Umpires are getting to robotic..

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

This is a bunch of hokey BS sold to softball umpires at clinics while we eat our cold donuts and stir our coffee in our Styrofoam cups.

I've never been confused watching a competent umpire regardless of his signals.

Rather the umpire points, hammers, chainsaws bow and arrows, throws, boxes, uses scissors, GD, box, Heel toe, knee, whether he says strike, heeyaa, haa, etc etc etc etc.

You DO NOT need to be a robot to be competent. You do not need to use the same universal signal and strikes to be competent and convey the message.

Want proof?

Watch MLB, Minor Leagues, HS Baseball, or College baseball umpires.

If you cant watch the game and keep up, youre in the wrong business. And they are not robots.

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I worked 18G showcase this weekend and goofed with all kinds of different stances. Gerry D, Scissors, etc. What did a umpire say to me? "Man I like your baseball stance".

Ha!! That was funny.

At any rate, I personnally see the plate best in ASA's prescribed robot stance. But it was fun to goof around a little at a show case and experiment with different stances.

You get cold donuts and coffee at your clinics??

Gotta disagree with you, again. A signal is just that, a signal. Meant to convery a message. The best way to convey that message clearly to everyone in a ballpark is to give a universal signal, not some variant that you or I choose to use.

In your opinion, then, where should this morphing of signals end. Is it okay for me to point to the ground for a strike, if that is my desired strike call? Where do we draw the line?

I am also telling you that there are some signals in the groups of umpires you named that fail to convey the message. I have been at a MLB park where, due to my angle to the plate, I couldn't see the little side point, and due to my distance from the plate I couldn't hear a call. THAT umpire failed to communicate to me and the hundreds of fans around me. Had he come up with a big, clear, hammer, we all would have known what the call was.

To me, the hokey is with those people who feel we should "express ourselves" on the field rather than use the prescribed signals.

[Heightslife]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

I have been at a MLB park where, due to my angle to the plate, I couldn't see the little side point, and due to my distance from the plate I couldn't hear a call. THAT umpire failed to communicate to me and the hundreds of fans around me. Had he come up with a big, clear, hammer, we all would have known what the call was.

The operative part of your statement is "MLB park" meaning there is a HUGE scoreboard that will display the count soon enough. Raising a fist above your head wont be confused with an OUT so I understand its purpose = easier for fans to see the call. But a fist to most fans means OUT. I just watched a NCAA softball game and noticed called 3rd strike is a BOW & ARROW and swinging 3rd strike is just another overhead HAMMER. So my question is : What is the ASA uniform teaching on a dropped third strike? I admit some umpires raised right arm is not as pronounced as it could be but describing it as "little side point" doesnt do justice to those who do make it clearly visible.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Heightslife

The operative part of your statement is "MLB park" meaning there is a HUGE scoreboard that will display the count soon enough.

You mean like the "slow" NCAA umpires displayed the hammer "soon enough"?

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by Heightslife

The operative part of your statement is "MLB park" meaning there is a HUGE scoreboard that will display the count soon enough. Raising a fist above your head wont be confused with an OUT so I understand its purpose = easier for fans to see the call. But a fist to most fans means OUT. I just watched a NCAA softball game and noticed called 3rd strike is a BOW & ARROW and swinging 3rd strike is just another overhead HAMMER. So my question is : What is the ASA uniform teaching on a dropped third strike? I admit some umpires raised right arm is not as pronounced as it could be but describing it as "little side point" doesnt do justice to those who do make it clearly visible.

But the problem is, there are several who don't make it "clearly visible." A hammer is clearly visible when executed properly. And I don't agree that a hammer automatically means out to "most fans." I think most fans would know on the first pitch to a batter, if the umpire gives a clear hammer, then the umpire must have called a strike as opposed to an out.

[socalumps]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

You get cold donuts and coffee at your clinics??

Gotta disagree with you, again. A signal is just that, a signal. Meant to convery a message. The best way to convey that message clearly to everyone in a ballpark is to give a universal signal, not some variant that you or I choose to use.

In your opinion, then, where should this morphing of signals end. Is it okay for me to point to the ground for a strike, if that is my desired strike call? Where do we draw the line?

