NFHS - It was kind of a funny afternoon anyway. My assignor asked me to work the bases of a baseball game... A first for me.
The only thing that appeared to move quickly was the ball. And only when someone wasn't holding it... I should have brought a book.
Anyway I had a softball game right after and I was really looking forward to it..... These 2 teams would have been better off seeing each other in a Mall or maybe Cabela's.
1st inning... 18 to zip. 2nd inning started 10 pitches after Team B came to bat. 7 of them non-swinging strikes.
One of the best pitches I saw all evening from Team B came on it's 2nd bounce.
As the 2nd inning began, I discretely told the Team A coach I was going to open up my strike zone. But they turned it into a joke. All sorts of comments started flying. I couldn't believe it... So I called time and went over and had my own talk with Team A.
Thank goodness the ball park lights didn't come on and we were able to call the game due to darkness.....
How creative do you all get when you get a lop-sided match-up?

Chuck
 

One of the best pitches I saw all evening from Team B came on it's 2nd bounce

I hope you rung it up just so you could get the coaches going (just kidding). JMO but if I get a one-sided game as your speaking about yes I will most of the time OPEN things up too BUT I never discuss it with the coaches to me that is kinda opening a can of worms if you know what I mean. Also when I do "open" things up I do it the same for both teams because you never know when one those weird things are going to happen I have seen several times where one team has taken a 15-0 lead in the 1st never score another run and have the other team come back and make the game close or even win it

I notice in your post your from SUNNY CA it most be nice I just got rain out of another 6 games scheduled for today. So far I have lost 20 games due to weather and everything is backing up at this rate some Sat in June I will probably be scheduled to call 100 games. Oh well that life I guess


Have a good one

Don

[Edited by oppool on Apr 13th, 2002 at 05:39 PM]

Re: Chuck
 

LOL..... With the warped sense of humor I came equipped with, I always wanted to do things like:
A. Have my partner walk me into a gym for a Varsity Basketball contest while I was wearing dark glasses and carrying a white cane...
B. And of course call one of bouncers a strike... Maybe even strike one.... strike two.... if they swung real fast at it..
Winning or losing a game isn't a problem for me, but I just can't seem to deal with the unsportsmanlike attitude. I probably should just stay out of it, but I like your approach and will not say anything to the coach next time.

Well I live out next to Death Valley... In the desert. It does have it good and bad points.... For instance not many of our diamond have that green stuff.... No we don't have money either... But I think a lot of people call it grass???
And today nearly hit the 100 mark... And that's not games....
And as you probably know, it can get a bit warm with all the protective gear... Today I even got a little sunburned... So it's not all roses out here...
It sounds like some of you call a lot of games.... I'll maybe get 20 games in a high school season.... Don't get me wrong as I'm not complaining... 20 is enough for me!

Thanks for your input Don... Got to go pack... I get to go to Tucson, AZ tomorrow... Nice town... Take care and I hope the weather straightens itself out soon!

Re: Chuck
 

Don,
You have lost more games than I have called. {I was on the injured
reserve list though}..[grin] Reference the portion of your
quote I underlined. It is tough to try and help a team. If
you call a pitch that is really out of zone, now that pitcher
thinks it is a strike and keeps throwing it. I usually tell
the coach of the team beating up on the other one to create
some outs and ones that won't embarass his opponent. Really
not our job to take strikes, outs that are not there. Never
know when a ML scout is learking about, LOL......Seriously
not something we should do, I let coach of team thats ahead
do it.

glen

Unfortunately, I remember a game I had like this all to well. 23 to nothing in the first inning by the visiting team, 0 by the home team, inning lasted 47 minutes at an ASA
Invitational. The '0' team was an allstar team, the '23' team was a B/A team from out of town. The BU was an idiot, as I had already called him over to the side after 15 runs and told him to call girls out for leaving early, he NEVER did!! The umps up in the tower on their off games were rolling and howling with laughter!! The top of the 2nd, I started giving the '0' team a HUGE strike zone with no mention to the coaches. '23' team managed to score 7 runs.
I finally walked over to the '23' team coach while his batter was dragging out of the dugout and said, "look, coach, you've had this game in the bag in the first inning. Have your girls strike at anything and let's get this over with. The allstars are embarrased." He did, 1-2-3 strikeouts. '0' team 1-2-3, time limit & I went to the tower and told my assignor never to book me w/the BU again.
So, long story short, call 'em out for leaving early, huge strike zone, don't discuss w/the coaches unless absolutely there's nothing else you can do.

:D :D :D :D

We've got a high school team around here that is good enough to run the score up just about anytime they want to. Most of the time, they choose not to but it still happens that they are up 15-plus runs. Their coach will usually speak to the BU around that time and say make sure to watch my girls on the bases as (wink) they lose concentration in games like this and tend to walk off the base way too early. We all appreciate that.

Steve M