Baseball Umps for Softball

[bigsig]

Went to a PONY Qualifier this afternoon. The TD decided to use a group of baseball umpires from the neighboring State rather than our local ASA Umpires because he could save $10 per ump. I was approached by 3 different coaches who recognized me about how terrible the umps were. Some were 15 and 16 years old. For a qualifier! One ump told me he just registered with PONY on line 2 days before the tourney.

I observed a lot of poor and inconsistent strike zones and some questionable calls, but the semifinals became a real problem. Score tied 2-2, they go to the tiebreaker. Top of the 13th inning, visitors have bases loaded, no outs. Grounder hit up the middle, glances off of F1’s foot, F6 charges the ball and is run into by R2 going from 2nd to 3rd. NO CALL! Ball rolls into outfield. R1 scores and then R2 is thrown out at the plate trying to score from 2B. Offensive coaches are screaming OBS and defensive coaches are screaming for interference.

The 4 umps (yes 4!) confer for about 4-5 minutes when the UIC comes onto the field. He rules that it was interference, F2 is out, runners return to last base occupied AND the BR is out for a double play, two outs on one interference call

TD is called on protest. He won’t overrule umps. 3 coaches get tossed. I bet that TD wishes he spent the extra $10.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by bigsig

Went to a PONY Qualifier this afternoon. The TD decided to use a group of baseball umpires from the neighboring State rather than our local ASA Umpires because he could save $10 per ump.

.

Why not use PONY umpires?

[MichaelVA2000]

Originally Posted by bigsig

Went to a PONY Qualifier this afternoon. The TD decided to use a group of baseball umpires from the neighboring State rather than our local ASA Umpires because he could save $10 per ump. I was approached by 3 different coaches who recognized me about how terrible the umps were. Some were 15 and 16 years old. For a qualifier! One ump told me he just registered with PONY on line 2 days before the tourney.

I observed a lot of poor and inconsistent strike zones and some questionable calls, but the semifinals became a real problem. Score tied 2-2, they go to the tiebreaker. Top of the 13th inning, visitors have bases loaded, no outs. Grounder hit up the middle, glances off of F1’s foot, F6 charges the ball and is run into by R2 going from 2nd to 3rd. NO CALL! Ball rolls into outfield. R1 scores and then R2 is thrown out at the plate trying to score from 2B. Offensive coaches are screaming OBS and defensive coaches are screaming for interference.

The 4 umps (yes 4!) confer for about 4-5 minutes when the UIC comes onto the field. He rules that it was interference, F2 is out, runners return to last base occupied AND the BR is out for a double play, two outs on one interference call

TD is called on protest. He won’t overrule umps. 3 coaches get tossed. I bet that TD wishes he spent the extra $10.

If the TD went with baseball umpires that don't officiate a lot of softball or inexperienced umpires, then the TD was setting themself up for potential headaches.

I officated at a PONY tournament this weekend where half the umpires officiate both baseball and softball on a regular bases and there where zero mechanics or rules issues.

[DTQ_Blue]

I don't think that the issue was the fact that these were baseball umpires. The issue is that they were unqualified to umpire any baseball or softball game beyond perhaps a house league 12 y/o game. Those kids probably don't even own a rulebook much less ever having studied it.

I worked a tourney yesterday with a very young partner, 21 y/o, who was there with his dad who was running the tourney. He had obviously done some amount of softball umpiring. As BU, he was good an any call that had to be made on an immediate play at a base, but as soon as the play was over, his head was a million miles away. Several times he was looking at the sky or the ground and not watching what runners were doing when the ball was being returned to the circle.

Later I was BU in another game and we had a play where there was contact between a runner rounding third and F5 (his primary coverage as PU). The runner stopped at third and wouldn't have scored under any circumstances. I see it out of the corner of my eye because I'm watching trailing runner. Partner says nothing. Of course offensive coach wants home awarded to the runner and comes to me wanting the call (I was in C on the play). I didn't want to send him to PU and open a pandora's box so I just said that there was OBS but no awarded base would be given. After the game my partner asks me why I didn't award home to the runner.

So 1) he saw the OBS and said nothing because he didn't know he had responsibility for the lead runner rounding 3rd and 2) he thought that anytime OBS occurred there was a base awarded.

Very very rare that a young kid out to make some spending money is going to be a serious student of the game.

[bigsig]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Why not use PONY umpires?

We are all certified PONY as well. Sorry, I should have mentioned that.

[wadeintothem]

I had a couple of baseball guys on the fields I was running too. I had the point strikes (actually didnt look that bad, just isnt allowed), one handed time outs on calls, .. I love this one: the two handed point foul ball whoosh motion. I told him "I'm pretty everyone knew which side of the field that ball went foul on". HSMs.... the whole show.


What hole are they crawling out of?

I guess little league is over.