40-0!

[jicecone]

Just had a 19-0 mercy game on Sat. Hm team up to bat with one out remaining and then the Vis. got their last chance. Pitch comes in on the ground 2ft outside zone. I call strike and batter say's "that was kind of wide blue", I say, "then your probably not going to like the next strike either, swing the bat please". He does and strikes out.

I tell him at the end of the inning that I knew that was his third trip to the plate that inning and we needed to move the game along. He turns around, looks at me and says " Im cool with that Blue".

Sometimes you just have to umpire!

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by jicecone

Sometimes you just have to umpire!

While I agree with your statement, I don't think that what you did (if accurately described) should be called "umpiring."

[bluehair]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

While I agree with your statement, I don't think that what you did (if accurately described) should be called "umpiring."

Yeah, maybe he should have said, Sometimes you need to stop umpiring. I have stopped umpiring long enough to tell ***-kickers, that "big lead means BIG KZ". I even called a strike like the one JC described when ***-kickers kept stealing 2B. I ain't proud of it, but sometimes you've got to stop umpiring if you wanna get home before the rooster crows.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by bluehair

Yeah, maybe he should have said, Sometimes you need to stop umpiring. I have stopped umpiring long enough to tell ***-kickers, that "big lead means BIG KZ". I even called a strike like the one JC described when ***-kickers kept stealing 2B. I ain't proud of it, but sometimes you've got to stop umpiring if you wanna get home before the rooster crows.

Not me. These kinds of games are going to happen to all of us; it's just the nature of the beast. And I think it's wrong for us to take things into our own hands and purposely make outrageous calls to "get home".

Border pitches and bangers going in favor of the team getting pummelled is one thing. But calling strikes and outs that are blatantly and obviously wrong? Not a good practice. But that's just me.

[bluehair]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Border pitches and bangers going in favor of the team getting pummelled is one thing. But calling strikes and outs that are blatantly and obviously wrong? Not a good practice. But that's just me.

So your border line/banger calls are going for the team that is getting pummelled, not called by whether the play was a true safe/out. So you're disregarding the true rules also, your just nit-picking on the degree of it.

As I said, I ain't proud of it. Whenever I've had to resort to such tactics, I've never got any complaints...quite the contrary.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by bluehair

So your border line/banger calls are going for the team that is getting pummelled, not called by whether the play was a true safe/out. So you're disregarding the true rules also, your just nit-picking on the degree of it.

As I said, I ain't proud of it. Whenever I've had to resort to such tactics, I've never got any complaints...quite the contrary.

I never said that I personally call borderline stuff in favor of the losing team. My point--as poorly as I made it with my post--was that for those who feel they need to take action to stem the bleeding, they can usually cover themselves adequately by not being so obvious about it.

You also have to be careful when you do this. I umpire a lot of girls fast-pitch softball, and they have a rule that calls for an out when a base runner leaves her base before the pitcher releases the pitch. Some coaches, when they are on the positive side of a blowout, will instruct their runners to intentionally leave early to end innings sooner. On a couple of occasions, I've seen the opposing coaches get p-o'ed when this happens, yelling that they don't need any charity.

[bluehair]

Originally Posted by Manny A

I never said that I personally call borderline stuff in favor of the losing team. My point--as poorly as I made it with my post--was that for those who feel they need to take action to stem the bleeding, they can usually cover themselves adequately by not being so obvious about it.

So, you don't do it, you only condone it, as long as they're sneaky enough to not be detected, oh, that's different. I understand that we don't want to embarass a beaten team anymore then they've already been beaten. But every game is different and if you need an out, you need an out.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Not me. These kinds of games are going to happen to all of us; it's just the nature of the beast. And I think it's wrong for us to take things into our own hands and purposely make outrageous calls to "get home".

Border pitches and bangers going in favor of the team getting pummelled is one thing. But calling strikes and outs that are blatantly and obviously wrong? Not a good practice. But that's just me.

Not sure I agree with you here. We've all been there, and we know what we're doing when we do it. But he's "taking things into his own hands" when he calls that pitch 2 feet outside a strike... but you're doing the exact same thing if you call a banger incorrectly on purpose. It's just a matter of degree, and your judgement as to where that line is on that day is no more valid than his judgement in his game.

Most teams handle this themselves and call off the dogs. When they don't, I'm not going to denigrate an umpire who does it for them.

I will confess to calling a phantom hold on 3 consecutive plays when an 8 year old football team was up by 50-something and still running up the score with their best player taking every handoff (crap, the middle play of those 3 was a double reverse!). After the 3rd hold, thickheaded coach finally got the point and at least started getting other players into the action. They still scored a few more times, but at least they got tackled once in a while.

[CT1]

When I "open up" my zone, it gets opened up for both teams. To do otherwise is to open yourself up to accusations of cheating.

[bluehair]

Originally Posted by CT1

When I "open up" my zone, it gets opened up for both teams. To do otherwise is to open yourself up to accusations of cheating.

Who is gonna do the accusing the team that's up by 20 or the team that's down by 20?

Funniest story I heard, "batter, you're getting at most, 4 pitches and 3 of em are going to be strikes".

[Tim C]

When scores get into the "silly" situation the umpire must recognize that he is part of the problem.

We have talked about this many times on umpire boards.

Know how to control your game.

T

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

While I agree with your statement, I don't think that what you did (if accurately described) should be called "umpiring."

Thats fine Bob, were all entitled to our opinion and I kind of expected someone would comment about it. However, I am well respected within my community for my officiating and although it may not fit into everyone's standard on this forum, life will go on.

Thank you for your comments.

[bob jenkins]

I have come full circle on this. I am back to calling the game and letting the teams decide how and when to "shorten" the game when it gets out of hand.

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I have come full circle on this. I am back to calling the game and letting the teams decide how and when to "shorten" the game when it gets out of hand.

I can understand that but, sometimes understanding the fine line between procasting a game for the sake of purety and letting it continue to possible unsportsmanlike conduct, requires preventive officiating.

Making a mockery of the game, I agree is totally different.

[scrounge]

I'll admit, I do change on occasion when it's ridiculously out of hand, but only on the margins. If it's 20-0 in the 4th inning, the team that's ahead gets a slightly larger zone. The knee pitch becomes top of the shin, the bellybutton top of the zone might become bottom of the sternum. Outside corner might become one ball out. But nothing more than that. Pitches in the dirt are still getting balled, pitches above the hands (in a 'normal' stance) are still balls. I can't really do it on base, simply because I just can't think that fast.

The right thing to do? I dunno. I think so but I see both sides. Just being honest on what it sometimes takes to make it thru the day.