Partner blues...

[Skahtboi]

Friday, I had a big, cross town rivalry game. I was partnered with one of those 20 year rookie types. During the JV game he was calling strikes or balls before they even crossed the plate. At one point a pitch appeared to have gone right down the middle of the plate about belt high, but he was already standing and had called it a ball before the catcher had caught it.

I am always leery of these types of partners, as they seem to get me off of my game, or more specifically my rythym, because I am always concerned of what might happen. So...needless to say, I wasn't the most comfortable in working the varsity game, but I still feel like I did a decent job on the plate. Yet, I need to find a way to be as comfortable when I am working with these types of partners as I do when I am working with partners I know I can trust to be in position...etc. This is the guy who is always out of position, never hustling, doesn't command a great rules knowledge, would rather fraternize with coaches and fans than focus on the game, and feels the need to be an entertainer when on the field. At one point he was so busy visiting with a first base coach that I had to ask him three times on a potential check swing (see other post I made) before I could get an answer, and that answer was rather ambiguous. There were several other incidents, including the game ending call, that I have issues with, but that is not my question.

My question is, what steps do you take when you are on the field with one of these types to keep your game from joining his in the handbasket? What coping strategies or focusing mechanisms do you use?