Worked at the PFX tour this weekend - Part II: The Good

[Julio Caliente]

Well, there were many "goods"

- Got to meet Dot Richardson and she is a worker. She never told anybody she didn't have time for them to take a picture or sign an autograph. I remember walking into the complex and she giving an impromptu hitting lesson to about 3 teams on the sidewalk. heck, she even gave my gf help with her Organic Chemistry homework for college WHILE she was announcing the Pro Game.

- Got all of the PFX tour members to sign a ball

- Got to see Lisa Fernandez pitch (talk about mound presence.... geez)

- One of my buddies did the plate on the first PFX Pro game when Fernandez was pitching. He said she was amazing as a pitcher and very tough to call because the ball was coming so fast with so much movement.

- Laughed when he told me that before the game they got the umps together and said "You will not call illegal's, obstruction, interference, or leaving early. You will call fair/foul, safe/out, and ball/strike. Your strike zone will be big because people didn't come to watch them walk".

- Talked to the UIC who is a Division I assignor and asked if he was doing evaluations. He said there were some people he wanted to look at for college assignments, but with 8 fields going that he wasn't going to do everybody. I told him good, because if he were going to do me he would need a fresh pad of paper and multiple pens. He got a kick out of that.

-When I got my check at the end I thanked the UIC for giving me the chance to come work the tournament and that I know he didn't sit down and actually evaluate me but if he did notice anything in his passing for me to work on. He asked me how long I had been doing this for and I said I had done about 25 games before coming here, but had done baseball before. He told me he could tell because there were still some baseball mechanics in my calls (eg when I called a strike I didn't move my fist higher than about my ear, and my slot was about 3" off). Nothing major that can't be corrected with a little help. Told me my judgment was pretty good overall (balls/strikes and safe/outs), but my low pitch call wasn't quite as consistent as he liked (said that would come with more experience), but it wasn't terrible either. Basically, he told me that I have the goods to be a good umpire, I just need to fine tune some thing.

-The facilities at the hosting complex were amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ben Davies High School hosted it and they had a facility that would rival many colleges and make many others jealous.

-Was behind the plate for a 10U game that had a final score of 1-0 and played 6 innings in 75 min. One of the best games I have ever seen at that level.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Originally Posted by Julio Caliente

- Laughed when he told me that before the game they got the umps together and said "You will not call illegal's, obstruction, interference, or leaving early. You will call fair/foul, safe/out, and ball/strike.

you call this a "good"? Your kidding, yes??


is this squirt ball?

[Julio Caliente]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

you call this a "good"? Your kidding, yes??


is this squirt ball?

Nope, this was the instructions given to the crews of the two "pro" games that were played over the weekend. One of my buddies happened to be on both crews. Since the two games were exhibition games I thought it was funny... hence being on the "good".

As for "squirt ball" here are some of the players:
Lisa Fernandez
Stacey Nuveman
Laura Berg
Rachel Countryman
Andrea Duran
Tairia Flowers
Jessica Mendoza
Jennie Ritter
Dana Sorensen

The whole list is at http://www.pfxtour.com/pros/players.jsp


Now for the actual tournament (NOT the two pro games), it was under ASA rules.

[bellnier]

-Laughed when he told me that before the game they got the umps together and said "You will not call illegal's, obstruction, interference, or leaving early. You will call fair/foul, safe/out, and ball/strike. Your strike zone will be big because people didn't come to watch them walk".


And the audience for this was largely 10 year old kids who are trying to learn softball?

[Julio Caliente]

Originally Posted by bellnier

And the audience for this was largely 10 year old kids who are trying to learn softball?

No, I would say that there were more 16U, 14U, and 12U teams there than 10U. There was less 8U than 10U teams. It just so happened that my funny stories took place on the 10U games. The 12U games I did nothing really interesting happened except for a LL team not knowing ASA rules and trying to argue rules that were not ASA rules.

I thought the fact that they told the umpires this was funny, and it made for some good times during adult beverage time.....

Apparently, Lisa Fernandez pitches illegally every time. Well, at least she did these games.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

yes but the kids come away from this thinkin INTERFERANCE and OBSTRUCTION dont exist, zone is wide as a mile, etc etc

so if a runner had been kncoked flat on her azz rounding First by a fielder, the TD seriously didnt want OBSTRUCTION called? ---puzzled---

I dont think so--exhibition or not.

and sorry, the "Squirt ball" comment was to be sarcastic not serious

[Julio Caliente]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

yes but the kids come away from this thinkin INTERFERANCE and OBSTRUCTION dont exist, zone is wide as a mile, etc etc

so if a runner had been kncoked flat on her azz rounding First by a fielder, the TD seriously didnt want OBSTRUCTION called? ---puzzled---

I dont think so--exhibition or not.

Well, I was not there for the meeting of the umps for the two games, only went by what an umpire who at both of them told me. I found the statement very funny, strange..... but funny. I allude it to when I played on some scout teams (officially called The Arizona High School Prospect League) in HS where the catcher called balls and strikes and there weren't any umps. You just went and played.

