umpire-catcher courtesies

[youngump]

Originally Posted by Andy

LIblueASA covered it pretty well...it's not that she is saying she doesn't know, it's the way it is being said. Shrugging the shoulders is a visible reaction to the coach's question that could be interpreted by anybody watching that she doesn't agree with my call and she is letting eveybody know.

I didn't say that the act of her shrugging her shoulders is showing me up, I said that the act is starting down that path. The quick conversation of her asking where the pitch missed and my replying is heard only between the two of us, nobody knows, she relays the information to her coach, we move on.

The umpire in question that started this part of the discussion chose to react to the shoulder shrug in a very obvious manner. I don't know that I would choose the same path. But, I would at least say something to the catcher to let her know that her actions were inappropriate and needed to cease.

And...thanks for keeping the discussion civil! One of the things I like most about this board!

Would you apply the same thing on a close play at third? You call out. Coach believes the runner was safe. He shrugs his shoulders in frustration and gives the 1st base coach a look across the diamond. Is it time to clean 3rd base? And how is that showing you his disagreement less of a visible showing up then when he calls time, walks over to you, says she was on the bag long before the tag and then politely goes back to his position?

[Andy]

Originally Posted by youngump

Would you apply the same thing on a close play at third? You call out. Coach believes the runner was safe. He shrugs his shoulders in frustration and gives the 1st base coach a look across the diamond. Is it time to clean 3rd base? And how is that showing you his disagreement less of a visible showing up then when he calls time, walks over to you, says she was on the bag long before the tag and then politely goes back to his position?

This thread has certainly taken a left turn from the original posting.....

A play at third base is a different animal....the play happens, umpire calls it, coach expresses dissatisfaction with the call, umpire deals with that, we move on. We may not have another close play on the bases for several more batters.

We have a pitch to start every play. A catcher shrugging her shoulders in response to her coach could be interpreted as her disagreement with the PU's pitch call and it could lead down the path of attempting to show up the umpire. I think I have said this twice before, so one more time may or may not help make my point. Since we have a pitch to start every play, if the catcher, and/or the coach, starts thinking that the umpires strike zone is terrible, they now have something to complain about almost constantly. The situation can only go downhill from there.

As I stated in my previous post..the umpire in question that started this part of the discussion chose to react to the shoulder shrug in a very obvious manner and deal with it early, if in fact, that was the crux of the conversation.

Frankly, I'm surprised at some of the discussion in this post....I have always been told not to let anyone get too far with questioning the strike zone..whether they are doing it openly or not.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Andy

We have a pitch to start every play. A catcher shrugging her shoulders in response to her coach could be interpreted as her disagreement with the PU's pitch call and it could lead down the path of attempting to show up the umpire. I think I have said this twice before, so one more time may or may not help make my point. Since we have a pitch to start every play, if the catcher, and/or the coach, starts thinking that the umpires strike zone is terrible, they now have something to complain about almost constantly. The situation can only go downhill from there.

I hear you, but I guess to my mind there's a huge gulf between a catcher who disagrees with a single call and one who thinks and acts like the umpire's zone is terrible. And potential "could be" disagreement number one (unvocalized, even) is not the place to head it off.