looking like a fool

[umpharp]

Hi Guys,

Thought i'd start a discussion about looking bad even when doing the right thing....
here is my story. 18U JO game. I'm the BU. Defensive team is playing shorthanded with 8 players. As a result there is no rightfielder. With nobody out, the batter hits a fly ball to rightfield. So....I turn and go out on the play. and I watch the ball land in rightfield with nobody anywhere around the ball. My partner laughed hard about the mistake. I couldn't even pretend that the ball was down the line...It landed about 10-15 feet from the line and about 10-15 feet from the nearest fielder.
Any other umps who want to share oopsie moments?

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by umpharp

Hi Guys,

Thought i'd start a discussion about looking bad even when doing the right thing....
here is my story. 18U JO game. I'm the BU. Defensive team is playing shorthanded with 8 players. As a result there is no rightfielder. With nobody out, the batter hits a fly ball to rightfield. So....I turn and go out on the play. and I watch the ball land in rightfield with nobody anywhere around the ball. My partner laughed hard about the mistake. I couldn't even pretend that the ball was down the line...It landed about 10-15 feet from the line and about 10-15 feet from the nearest fielder.
Any other umps who want to share oopsie moments?

The most classic one of all is heading behind the plate without your mask.

[SC Ump]

Slowpitch adult rec ball. R1 at 2B. BR hit to F5 who threw for the play at first. I made the call. After F5 released the ball, R1 headed for third, F3 threw the ball back to F5 and a run down started. PU covered third-end and I had the second-end of the "pickle".

After R1 reached 3B safely, I turned to first and BR was standing there, stating I had called him safe, but F3 was stating I called an out. Unfortunately, with the action of the run down, I had forgot about the play - - - it apparently was routine. I asked my partner and he said he did not notice what I ruled.

After standing with my partner 5 - 10 seconds (but seeming like an eternity) I replayed the situation and was pretty sure I called the out. Also, I realized that I had turned my back on BR as I was involved in the R1 run down... thus I'm sure I called him out because he was no longer in the play as I was concerned.

As I told BR that I had called him out, him and the 1B coach grinned and said, "you wouldn't believe how often we get an umpire on that."

In Florida, it was 3 or 4 games a night, 3 or 4 nights a week.... from Jan through Nov. Yep, I lost concentration a few times. But now at least when I call someone out or safe, I try not to be running on automatic.

[shipwreck]

Couple years ago I lost track of a runner. Girl started on first, batter ended up with an in the park home run. When the girl from first crossed home I wrongly thought she was the batter/runner. I didn't see any reason to call time to sweep home plate since I thought nobody was on base. I started sweeping and while sweeping home plate I noticed from between my legs that a runner was advancing home. Thankfully the throw was way high and there was no play at home. Must have been a long day. Dave

[umpharp]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

The most classic one of all is heading behind the plate without your mask.

yep, I've done that one before too. I remember leaving my mask on top of my car and getting ready for a mens modified game. I did the plate conference and the pitcher had thrown his warmups before I realized where my mask was. Had to hold up the game while I jogged to the parking lot and got my mask.

[debeau]

Gu16
Did 2 1/2 innings without my mask .
Thought I was in the zone everything so clear .
Funny thing is no one noticed not even my partner , who said he thought something was different about me but couldnt put a finger on it .
Other time U11 girls . I was base ump .
Very nervous girl turns and looks at me and I go over and ask if any thing was wrong , she says she needs to go to the toilet , but too late and I am standing in a puddle . " Coach we have a problem "
Word got round the ball park very fast that an Ump had been pee'd on and it still comes up at tournaments .

[tcblue13]

NF Preseason all day scrimmages
Had just finished BU and changed for PU
Left my belt unbuckled for the first inning until my evaluators came and told me to buckle up
I didn't even have a cool BASSMASTERS beltbuckle

Had my compression shorts fall down under my pants in a LL game where I was one man but I don't know if anyone could tell or not. Cup started swimming so I had to keep adjusting. That was the embarrassing part.

[gsf23]

Doing an adult slow-pitch game. First three pitches, the catcher throws a one-hopper back to the pitcher. I ask the catcher if he hurt his arm and he say no the pitcher has a broken bone on his glove hand so he can't catch a hard throw.

This goes on and about the fifth inning a guy fouls a ball back out of play and without thinking I grab a ball out of my bag and throw a strike right at the pitchers chest. Luckily, the pitcher was able to knock it down without getting hurt anymore. Wanted to crawl in a hole after that one.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by umpharp

Hi Guys,

Thought i'd start a discussion about looking bad even when doing the right thing....
here is my story. 18U JO game. I'm the BU. Defensive team is playing shorthanded with 8 players. As a result there is no rightfielder. With nobody out, the batter hits a fly ball to rightfield. So....I turn and go out on the play. and I watch the ball land in rightfield with nobody anywhere around the ball. My partner laughed hard about the mistake. I couldn't even pretend that the ball was down the line...It landed about 10-15 feet from the line and about 10-15 feet from the nearest fielder.
Any other umps who want to share oopsie moments?

