Plate Conf WTH?

[BretMan]

That's the other one that drives me batty. You're the plate umpire trying to do things the way you're supposed to, but the base umpire has to interject himself over top of every other word, usually with arcane rules references or silly glad-handing comments to the coaches.

Here is my routine for the plate conference when I'm the base umpire...stand there and shut up!

The other one you get with some of these "local hero/legends in their own mind" types is the conference that starts off something like, "We don't want to hear any arguments today and this is your only warning...". Then it goes downhill from there...

But I must admit...I have never had a partner show up at the plate conference with a snowcone!

[NCASAUmp]

I'll second the comment about local hero umpires. It drives me nuts to have a partner who goes up to the players and coaches and chats 'em up like we're not even in uniform.

For cryin' out loud, could you possibly hold up an even bigger sign to the other team that says "you're not getting any calls today?" If you want friends, go on Facebook.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

I'll second the comment about local hero umpires. It drives me nuts to have a partner who goes up to the players and coaches and chats 'em up like we're not even in uniform.

For cryin' out loud, could you possibly hold up an even bigger sign to the other team that says "you're not getting any calls today?" If you want friends, go on Facebook.

Have one of these in our local league. Worse, we ALL know everyone on both teams. Yet LH (local hero) has his little group of people he hates (likely vice versa). Worked a game with him where he spent every single half inning on one side chatting with several different people - and never said boo to anyone on the other team - even though he knew them all.

I could do nothing but stand and watch the fallout when he made his first close call against that team.