Mandatory slide crap

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

This was uttered in a USSSA men's slow-pitch travel team league. I told the SS (who is a fellow umpire by the way) I'm ignoring that, but if it did happen he wouldn't be finishing the night on the field. I also went to the other team and suggested getting down or out of the way somehow to allow the throw to 1B for the double play, or I would be calling interference.

Nope, this is bad advice. You shouldn't be telling the teams to do anything. Again, just setting yourself up.

What happens when the next runner "gets out of the way" by moving inside and the SS moves the same way for fear of an ejection and, BAM, the SS just did what you warned him not to do because of your suggestion to the other team.

Umpire the game and leave the coaching to the coaches.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Nope, this is bad advice. You shouldn't be telling the teams to do anything. Again, just setting yourself up.

What happens when the next runner "gets out of the way" by moving inside and the SS moves the same way for fear of an ejection and, BAM, the SS just did what you warned him not to do because of your suggestion to the other team.

Umpire the game and leave the coaching to the coaches.

I agree. Your intentions are good, as no one wants to see anyone get injured, much less deliberately. However, I've made it my own personal policy to never tell anyone to DO something. I simply tell them what they can't do (can't block the plate and hinder the runner without the ball, catch... can't kick the SS in the twig and giggleberries while sliding into 2B... can't call the my partner an ucking fidiot, even if you only said it to me...). I leave it up to their coaches to tell them the proper thing to do.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Nope, this is bad advice. You shouldn't be telling the teams to do anything. Again, just setting yourself up.

What happens when the next runner "gets out of the way" by moving inside and the SS moves the same way for fear of an ejection and, BAM, the SS just did what you warned him not to do because of your suggestion to the other team.

Umpire the game and leave the coaching to the coaches.

Using your advice, I guess I might as well as go against what my UIC encourages, because that's what he did in a game before that. I'm not willing to eject players over comments like that in a league like that, because the UIC doesn't have a backbone when the teams think I'm unfairly ejecting them over stuff that umpires in USSSA tournaments don't even blink an eye at. You have to consider the level of play sometimes, and the politics sometimes if you want to survive in some of these leagues.

By the way, there are no "coaches" on these men's slow-pitch teams, just managers who go up for the pre-game flip. So if I were to leave the coaching to the coaches, who do I go to? The captains who were at the pre-game meeting who are going to tell me to f**k off and when I eject them, walk up to my partner who's the UIC and get me removed from the field for doing that? That's something to be considered at this type of level.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

Using your advice, I guess I might as well as go against what my UIC encourages, because that's what he did in a game before that. I'm not willing to eject players over comments like that in a league like that, because the UIC doesn't have a backbone when the teams think I'm unfairly ejecting them over stuff that umpires in USSSA tournaments don't even blink an eye at. You have to consider the level of play sometimes, and the politics sometimes if you want to survive in some of these leagues.

By the way, there are no "coaches" on these men's slow-pitch teams, just managers who go up for the pre-game flip. So if I were to leave the coaching to the coaches, who do I go to? The captains who were at the pre-game meeting who are going to tell me to f**k off and when I eject them, walk up to my partner who's the UIC and get me removed from the field for doing that? That's something to be considered at this type of level.

The only thing to consider is why in the name of softball you would voluntarily take that treatment. If that is what you have to work with, you might want to consider taking up golf or work for someone else.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

The only thing to consider is why in the name of softball you would voluntarily take that treatment. If that is what you have to work with, you might want to consider taking up golf or work for someone else.

Or consider telling the city to stop being so player-friendly and put comments from both the players and umpires on an even keel? Politics...besides if I were to give up the games in that city, it would be half my schedule. I can't make up that half in another city, and I would be looking at getting bit by a judge in family court over quitting a job over principle. It already bit some of us blues in the area.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

Or consider telling the city to stop being so player-friendly and put comments from both the players and umpires on an even keel? Politics...besides if I were to give up the games in that city, it would be half my schedule. I can't make up that half in another city, and I would be looking at getting bit by a judge in family court over quitting a job over principle. It already bit some of us blues in the area.

You live in one ****ed-up place.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

You live in one ****ed-up place.

Sadly, that's just how it goes. It's also the reason why I don't call in one particular town - the league director does NOT back us up. My take on it? "Guess what, bub. You just lost one of the better umpires in the area." I'm fortunate enough to have plenty of ball to call elsewhere around here. However, not everyone is so fortunate.

And it's not a matter of him living in an f'ed up place. Anywhere you have lawyers, family court's a b1tch.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Sadly, that's just how it goes. It's also the reason why I don't call in one particular town - the league director does NOT back us up. My take on it? "Guess what, bub. You just lost one of the better umpires in the area." I'm fortunate enough to have plenty of ball to call elsewhere around here. However, not everyone is so fortunate.

And it's not a matter of him living in an f'ed up place. Anywhere you have lawyers, family court's a b1tch.

I find it hard to believe this would be a family court issue (assuming this isn't one's sole source of income). What are they going to do if you are not scheduled, put you in jail? Small town politics sucks which is why you will never see me living in a place like that. Too many damn communists to make it worth it.