Bad situation.

[tribefan1952]

JV game. My strike zone might have been a little low, but not bad. Inch or two below the knee. I was very consistent for both teams. Visiting coach and fans whined a lot. Home team never said a word, except telling his team to adjust. Both coaches kept telling their pitchers & catchers to keep it around the knees, saying, "He's calling them there. Throw them there."

Again, I don't think I was that bad. My partner didn't think so either. I usually ask my partner if the fans are crying. I've seen a lot worse.

Home team batting, down by a couple runs. 3rd or 4th inning. Batter squares to bunt. Ball is out of the strike zone. Bat doesn't move a bit. "Ball." Visiting coach runs out of the dugout like a madman. "She didn't pull her bat back!! She didn't pull her bat back!!"

I say, "She didn't offer at the pitch. She doesn't have to pull her bat back."

He says, "I played softball. You have to pull your bat back or it's a strike!!"

I felt like saying, "Read your rule book." But I refrained.

Next batter. Same thing happens. Same tirade. Now the visiting team's parrot fans are really getting into it. I guess theyt are thinking, "Anybody who's acting like that must be right."

The coach finally says, "Can I ask the other ump?"

I say, "Please do." My partner says, "She didn't offer at the pitch. It's not a strike unless it's in the strike zone."

No problems for the next few innings, except for continuous whining from the visiting fans. The visiting coach settled down.

Bottom of the 7th. Home team batting and still down by 2 runs. Runners on 2nd & 3rd. 2 outs. Very tall batter. Very tense fans. First pitch comes in a little below the knees. "Strike!" I've been calling that pitch a strike the entire game. (Of course, the visiting team seems to like the call now.) Next pitch... same spot. "Strike 2" Still no chirping from the home team. Home coaches & fans are just telling her to swing if it's close. The same low pitch comes in a 3rd time. Batter hits a double in the gap. Tie game.

Now comes the best part. Sorry this is so long. Home team is batting in the bottom of the 9th. Still tied. 2 outs. Runner on 3rd. Ball is hit straight down and it comes to rest in the batters box. I have plenty of time to move and get a very good look at it. I signal "Fair ball." No doubt. None. It was fair by at least 4 inches.

Catcher makes a bad throw to first, runner scores from third. Game over.

Now the same moron visiting coach charges out and screams, "The ball was in the batters box! The ball was in the batters box!! It can't be fair!"

I say, "It was in the batters box and it was fair. It was inside the foul line."

Again he runs to my partner. My partner agrees. Game over.

As we're leaving the field. The visiting team's fans are getting really nasty. Meanwhile, the visiting coach is loudly telling his players, "You didn't lose this game, the plate ump did."

My partner looks at me and rolls his eyes. We didn't waste any time in the parking lot.


I'm new at this and I have a few questions:

How do you tactfully tell a coach to learn the rules?
How do you tell the fans the same thing?
How do you tell a coach not to deliberately rile up his fans?
Should I tell my story to the visiting team's AD?
Should I tell my story to my association?
Should I just let it go and try to learn something from it?

[Rachel]

The coach must have played college softball. You must pull the bat back in the NCAA. You could have informed her of this quietly when she questioned you.

Fair foul is not determined by the batters box. Call the coach over and calmly explain this. Use your "Verbal Judo" to discuss and descalate the issue. That book by the way is a must read for an umpire.

Just because you call a low one early that doesn't mean you set the strike zone there. Try to call the correct zone.

Don't talk to the fans.

if you feel the coach is deliberatly riling up the fans warn her to stop and then eject.

The poor sportsmanship of the coach after the game could be addressed with an e-mail to the AD. I don't know your situation but in my state we are beginning to have the officials rate the schools in sportsmanship.

[jimpiano]

1. You and your partner already did.
2. Forget explaining anything to the fans.
3. You can't, except to put him out of the game if he is abusing you to do so.
4. No
5. If you want.
6. Yes

[Steve M]

Tribefan,

Welcome to officiating.

"I'm new at this and I have a few questions:

1-How do you tactfully tell a coach to learn the rules?
2-How do you tell the fans the same thing?
3-How do you tell a coach not to deliberately rile up his fans?
4-Should I tell my story to the visiting team's AD?
5-Should I tell my story to my association?
6-Should I just let it go and try to learn something from it?"