I am also telling you that there are some signals in the groups of umpires you named that fail to convey the message. I have been at a MLB park where, due to my angle to the plate, I couldn't see the little side point, and due to my distance from the plate I couldn't hear a call. THAT umpire failed to communicate to me and the hundreds of fans around me. Had he come up with a big, clear, hammer, we all would have known what the call was.

To me, the hokey is with those people who feel we should "express ourselves" on the field rather than use the prescribed signals.

Since there are differences....who's prescribed signals?

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by socalumps

Since there are differences....who's prescribed signals?

Whichever organization you are working. ASA, when working their game, NFHS, when working theirs, or NCAA when working theirs. Fortunately, there is no real difference between them, except that NCAA has a couple of extra "acceptable" signals. Each list and have nice little diagrams in their respective umpire manuals.

[NCASAUmp]

Wow, I just got an eyeful.

http://www.americanfederationofumpires.com/signals.html

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Wow, I just got an eyeful.

http://www.americanfederationofumpires.com/signals.html

That's hillarious! Remind me to never join the AFU.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

That's hillarious! Remind me to never join the AFU.

Hey, Mike? Don't join the AFU. They still haven't published their secret handshake, and I hear they're talking about merging with the YSISF.

[Rachel]

There are lots of groups trying for a slice of the pie. They need to try and differentiate themselves from the standard. I really don't like the idea of all the different shirts. People are just trying to make a buck off of us by selling shirts.

I am kind of a mechanics freak. However, I was at a high level high school game last night that the plate umpire wore no shin guards, no plate(steel toe) shoes and a beanie cap. He sometimes worked on the outside shoulder of the catcher and to be honest with you did a great job.

The teams really just want the umpires to get the calls right.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Rachel

There are lots of groups trying for a slice of the pie. They need to try and differentiate themselves from the standard. I really don't like the idea of all the different shirts. People are just trying to make a buck off of us by selling shirts.

I am kind of a mechanics freak. However, I was at a high level high school game last night that the plate umpire wore no shin guards, no plate(steel toe) shoes and a beanie cap. He sometimes worked on the outside shoulder of the catcher and to be honest with you did a great job.

The teams really just want the umpires to get the calls right.

Dakota, you still wearing the beanie cap?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Rachel

There are lots of groups trying for a slice of the pie. They need to try and differentiate themselves from the standard. I really don't like the idea of all the different shirts. People are just trying to make a buck off of us by selling shirts.

I am kind of a mechanics freak. However, I was at a high level high school game last night that the plate umpire wore no shin guards, no plate(steel toe) shoes and a beanie cap. He sometimes worked on the outside shoulder of the catcher and to be honest with you did a great job.

The teams really just want the umpires to get the calls right.

Had something similar at a tournament a couple years ago. Had an umpire sent that worked HS. On the plate, he was about 4' behind the catcher and never moved out of the RH slot. There was no way he could see the plate and I would have to guess he was calling the pitch out in front. However, after observing him, he did a pretty good job.

He worked HS ball in SteveM's general area, but told me no one had ever told him to get up on the catcher and change slots with the LH batters. Scary.

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Wow, I just got an eyeful.

http://www.americanfederationofumpires.com/signals.html

Plate Umpire is covering 3B --
PU puts his left fist on the left side of his ribcage and then moves the left arm to the left in parallel with the ground.

...........That's the chicken dance.

Dunnah, dunnah, dunnah, dunt.
Dunnah, dunnah, dunnah, dunt.
Dunnah, dunnah, dunnah, dunt, dunt, dunt, dunt, dunt.

[LMan]

whatever happened to, "I got third!"

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by LMan

whatever happened to, "I got third!"

Well, that's when umpires should be on the same page. I hate it when someone calls out "I've got third" when they want to deviate from mechanics in the middle of a game. First, I think that it's bad form to take away someone's call. Second, a defensive player may think it's a teammate yelling it out and not the umpire.

If that's how you want to do your game, fine. Just work it out BEFORE the game, save yourself the breath, save yourself the risk of confusing the defense, and save yourself the chat with the DC explaining why you'd yell something like that out while his team is trying to get an out.