Honesty is the best policy?

[fairump]

Originally posted by Striker991
What happened to getting the call right? Obviously, you have to eat some bad calls. Why eat the ones that are obviously wrong that you can change at the Little League level? Besides, the kids are PLAYING A GAME. Or, have you forgotten? Have the umpires now become more important than letting the kids play the game? At the Little League level, an umpire should be a facilitator, at least during the regular season. Remember, we are TEACHING the kids to play the game, among many other positive character traits. Get off your high horse, or you will end up on the wrong end of it.

The words Umpiring and Coaching do not go together in the same breath. (exception is when VERY young kids are involved and the game is NOT competitive in nature but only instructional)

Umpires umpire games and coaches coach it. That is really the point of it isn't it? That is why they are called coaches.

It is the Umpire's RESPONSIBILITY to execute the rules as stated in the rulebook used by the league he is working for, and as interpeted by him. Now things are not always black and white and I understand this.

A kid can learn from both negitive and positive reinforcement you know? He learns when he is sucessful and when he fails. When he is right and when he is wrong. When he wins and when he loses.

This is the way of both LIFE and BASEBALL, and that in my opinion, is what makes baseball so great. When you umpire the sport of baseball, it is your responsibility to adhere to and execute the rules as they read in the rulebook and as you interpete them, period. That is your RESPONSIBILITY.

Last week in a pony game I called, we had a good game going, bottom of the 7th, home team ralleyed 5 runs to tie it 10-10. Had runners on 2nd and 3rd no outs and the pitcher balked. Ask yourself. Would you call it? You HAVE to call it. If you don't, then you should be either coaching or keeping score. It is your RESPONSIBILITY.

Just call the game and don't coach it and you will be a better umpire for it. If you wanna coach then coach. It is a great thing to do and I am sure your league could use a caring coach.

If I was a coach and you were coaching my kids, I would tell you to mind your own business. Think about that!