Coach's Lament?

[IRISHMAFIA]

State tournament, umpires instructed to make the calls they see, IP or otherwise.

LH slapper gets call out for being out of the box in first game of the first night.

Coach comes up to me and gives me his travel itinerary, "I've been to Colorado, Florida, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and NO ONE ever makes that call".

"Coach, was the call inaccurate?" "I've been to Colo........"

"But, Coach, was the call correct?" "No one makes that call, I've been to..."

Whatever!

Following night, guess who gets called out for being out of the box by an umpire who was not there the night before?

Just curious if these coaches really think that we believe their stories?

[umpirebob71]

He's lying, we call it in Ohio.

[Stu Clary]

Last weekend I called an IP when the pitcher took at least 30 seconds to pitch. I heard two "You're the only umpire that's called that all year"s.

[JEL]

Regional HS playoff two years ago.

Late in the game, I called a LH slapper out for stepping out of the box. Of course lines were gone, but foot was clearly out. I'm calling "dead ball" and two runners cross home which of course get sent back, and BR is removed from 2B and called out.

Coach asks "How can you make that call in a game like this?"

I reply, "How can I NOT make that call in a game like this?"

Fans didn't like me much after that (well, half of them anyway!).

[NCASAUmp]

Wait, was I supposed to feel sorry for this coach?

Crap, I screwed up. Queue the music again there, Mike. I forgot to get all sniffly.

[CecilOne]

Called an IP, coach yelling "NO WAY" from dugout. After a few more, while running in and out of the dugout, he informed me "she is a PIAA pitcher", then "72 games never illegal".

Should I have said:
"I don't care if she pitches for Team USA, crow hops are illegal"
or
"71 bad umpires"?
I almost had to bite my tongue.

[SRW]

HS State Tournament 3 weeks ago. First game of the tourney, I'm PU. F1 outside the 24". Ding. Coach gives the typical "no one ever calls that" line. Even heard a fan yell "80 varsity games, never called"... blah blah. Coach doesn't like my explination, goes to find the UIC. UIC stands behind the backstop and is pretty shocked at what he sees. He allows the coach to stand there with him for a few minutes. Never heard another word from the coach after she saw what I was calling. Called around 15 IP's on her, and probably could have called more.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by SRW

HS State Tournament 3 weeks ago. First game of the tourney, I'm PU. F1 outside the 24". Ding. Coach gives the typical "no one ever calls that" line. Even heard a fan yell "80 varsity games, never called"... blah blah. Coach doesn't like my explination, goes to find the UIC. UIC stands behind the backstop and is pretty shocked at what he sees. He allows the coach to stand there with him for a few minutes. Never heard another word from the coach after she saw what I was calling. Called around 15 IP's on her, and probably could have called more.

Glad that worked out for you, but it isn't something the UIC should have done.

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Glad that worked out for you, but it isn't something the UIC should have done.

Don't understand something from original quote....HS tournament.....UIC....Was this a HS tournament thru a State Athletic Association or a travel tournament with HS age teams......Just couriuos. The reason I ask is that in Indiana we don't have UIC's for HS tournaments. We are contracted directly by the schools as individual umpires. Just wondering.

But I do ask IM why should not the UIC show the coach what is being called if indeed it is correct. I have UIC'd tournaments before and have heard complaints....quietly checked out the IP calls or calls in other instances and found my umpires to be correct. NOW....I have found umpires to be incorrect also, and that obvioulsy changes the approach. But if found to be true and you can quietly show the coach the problem and maybe get it corrected as the game or tournament continues.....Why not

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Bandit

But I do ask IM why should not the UIC show the coach what is being called if indeed it is correct.

And what happens if the pitcher does not repeat the infraction? What is the UIC going to show the coach? Meanwhile, it is possible the UIC has unwittingly shown up the umpire and given the coach that much more to whine about.

I have UIC'd tournaments before and have heard complaints....quietly checked out the IP calls or calls in other instances and found my umpires to be correct.

Quietly is one thing. This UIC openly stood behind the backstop WITH the coach in front of already excited fans. I constantly move around. I will sit for a while, get up walk around to different fields, watch from centerfield, watch from across the parking lot, watch from wherever my feet take me. Then I'll sit down for a while until I get up and do it all over again. I do not approach loud fields

NOW....I have found umpires to be incorrect also, and that obvioulsy changes the approach. But if found to be true and you can quietly show the coach the problem and maybe get it corrected as the game or tournament continues.....Why not

Again, quietly and inconspicuous is one thing. This coach went off, tracked down the UIC. The coach wanted to whine and expected to embarrass the umpire in front the UIC. The coach was told why the pitcher was called illegal, what more can the UIC, who apparently wasn't in the vicinity, going to tell him?

Nah, if the coach comes for me, I'm probably going to ask him why he is out fo the team area during the game Then I would tell him/her that I will take a look, but at my leisure and I'm not going to instruct the umpire to not call a violation if s/he sees it.