I conduct myself with the coaches I encounter while umpiring.

I have encountered my share of coaches who behaved badly. The best umpires know how to focus and behave without being compelled to ridicule others and hold grudges. Some of the best taught me that and it has served me well.

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

The term, Rats as applied to some managers/coaches and players goes back decades. It started in pro ball with umpires who are not insecure.

It is not applied to all managers/coaches or players. It is not applied to those who lobby appropriately for their team or simply disagree with calls. It refers to the type of coacb/manager whose lobbying involves outright lying and cheating.

I have heard MLB, MiLB, D-1, D-111, JUCO, Varsity and LL umpire use the term appropriately.

If it offends the sensibilities of umpires who are fortunate enough to have never been exposed to a Rat, they should simply not adopt its use. No one will ever force them to say the "R" word.

To me it is a title that's "earned" if you will. I've worked many games with coaches who, shall we say, lobbied assertively, but thankfully few who would qualify as rats.

[MikeStrybel]

While I can appreciate the need for some to disparage others who make them look bad, I am troubled by umpires who think it is okay to name call. If it is appropriate in your world to name call coaches, do you also do it to your partners when they aren't up to your standards? While no one is forcing you to use the term 'rat', I prefer to teach others the ways to improve the game and themselves. Kids learn from what they see and hear. So, too, do younger umpires. Name calling is unacceptable in most professions. Unless you are a comic or work for the WWE, it simply makes you look insecure.