New pitcher - do you tell her the sitch?

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by shipwreck

Working a College game a few years back. When a defensive coach would come out for a conference, when he was walking back to the dugout I would let him know it was a charged conference. After the game, a senior umpire chewed me out for doing that. He said we are dealing with adult coaches and by me telling him it was a charged conference, that it was redundant, that he knew the obvious. he said the coach should know he gets one conference before he has to change pitchers. Just kind of shrugged my shoulders and went on.
I always thought we were supposed to let them know. Dave

I shall respectfully disagree. I don't point, or raise a finger to indicate "one", as that can be misconstrued as an aggressive action, but I make every effort to catch the coach's eye and indicate it is charged.

There are times when a conference is not a charged conference; when the other team initiates it and this coach breaks his up immediately, when the conversation was an injury or health concern, when you as an umpire have held up play (say, to walk off being dinged by a pitch or foul ball).

So, if every conference isn't a charged conference, how does the coach KNOW you charged THAT one? Does the coach "assume", or do you tell him? Sure, it is most often obvious; but you certainly minimize the need to eject a coach or player for multiple conferences if you communicate all the time, every time. And, I will ABSOLUTELY tell an opposing coache when an apparent conference is NOT being charged.