1-Coach, Please cite that rule for me. If your state allows protests, ask if the coach wants to play under protest.
2-Leave the fans alone, if they are that bad, have the game manager deal with them. If there is not an identified game manager, it's the home coach.
3-Coach, You are now restricted to the bench.
4-no
5-absolutely
6-After you talk with your association... As a new official, you should keep an umpire journal, write this into it - how you handled it and the results of your association's discussion.

Addition - Looks like some others were replaying at the same time I was. Let's emphasize this - learn & call the correct zone - like Rachel said.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by tribefan1952

JV game. My strike zone might have been a little low, but not bad. Inch or two below the knee.

I know that you are new, but you might as well work on bringing your strike zone up now. If you are meaning that the top of the ball is two inches below the knee, that it too low. Save yourself some grief by bringing it up. As a rul, I try to keep the bottom of the ball at the top of the knee.

Originally Posted by tribefan1952

How do you tactfully tell a coach to learn the rules?
How do you tell the fans the same thing?
How do you tell a coach not to deliberately rile up his fans?
Should I tell my story to the visiting team's AD?
Should I tell my story to my association?
Should I just let it go and try to learn something from it?

1. You don't. What you can do is tell them the rule to let them know that you know it. (You did that part already). However, there are coaches that are rules gurus, and there are coaches who don't even own a rule book. That's just the way it is.

2. Don't mess with fans. That's the site administrator's job.

3. Restrict him to the dugout.

4. I see no reason to.

5. Yes.

6. Steve's recommendation here is a very good one. This should be a learning experience for you.

[tribefan1952]

Thanks so much for your replies.

I will keep a journal. I will not be so reluctant to improve my strike zone as the game progresses. (Hopefully, this won't be a frequent problem.) I will read that "Verbal Judo" book. (It sounds very interesting.) And I will try to ignore the fans.

I don't know why this particular game bothered me so much. The coach's post-game comments to his team stuck with me longer than they should have. I don't mind being accused of blowing a call. It happens. But being refered to as the reason the team lost stung (a lot). And it wasn't true.

[tribefan1952]

Minor point but worth mentioning.

In case there are others here that do both baseball and softball, the bottom of the strike zone isn't necessarily the same. In baseball, the ball is released high and drops into the strike zone. Consequently, low strikes are more common. In softball, the ball is generally rising or flat after the release.

I'm not trying to make excuses but, jumping back and forth (baseball/softball) probably isn't the best way to develop a consistent strike zone.

[elarbitro]

Tribefan,
You can't try to ignore the fans. You have to ignore them. Otherwise, you won't have a very long career as an umpire. Most coaches know enough about the rule book to get themselves in trouble and the fans generally know even less than they do.
At the end of the game, turn your ears off to everything but your partner and get off the field. There is no reason for you to stick around.

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by tribefan1952

Minor point but worth mentioning.

In case there are others here that do both baseball and softball, the bottom of the strike zone isn't necessarily the same. In baseball, the ball is released high and drops into the strike zone. Consequently, low strikes are more common. In softball, the ball is generally rising or flat after the release.

I'm not trying to make excuses but, jumping back and forth (baseball/softball) probably isn't the best way to develop a consistent strike zone.

There's another important difference. In baseball, the bottom of the zone is the hollow just below the knee, right? In softball, the bottom of the zone is the top of the knee. You will probably find that a softball usually breaks harder than a baseball - the ball is bigger and catches more air. The ball will break up, or down, or to either side, or a combination of the above list.

[wadeintothem]

You got through this game .. I think it's games like this where you learn the most.

I'll add a .02 to this.

1. - Softball is not baseball with a bigger ball. There are differences in strategy, mechanics, game play, and in fact, strike zone.

2. You might consider bringing the zone up a tad. 2 inches below the knee is too low IMO. Make up the difference giving some corner. They are on you because they can see you are calling low. Everyone knows it - so even if they are "working that zone" or "whining about the zone", they still know it. Consistently bad zone is not necessarily a good thing. Others will disagree, I've found the better part of valor to be a tighter zone.

