Pet Peeves..........

[surf24]

One of my biggest as an umpire is when I am ump'ing a game and one of the teams playing has a "fellow umpire" on it---and they make every attempt to do stuff they know is illegal or to make you think you've made the wrong call and don't know the rules.


grrrr......

[Bandit]

As an umpire. I attend my daughters games as a fan or sometimes a score-keeper and I see umpires who THINK they do know the rules.

[MD Longhorn]

My pet peeve: Partner allows 15-20 warmup pitches, 3-4 minutes, chatting with someone outside the fence.

That or coaches that yell time and start walking toward their pitcher, not waiting for me to call TIME, before play has completely stopped.

[surf24]

Originally Posted by Bandit

As an umpire. I attend my daughters games as a fan or sometimes a score-keeper and I see umpires who THINK they do know the rules.

Yes---this is tough to watch. I have several times gone to "said umpires" after the game with my rule book in hand and show them the actual rule. Only one time did they not appreciate it. I do not do it during a game because I feel that would be very uncouth.

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

My pet peeve: Partner allows 15-20 warmup pitches, 3-4 minutes, chatting with someone outside the fence.

That or coaches that yell time and start walking toward their pitcher, not waiting for me to call TIME, before play has completely stopped.

Yes.......I give about 4 in the very first inning and after that they get one. I mean they've already thrown a bunch --- it isn't going to get better. lol

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by surf24

I give about 4 (warm-up pitches) in the very first inning and after that they get one. I mean they've already thrown a bunch --- it isn't going to get better. lol

One pet peeve is when an umpire ignores a rule in the rule book- like how many warm-up pitches the rules allow- and enforces some arbitrary notion of what they think is "better for the game".

Others:

- The "excessive warm-up pitches/excessive delays between innings" is a big one for me. The rules do prescribe a set number of warm-up pitches and a set amount of time in which they must be delivered. I'll give them that much, but that's it.

- When I'm the base umpire and at the plate conference the plate umpire goes off on a lot of tangents about obscure rules, tries to explain "his" strike zone, gives pre-emptive warnings about rule violations that aren't supposed to warrant a warning until they actually happen, tells the coaches that "we might miss some things, but you can't argue them because it's our judgment" or spends the plate conference joking it up, or buddying up with the coaches.

- When I'm the plate umpire and at the plate conference the base umpire feels the need to interject himself on every other sentence I utter.

- One that happens way too often and gets under my skin after awhile:

I hold up, say, two fingers on each hand and clearly announce, "Two balls, two strikes!".

The next pitch comes in and I clearly announce, "Ball!".

At which point, the batter/catcher/base coach asks, "What's the count, Blue?".

After three or four of those, I'm really tempted to say, "Exactly one ball more than when I gave the count after the previous pitch!".

[charliej47]

I also have a problem when I arrive and try to have a pre-game and my partner states he's "sone this long enough to know how and what to umpire."

I go over a few thing anyway and most of the time I will watch my partner screw things up.

[Skahtboi]

Since we are talking peeves here, how about that partner who thinks that the plate conference with coaches is a good time to give a clinic? I had one this post season who droned on and on for five minutes or more. It was ridiculous.

[Bandit]

Let alone the talking to outside the fence visitors. How about the partner that tries to be the funny, buddy-buddy with both the the coaches before, between and during the innings because everyone knows he's going to screw something up....including himself and hopes his fake "I'm your pal" attitude will save him.

[surf24]

Originally Posted by Bandit

Let alone the talking to outside the fence visitors. How about the partner that tries to be the funny, buddy-buddy with both the the coaches before, between and during the innings because everyone knows he's going to screw something up....including himself and hopes his fake "I'm your pal" attitude will save him.

This......

I admit it is hard for me as I have played ball at the complex that I now umpire at for about 15 years now. I know, have played with and/or against most of the players that come there for games. I make every attempt though to keep it "professional" when I am in my umpire attire.

I did get a compliment last night.....an older gentleman on one of the church teams games I had told me I had the most consistent ball/strike zone and hustled more than any umpire they'd had so far this season. (I did make sure last night wasn't their first game. lol)

[charliej47]

I'm the BU and I watch my partner ignore EVERY one of the "administrative" rules.

I will talk to them when given a chance and will hear them say "Well I don't enforce those nit picky rules".

I try not to work with that person again.

[surf24]

Originally Posted by charliej47

I'm the BU and I watch my partner ignore EVERY one of the "administrative" rules.

I will talk to them when given a chance and will hear them say "Well I don't enforce those nit picky rules".

I try not to work with that person again.

"nit picky rules" ............ one more reason umpires in general get bad raps......