Broke my NCAA cherry tonight
 

Worked a college friendly tonight - For my first NCAA game I had Cal Bears vs Pete Turner's San Jose Spartans. It was quite something but by all accounts I did just fine. Called one low one a strike and lordie you think I shot the pope or something.. jeez. Turner wanted a "hit the ball out of the box" but that girl was just lightening fast, I doubt he could see that. She was in the next zip code already anyway. :D

Had a goofy play. Cal's R1@3B R2@1B . a blooper between R1 and 3B and I got screened and saw the ball land right near the fair side of the line, then it shot over to the dugout - I simply could not tell fair or foul .. too many bodies in the way .. scrambling to bases and scrambling for the ball - I lost the ball - .. 3 man crew so 3U on the line, I look at partner, no signal from him so I give a fairly inconspicuous "fair signal" - I figured 50/50 shot and we could fix that one..so that way my call. So all hell breaks loose and runners and defenders go every whichaway.. and San Jose is going ape sheet, hell I think someone even gave birth and the sky split open - so when its all said and done I get with 3U and apparently it wasnt even close, missed fair by about a foot... So I took a little beating for that one... oh well. I still figure its better to call fair (or nothing I suppose) than guess a foul.. but my bad.

So as of tonight, I am NCAA...and here goes nothing. I'll just do my best.

1 bad call, 1 bad strike call and I could critique my self On several minor things but thats that.

Its a different level of intensity and you always gotta be working on your game and I'll have to make sure I am up for this challenge, or at least try at it.

And this was just fall ball, where it is relaxed.

Wait until the regular season.....

Here is the story of one of my buddies college "evaluation" tryout.

Buddy is BU - 2 umpires
Buddy calls BR out at first on a banger - here comes the offensive coach (known for trying to play head games and intimidate umpires)

Coach (stomping across field): Blue - I need to talk to you!
Buddy waits for coach to get to him and before coach can say anything..

Buddy: Coach, I know I'm the newbie and you are out here to see what I will take and how I will react to you, so just say what you're going to say so we can get on with the game.

Coach (a bit flabbergasted): Uh, OK.....what did you have on that call?
Buddy: I had an out
Coach: You're not going to change that call?
Buddy: Nope
Coach: What's your name?
Buddy: (states his name), sir.
Coach: I like you, (name)! - turns and goes back to his dugout.

My buddy has not had any issues with this coach since!

Captain or sailor?
 

Andy,
Your buddy must have a background in sailing, the way he stole the wind out of that coach sail is priceless! :)

Was the field lined?

*eyes irish suspiciously*


Yes... it was lined.

Did you at least cuddle afterwards?

This is where our instincts keep us from thinking. As umpires, we almost always move to a position to look right down the line to the base or foul pole, whichever is the case.

If you have lines, and you have time, stepping to one side or the other may give you a better view of the ball location. Unfortunately, you give up that line which may be necessary should a fielder make an attempt and contact the ball.

Of course, if that runner would stay in foul territory where she belongs, it isn't an issue. :D

Or, in a game this week, my BU partner could have moved.

:cool:

Thats actually what I was told.. essentially "you know you can get screened on that, so get somewhere where you can see".

Just an error I made..

In my defense.. and not an excuse, just fact - that was my 11th game of the weekend, 10 of the 18G, I had just worked a plate and base of 18G immediately before that game and had 45 mins to get my head straight for what felt like the biggest game of my career so far.

To be honest, It was all I could do to focus on what I was doing.. every single pitch I refocussed myself and looked at everything around the field to keep my head straight... because the butterflys never went away.

Here I have Diane Neinemeyer (Sic whatever) on one side and Pete Turner on the other.. and it was a lot surreal for me.. My 1st NCAA game and its those two? and I'm on the plate? Jeez. And the pitchers could bring it too, obviously. The leads offs for cal are lightening fast...

I'm pretty proud of the way I didnt just fall to pieces :D, I stayed in the game, called a good consistent zone (1 obvious bad call on a pitch).. and cal's crowd is pretty damn vocal so they woulda let me know....

I wish I could run into someone who took pics though. i would love to have that.

I remember at the end of the game, one of the BU's are retrieving their water bottles, and I'm waiting.. and I told her "look they are 50 cents, leave em, get me outta here.. jeez". I mean come on, lets get the F off the field, I'll buy you a case of water bottles.

I have my college tryout this weekend....I'll have to remember this story should the same situation arise.
BTW...Wade.....congratulations on your first NCAA game.

I was Wade's 3B umpire for the game and I would like to say that he did a great job under the microscope. Good zone and I commented to Wade on the 1 pitch he is beating himself over.:D This game felt more like a playoff game than a "friendly". Lots of fans and lots of running by Cal. I have some lower level NCAA experience so it was a fun experience as I was preparing for a camp this weekend.

On the fair/foul call it was awkward but we got it right. I probably should have come up with a foul when Wade hesitated but by the time my brain processed it, Wade pointed fair. To change it quickly without coming together, I felt would make us look worse than we already looked. When the hollering started Wade and I got together and fixed it.
No comments really on the change of the call because everyone knew it was the correct thing to do.

Glad you posted!

I'm not going to that camp as I will work the other NCAA assoc for now but was great working with you and i'll definitely see you again between the chalk lines!

Great game!

A standard rule of thumb in umpiring is "Never guess an out". On the same principal I think you are absolutly correct to not guess a foul. Obviously you can take away a hit given in error with an incorrect fair ball call but you cant give back a hit taken away in error with an incorrect foul ball call.

As partners who had not worked together before, you did every thing right, PU calling fair when he could not see it land foul, 3B not trying to change the call after PU had already signaled fair.

I think most of us have partners we have worked with enough times where if PU got screened he could give U3 a took and U3 would know he had no call and take it. But that takes a lot of work together. And of course is in no mechanics manual on the face of the planet.

In the end you got the call right and you did it the right way.

Wade congrats on acheiving NCAA status, what an awesome game to start with. I am envious living in the Last Frontier where alas the highest level of ball we have is high school.