Call me crazy, but I don't think you did anything wrong. If instructed to go out on fly balls, you go out. How silly would you have felt if CF started cheating on the pitch and made a diving attempt (possible trap) for the ball and you are standing in the IF watching the BR touch 1B?

[Alaska Ump]

I was working BU a couple of weeks ago and could offer all kinds of excuses, but the fact is I wasn't giving the game the proper attention and paid for it, mostly by humiliation.

Bases empty, batter hits a fairly routine line drive to the outfield. I see the BR heading to first, I see the throw going to second. I zone out and assume the BR will stop at first, and the throw will be caught at or near second. I start heading to get into position for the next batter.

The BR sees an overthrow at second and throttles up to full steam and rounds first. His big problem is that I'm standing smack in the middle of his path. He bowls me over and I get knocked on my back, looking up at the sky.

Moral of the story is obvious -- the play is not over until it's over.

[Ran.D]

Working a 12U fastpitch game, bases loaded, 2 outs. Forget the score, but it was close, late in the game and the team at bat was behind.

Batter swings at the dropped third strike (which passes the catcher) I call batter out, first is occupied.

Realized my mistake immediately, but surprisingly coaches didn't catch the error, so I let the inning end. Saw no way to correct the error that wouldn't make one of the teams go crazy.

Now, regardless of the age group, I simply call strike three. With younger kids, I usually then watch as the batter gets around the bases on errors.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

Working a 12U fastpitch game, bases loaded, 2 outs. Forget the score, but it was close, late in the game and the team at bat was behind.

Batter swings at the dropped third strike (which passes the catcher) I call batter out, first is occupied.

Realized my mistake immediately, but surprisingly coaches didn't catch the error, so I let the inning end. Saw no way to correct the error that wouldn't make one of the teams go crazy.

Now, regardless of the age group, I simply call strike three. With younger kids, I usually then watch as the batter gets around the bases on errors.

Two points I want to make.

First, we have all made this mistake, or did a sell strike three on strike two, or similar. It points out that we failed to concentrate and lost track of the situation; happens to anyone who ever called a game. I don't think we should use that to justify not using required mechanics; we should use that to help remind ourselves that we must concentrate and keep the game situation constantly in our mind. Just as the athletes play just like they practice, umpires need to use all games working the mecahnics the same as the big championship game.

Second, I wouldn't have raised the point when it happened, either. But, I would remind the coaches later in the game about that situation, and that the ball was live. The memory of the coaches wouldn't include what mechanic you used, so you could slide over your part; but, failing to make mention puts you in the category of "the other umpire" who told them the BR is out if first is occupied with 2 outs. You leave it for others to pay your penalty if you don't help educate the younger teams.

[Ran.D]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Two points I want to make.

First, we have all made this mistake, or did a sell strike three on strike two, or similar. It points out that we failed to concentrate and lost track of the situation; happens to anyone who ever called a game. I don't think we should use that to justify not using required mechanics; we should use that to help remind ourselves that we must concentrate and keep the game situation constantly in our mind. Just as the athletes play just like they practice, umpires need to use all games working the mecahnics the same as the big championship game.

Second, I wouldn't have raised the point when it happened, either. But, I would remind the coaches later in the game about that situation, and that the ball was live. The memory of the coaches wouldn't include what mechanic you used, so you could slide over your part; but, failing to make mention puts you in the category of "the other umpire" who told them the BR is out if first is occupied with 2 outs. You leave it for others to pay your penalty if you don't help educate the younger teams.

Do mechanics require that the batter be called out on a dropped third strike when the rule applies, or is simply calling strike three sufficient?

I do remind the coaches of younger teams of the "1B occupied and less than 2 outs" rule and encourage them to communicate with their catchers.

[Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

Do mechanics require that the batter be called out on a dropped third strike when the rule applies, or is simply calling strike three sufficient?

I do remind the coaches of younger teams of the "1B occupied and less than 2 outs" rule and encourage them to communicate with their catchers.

Require? I will say "Strike Three - batter out" if the situation warrants that. Otherwise, I just call "Strike Three". I then call the batter out when they walk into dead ball territory.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

Do mechanics require that the batter be called out on a dropped third strike when the rule applies, or is simply calling strike three sufficient?

I do remind the coaches of younger teams of the "1B occupied and less than 2 outs" rule and encourage them to communicate with their catchers.

It is recommended in ASA that you add "batter is out" whenever that is true by rule. It is STRONGLY recommended in ASA that you add "batter is out" whenever a batter starts to run when out by rule.

The NCAA Umpire Manual says

The umpire needs to make a ruling only if there is a subsequent play, attempted play, or apparent confusion by the offense or defense after the pitch. If the batter is entitled to run, and the umpire judges that the pitch was not caught (and/or has gotten confirmation from a base umpire that it was not caught), and a play is made on the batter-runner, either the plate or first base umpire will rule on the play. If the plate umpire has judged that the pitch was caught (and/or gotten confirmation from a base umpire that it was caught) and the catcher or batter appears unsure and attempts to play, the umpire should say while signaling an out: “Batter is out.”