Coach asking you for help?

[FUBLUE]

Had a coach this weekend ask me if I could detect when his pitcher was throwing a change up. Well, yes, you can, but only at the very end...and part of it may be that I've umpired her since she was 9, so I kind of know her tendencies and her motion.

BUt my question to you is...do you tell him? If so, when?

[scottk_61]

I have been asked this as well as pitches that are supposed to be rises, screwballs, etc.
From behind the plate and sometimes from the field I can tell what they are throwing before the release.
Not always but enough of the time.

My standard answer to the coach, "Yes I can some of the time coach." Then I end the conversation or change the subject.
I answer a reasonable question with a reasonable answer. I dont' get into coaching.

Off the field and away from the games, we might have long philosophical discussions on the pitching but not on the field.

[Andy]

I found that a while back, I was getting into a bad habit of making a decision on a pitch by the time it was halfway to the plate. I got burned on this a few times, so I started to force myself to concentrate on the whole pitch until the time it hit the catcher's mitt, then make a decision.

The byproduct of this of this is that I couldn't tell you if the pitch was a screwball, curve, drop, etc..., I could only tell you if it was in the strike zone or not.

I have had coaches ask me about a pitcher's ball movement and such during inning breaks...I just give some generic answer like "Gee, coach, I really can't tell."

I figure that I'm out there to call balls and strikes, not be an assistant coach.

[FUBLUE]

If you are watching the pitch into the glove, aren't you able to follow the patch of the ball? Isn't that the whole concept of tracking?

[SRW]

As the umpire, why would you care what kind of pitch it is?

I think Andy has it right - there's too many other things you should be concentrating on - like if it's in the zone or not, or if that was a legal pitch or not, did the batter commit when she squared to bunt, etc.

Generically answer the coach's question. If he wants your opinion on his pitcher's movements, then your pitching instruction rate is $xxx per hour, and we'll discuss that after this game.

[David Emerling]

To me, the only proper answer to that question that would maintain your professionalism, impartiality, and politeness would be to say something along the lines, "To be honest, coach, I don't even notice that kind of thing since, as an umpire, my focus is directed elsewhere at that moment. If you're wondering whether your pitcher is tipping her pitches, I really couldn't say."

And leave it at that.

If you tell the coach that she *is* (or isn't) tipping her pitches, you've just become a game participant. You are giving out useful tactical information that the other team may be making use of.

Where do answers to questions like these end?

"Does her fastball have movement?"

"Do you think she's throwing too many change-ups?"

"Could you please tell the other team to stop trying to steal our signals?"

"Should my leadoff batter bunt next inning?"

"Do you think I should buy some stock in Coca-Cola?"

"Do you think my wife is cheating on me?"

I believe such inappropriate inquiries to the umpire can be deflected politely.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[SRW]

Originally posted by David Emerling
"Do you think my wife is cheating on me?"

"Yes, coach, I do. When she leaves my place tonight, I'll remind her to call your stock broker about the Coca-Cola thing."

[bkbjones]

Hey coach, where do you think I should spend my bonus money?

[Coach D]

As a coach, I don't see what the big deal is about an umpire telling a coach if a ball breaks or not. I can tell when someone is avoiding a question.I would rather someone tell me that they "legally or ethically" can't do that. Some of your responses, make me think that you are not part of the game,when in fact you are a big part of the game.I enjoy being able to talk to umpires between innings.If an umpire answered a question for me, I would expect him to do the same for the opposing coach. If you asked a coach a question about how you could improve the game, do you think he would answer it?

[David Emerling]

Originally posted by Coach D
As a coach, I don't see what the big deal is about an umpire telling a coach if a ball breaks or not. I can tell when someone is avoiding a question. I would rather someone tell me that they "legally or ethically" can't do that. Some of your responses, make me think that you are not part of the game,when in fact you are a big part of the game.I enjoy being able to talk to umpires between innings.If an umpire answered a question for me, I would expect him to do the same for the opposing coach. If you asked a coach a question about how you could improve the game, do you think he would answer it?