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

and sorry, the "Squirt ball" comment was to be sarcastic not serious

Its cool, sometimes things like sarcasm and humor are hard to express in print. I know I have sent a few emails where people have taken what I wrote in the wrong text because it is hard to convey emotions.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

yes but the kids come away from this thinkin INTERFERANCE and OBSTRUCTION dont exist, zone is wide as a mile, etc etc

so if a runner had been kncoked flat on her azz rounding First by a fielder, the TD seriously didnt want OBSTRUCTION called? ---puzzled---

I dont think so--exhibition or not.

and sorry, the "Squirt ball" comment was to be sarcastic not serious

I had a similar experience this past year. I worked the Triple Crown "World" Series in Utah. I was selected to work one of the tournament all-star games. Five innings, free substitution, everybody bats, new pitchers each inning. My crew was given essentially the same instructions - call Ball/Strike, Fair/Foul, Safe/Out. Let the players play. Now I'm sure that had we had the situation that Larry mentioned, runner knocked on her butt while rounding first base, we would have dealt with it. The point was that it did not matter who won the game....its an exhibition for the parents and teammates of the girls playing....I would loosely compare it to a Harlem Globetrotters game.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Andy

..I would loosely compare it to a Harlem Globetrotters game.

So, did they dump a bucket of confetti on the umpires?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

yes but the kids come away from this thinkin INTERFERANCE and OBSTRUCTION dont exist, zone is wide as a mile, etc etc

so if a runner had been kncoked flat on her azz rounding First by a fielder, the TD seriously didnt want OBSTRUCTION called? ---puzzled---

I dont think so--exhibition or not.

and sorry, the "Squirt ball" comment was to be sarcastic not serious

You guys are being idiots. He's clearly stated that this comment about not calling INT and OBS was specifically for the Pro EXHIBITIONS. Not for the actual tourney.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

You guys are being idiots. He's clearly stated that this comment about not calling INT and OBS was specifically for the Pro EXHIBITIONS. Not for the actual tourney.

Mike, I think you are missing their point. Everyone probably understands that these games are the Pro Exhibitions, so the players are the Pros.

But, who is the intended audience of these exhibitions? Why, the kids, seeing the umpire NOT call Lisa Fernandez's pitching illegal for leaping, coming off the pitchers plate, and (gasp) crowhopping by sliding off the front of the pitcher's plate to push off from that spot closer to home.

If you think basketball officials haven't heard a million times that "that isn't" called travelling (or palming) in the NBA, then you aren't paying attention. And, that is the point here.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Mike, I think you are missing their point. Everyone probably understands that these games are the Pro Exhibitions, so the players are the Pros.

But, who is the intended audience of these exhibitions? Why, the kids, seeing the umpire NOT call Lisa Fernandez's pitching illegal for leaping, coming off the pitchers plate, and (gasp) crowhopping by sliding off the front of the pitcher's plate to push off from that spot closer to home.

You're right ... I did miss their point, and apologize. I still disagree with their point, but I retract the "acting like idiots" comment.

There may be a few 12U pitchers who might recognize a leap when they saw one, and there may be 1 or 2 players in attendance who wonder about a non-call on INT or OBS ... but I doubt there are any who would be bothered by what THEY might perceive as a missed call. Most are just watching the game.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

ill just say that--

1. i understand the exh part of it, but calls/rules not enforced there filters down to games YOU and ME do, and WE have to put up w the crud that mr Steve speaks of.

2. how can anyone criticize that the umps looked bad, dressed poor, bad mechs, etc and yet be OK w the fact they were ORDERED to infact 'swallow their whistles' for the whole game? (im reffering to the 'ugly' parts in other msgs) hypocritical? I guess they wanted 'pretend umpires' for the exh and they got what they asked for! so why the complaints? "We want you to be sharp, make good callss, perf mechs...EXCEPT heres a list of all the rules we want you to ignore today' hehehe

Im either there to OFFICIATE or not. dorking a lilttle with the zone is one thing but blanket NO INT--NO OBS, leaving early, etc is too much to swallow IMO.

[Dakota]

We are not on an ball field to be the enforcers of the sacred book.

We are only there to call the game according to the rules that the people contracting our services want in force in their game.

There is nothing different in principle from a local / tourney rule that specifies a 75 minute time limit, bat-the-roster, or any of a couple dozen or more local rules of that ilk, and a local rule that allows leaping and MLB-style int/obs (that is, just about anything goes).

If the local rules challenge your internal integrity, don't take the assignment. Simple.

[Julio Caliente]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

ill just say that--
how can anyone criticize that the umps looked bad, dressed poor, bad mechs, etc and yet be OK w the fact they were ORDERED to infact 'swallow their whistles' for the whole game? (im reffering to the 'ugly' parts in other msgs) hypocritical? I guess they wanted 'pretend umpires' for the exh and they got what they asked for! so why the complaints? "We want you to be sharp, make good callss, perf mechs...EXCEPT heres a list of all the rules we want you to ignore today' hehehe

hypocritical, I don't think so. The exhibition game was just that, an exhibition game. The umpires (all Division I umpires) were dressed sharp, had great mechanics, and made great calls. They were just instructed to call the game to make it more exciting to watch. I am pretty sure 95% of the people there were not watching the pro's game to learn proper mechanics. That was for the clinic they did on Friday.

Now, the tournament was a different matter. They wanted umpires TO BE UMPIRES, they wanted us to enforce the rules, and they wanted us to LOOK like umpires. I am sorry, but could you respect an umpire who wears a ball bag with ball sin it while BU? I couldn't a as coach.