3. It is a softball game, not a rules clinic. When a coach comes running yelling out of the dugout (especially incorrect) that calls for:

a) Call time, calmly approach the coach
b) a verbatim recital of the rules - not a clinic, state concisely the rule.
c) a nice quiet but direct warning.

If you allow a coach to play lead whine cheerleader and get the whole field/crowd riled up, it can be very bad. That is how situations get out of control. You do not tolerate that, you can't tolerate it.

[Justme]

Originally Posted by tribefan1952

I'm not trying to make excuses but, jumping back and forth (baseball/softball) probably isn't the best way to develop a consistent strike zone.

I'm in my second year of working HS softballl (second year of working any level of softball). I have worked baseball for many years. I work both now (baseball at a HS level and higher, softball only HS level).

As far as calling balls/strikes I have not found it difficult to work back and forth between the two sports. You'll see different types of pitches and ball movement but if you track the ball properly and not be in a hurry to call the pitch you should not have a problem.

In order to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible I have worked with a lot of really good softball officials and have asked them to "please" let me know what my mistakes are (I have "picked" their brains). I have also attended every clinic that I could in order to increase my skill level. You might want to try that. Good luck!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

tribefan1952:

In your original post, you stated that the V-HC: ran "out of the dugout like a madman." And that he did this two batters in a row. I think that you let him run out of the dugout one two many times. When he came running out of the dugout the first time I would have told him to keep running to the bus in the parking lot.

MTD, Sr.

[Dukat]

I have to chirp in here with something and ask the experts opinions. I only umpire softball and have so for about 5 years now. My zone is known to be higher than others and tighter width-wise but still by the book. I have read many of the threads from coaches asking why we don't call the "Book Zone" and also the responses so I know the clinics interp of dropping and raising and giving more corners but I have called the same zone (Which BTW is closer to the book zone) for years and everyone knows it and after years of doing something one way your mind gets accustomed to it and since I am very consistent with it I almost always get good ratings. Do not get me wrong; My zone is not out of the official strike zone but I have heard many people comment I have a "High Zone" when I call the pitch that one girl once complained "That was up around my bosoms" Well The book states that Armpits to knees and I have never seen a "bosom" above the armpits.

With all that said, I have seen all the threads on the clinic zone and I do not understand why that zone is better than mine when I can give the book definition to a coach that has any questions and they have no response so what would be the advantage to change?

[azbigdawg]

Originally Posted by Dukat

I have to chirp in here with something and ask the experts opinions. I only umpire softball and have so for about 5 years now. My zone is known to be higher than others and tighter width-wise but still by the book. I have read many of the threads from coaches asking why we don't call the "Book Zone" and also the responses so I know the clinics interp of dropping and raising and giving more corners but I have called the same zone (Which BTW is closer to the book zone) for years and everyone knows it and after years of doing something one way your mind gets accustomed to it and since I am very consistent with it I almost always get good ratings. Do not get me wrong; My zone is not out of the official strike zone but I have heard many people comment I have a "High Zone" when I call the pitch that one girl once complained "That was up around my bosoms" Well The book states that Armpits to knees and I have never seen a "bosom" above the armpits.

With all that said, I have seen all the threads on the clinic zone and I do not understand why that zone is better than mine when I can give the book definition to a coach that has any questions and they have no response so what would be the advantage to change?

Its not that the "other" zone is better than yours..its that a lot ( I hesitate to say "most" but that really what I mean) of umpire chop the top off the zone, and extend it a little (One ball inside, a little more outside.) The players dont want the high pitch called a strike (It's harder to hit).... For lower levels of ball, you can adjust a little, But I would say for anything 14u and above, try to use that strike zone. It reduces the grief you will get.

[CecilOne]

Aside from our needing to ignore all after the game, the comment "coach is loudly telling his players, "You didn't lose this game, the plate ump did."" is a symptom of what is wrong with a lot of society, blaming someone else for your mistakes and failures and not taking responsibility for what you do, whether it's not knowing rules, muffing a catch, failing a math test, screwing up a task at work or DUI.