Apples and oranges.

A coach telling an umpire how he (the umpire) can improve as an umpire is not going to provide any advantage to either team.

On the other hand, an umpire sharing his impressions of game situations and action WHILE A GAME IS IN PROGRESS is simply inappropriate.

Naturally, the environment of each game is different. You have games that are not particularly important nor tense, where everybody knows everybody, where the atmosphere is cordial ... I could see an exchange like this taking place. The umpires know the coaches - may even be friends - the coaches are friends - and the umpires know the players. Everybody is one big happy family. No big deal. I've called games like this.

But that is the exception.

An umpire better have a good sense about this before engaging in these type of exchanges.

If there is an air of tension ... if the game matters ... if one team doesn't know the other ... if the game is close ... if there have been close plays and disputed calls earlier in the game ... an umpire does best to stay away from conversations like these.

By default - an umpire should not engage in such conversations and I think he can do it politely.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[bkbjones]

Originally posted by David Emerling

Apples and oranges.

A coach telling an umpire how he (the umpire) can improve as an umpire is not going to provide any advantage to either team.

On the other hand, an umpire sharing his impressions of game situations and action WHILE A GAME IS IN PROGRESS is simply inappropriate.

Naturally, the environment of each game is different. You have games that are not particularly important nor tense, where everybody knows everybody, where the atmosphere is cordial ... I could see an exchange like this taking place. The umpires know the coaches - may even be friends - the coaches are friends - and the umpires know the players. Everybody is one big happy family. No big deal. I've called games like this.

But that is the exception.

An umpire better have a good sense about this before engaging in these type of exchanges.

If there is an air of tension ... if the game matters ... if one team doesn't know the other ... if the game is close ... if there have been close plays and disputed calls earlier in the game ... an umpire does best to stay away from conversations like these.

By default - an umpire should not engage in such conversations and I think he can do it politely.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Umm...every game matters.

It may not matter to you, it may not decide the world championship, but it definitely matters.

[Coach D]

In these "tense" type of situations I do not think a reputable coach would ask if his pitcher is tipping her change up, or "Do you think my wife is cheating on me?"
It is those times in which you speak "where things feel right" in which I was referring.

[David Emerling]

Originally posted by bkbjones

Umm...every game matters.

It may not matter to you, it may not decide the world championship, but it definitely matters.

Not all games are created equally.

It's naive to think that all games are given the same amount of importance by the participants. There are varying degrees of intensity.

I've called pool games in tournaments where the outcome of the game didn't matter and wouldn't effect anything ... and the teams KNEW IT!

Then there's the tournament championship game.

Sure, they both "matter" ... but not equally!

My point is *not* that the umpire should not try as hard for "unimportant" games. That's not even what we're talking about. You give every game your best effort. But there are certain aspects of more casual games that change how coaches/players/umpires/fans interact. For better or worse, that is a reality.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[scottk_61]

Originally posted by SRW
As the umpire, why would you care what kind of pitch it is?

I like this sentance, we shouldn't care at all.
I tend to look at them and identify them after having spent some time helping a good friend identify college prospects (he works with a college scouting service).

In reality, we should never care what the pitch is.

Now, on the other hand, we should make ourselves aware of a pitchers potential so that we don't get caught unaware at that critical moment in a game.

It is not unusual for me to talk to a catcher while a pitcher is warming up and to ask if the pitcher has any moving balls.
The catchers that know what they are doing will communicate with you and let you know. They want you to call them strikes.

Let me ask this,
When a new pitcher is warming up, do you drop into position and take a look?
You should, it lets you see what their motion is and whether they are throwing any moving balls.

You should be aware of what can come but otherwise not care if they throw heat, changeups or screwballs.

[SRW]

Originally posted by bkbjones

Hey coach, where do you think I should spend my bonus money?

You must mean the "Profit Sharing". If I recall, that subject is taboo for you. Get off my field.