Perception or Reality

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by jicecone

At what point in your officiating do you separate reality from perception? Then having made that line in the sand, how much liberty do you take to convince yourself, (let alone others), that you made the correct call. Your job as an official is to do everything possible to make the right call, ALL the time. Are there exceptions? NO. Does s**T happen? You bet.

I have seen too many officials with a lackluster lazy attitude, that think going through the motions is exceptable. Don't want to work to hard to become better but, are always the first in line when the money comes out. In fact that is the only reason they are there. I have had to work as a partner and be embarassed of the teams performance because of those types. I have also assigned and listened to many of coaches stories about how they feel when they see this type of official show up. They begin praying.

Maybe your the type that is there to impress someone and looking to be accepted by the boys. Maybe your an ex player from the league and have this need to be everyone's friend, still and never piss off any of your buddies.

I have worked with them all and by far the one's I remember the most and the one's that have gone the farthest, have earned it by working hard to get the call right.

Mike C, I don't know a single thing about your officiating but when the player is safe, he is safe. Get it!

Does that apply to strikes and balls? Sitch: Pitcher throws big 12-6 breaking ball that crosses the plate knee high and dives into the dirt. You consistently call that a strike? Sitch: Catcher sets up well inside and the pitch crosses the outside corner of the plate belt high causing the catcher to lunge at it.

You call both of those strikes? Because if you do, I'd venture a guess that you're in a minority of the posters on this site.

Ever given the "in the neighborhood" out call on the play at second that starts a double play? Or do you always make sure F6 has touched the bag while in firm and secure possession of the ball before releasing it.

And enough with the psychoanalysis. It's not a question of "ego" or "needing to impress someone" its trying to find the fine line between the art of umpiring and the science of umpiring.

In reading some of these posts by the amateur Freuds, who have no clue about who or what their talking about, the only psychological concept that comes to my mind is "projection".