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  #1 (permalink)  
Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 03:04pm
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I had to tell one of my players to lie

Last night my catcher got called out on strikes to end an inning. Since he knows the strikezone so well, I asked him if he thought the pitch was inside. He said, "I thought it was, but I will just try to see if our pitcher can get that call too." During the next half inning, I noticed him having a discussion with PU. After the inning ended, I asked what was being said. He told me that PU had asked him where he thought the pitch was. When he told him he felt like it was inside, PU started to argue with him and told him not to question his judgement. I told him if he is ever asked that again to simply say, "It was a good pitch." I did not bring up the subject with PU at any time during the game, but I feel that if he does not want an honest answer from a player, he should not ask a question.

Any thoughts?
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Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 03:25pm
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Wow, I only work basketball, but this ranks up there as one of the most unprofessional approaches I can imagine. Top five, at least.
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Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 04:39pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaqwells View Post
Wow, I only work basketball, but this ranks up there as one of the most unprofessional approaches I can imagine. Top five, at least.
What part?

Peace
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Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 07:49pm
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Originally Posted by JRutledge View Post
What part?

Peace
The part where he jumped on the catcher for answering a stupid question.
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Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 10:42pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaqwells View Post
The part where he jumped on the catcher for answering a stupid question.
I do not even know why he asked the question. That is why I was wondering what part did you find unprofessional. Then again this is after all one side of the story, so it might not have gone off totally that way. The entire situation seems a little fishy.

Peace
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Old Wed Oct 12, 2011, 08:04am
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As PU, I would never ask that question. If somehow it popped out of my mouth and I didn't get an answer I liked, shame on me.

It's like the umpire that gets through a tough situation, has it defused, then between innings takes it upon himself to bring it back up with coach. Then gets offended when coach says something he doesn't like.
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Old Wed Oct 12, 2011, 10:04am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge View Post
I do not even know why he asked the question. That is why I was wondering what part did you find unprofessional. Then again this is after all one side of the story, so it might not have gone off totally that way. The entire situation seems a little fishy.

Peace
IF the home plate umpire actually asked the question in the first place. More than likely since the catcher had approached the subject in the dugout before taking his place defensively, he probably was the one to bring up the subject behind the dish as well. I very highly doubt the umpire asked the guy that just struck out looking where he thought the pitch was.

Then of course the umpire is going to tell the kid to stop arguing balls and strikes. Especially with the attitude the catcher apparently has ("see if our pitcher gets the same calls"). He's lucky he didn't get ejected right there!
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Last edited by blueump; Wed Oct 12, 2011 at 10:08am.
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Old Wed Oct 12, 2011, 11:49am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge View Post
I do not even know why he asked the question. That is why I was wondering what part did you find unprofessional. Then again this is after all one side of the story, so it might not have gone off totally that way. The entire situation seems a little fishy.

Peace
True enough. One wonders whether the catcher initiated the conversation. Either way, responding with that question seems unprofessional, and the response to the answer even worse. If you don't want to know, don't ask and just remind him not to argue BAS.
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Old Wed Oct 12, 2011, 03:38pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaqwells View Post
The part where he jumped on the catcher for answering a stupid question.
Assuming the F2 is telling the truth. Based on my experiences with teenagers including my son, I thinks not.
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Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 05:30pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snaqwells View Post
Wow, I only work basketball, but this ranks up there as one of the most unprofessional approaches I can imagine. Top five, at least.
I agree. If I ask the catcher where he thought the pitch was, I want to know.
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Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 05:41pm
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I'm missing something here.

Why on Earth would I, as the PU, ask the batter where he thought the pitch was that got him kayed? Yeah, yeah, he's your catcher the next half inning, which is all the more reason not to go there. Nothing good can result in that conversation.

Now, a smart catcher will may say something like, "Man, I guess I was too close to the dish on that one", and let that be it. If the PU wants to add some input, then the catcher can agree, and now you've a happy PU. Happy PU's call more strikes with happy catchers. Good catchers know how to "work" umpires, and vice versa.
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Old Tue Oct 11, 2011, 07:25pm
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I'm only going there if either a) F2 goes there or b) I know F2 is going there, and I can deal with it preemptively.

But I'd never take an approach of snapping back unless something very wrong was said. Hey, I asked the question, I better be able to deal with his answer no matter what he says (at least almost everything he could say).
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Old Fri Oct 14, 2011, 01:49pm
JJ JJ is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harmbu View Post
Last night my catcher got called out on strikes to end an inning. Since he knows the strikezone so well, I asked him if he thought the pitch was inside. He said, "I thought it was, but I will just try to see if our pitcher can get that call too." During the next half inning, I noticed him having a discussion with PU. After the inning ended, I asked what was being said. He told me that PU had asked him where he thought the pitch was. When he told him he felt like it was inside, PU started to argue with him and told him not to question his judgement. I told him if he is ever asked that again to simply say, "It was a good pitch." I did not bring up the subject with PU at any time during the game, but I feel that if he does not want an honest answer from a player, he should not ask a question.

Any thoughts?
"Since he knows the strike zone so well..."
Please. He's either a catcher or an umpire, and usually someone who purports to be both isn't very good at either.

JJ
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Old Fri Oct 14, 2011, 10:54pm
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A GOOD catcher knows a strike when he catches it, and doesn't say anything when he does not get the call for his pitcher, or when marginal pitch is called against him, and he swings at marginal pitches with 2 strikes.
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Old Tue Oct 25, 2011, 07:52pm
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I never intiate that type of conversation. If I feel I missed one bad, I may give them a look maybe an eye roll, and the good ones will know. And a very good one will say nothing. When a coach questions his catcher a great F2 will concur with my call. maybe they have a conversation back in the dugout, but not in the open.

I have had catchers come back out and make a polite comment about a pitch I may have rung them up on. I simply reply "If you were back here you would have wanted that pitch as a strike yourself."

Usually they nod and we move on.
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