Umpire "Etiquette"

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by LMan

Same here. After my shoulder surgery limited my range of motion, I don't throw balls to the pitcher or catch them, either. That's what the catcher is there for, and that way I'm not embarrassed if I zing one to the shortstop by mistake

I've hardly ever thrown a ball back to F1 when behind the plate (I might, as JM mentioned, do it when the situation puts me within 10 feet of him), and I can count the number of times on one hand, usually when F2 decides to go pick up a fouled-back ball.

In my second year of umpiring, I was the BU for a youth league (I believe it was 13- or 14-year-olds). After the plate meeting, PU went to throw the ball to AT's F1 to start warm-ups. He got F1's attention, and as he was throwing it, F1's coach yelled to him. There was no time to react, and PU tossed it into F1's "athletic supporter area". Thankfully, he was wearing a cup.