This Ranks Right Up (or is it down?)There.....
 

Heard a new one tonight that left me speechless....

35+ mens league....a weird combination of FP and SP - they use a Clincher for their ball, for example ....the play gets sloppy at times, and so you sometimes get caught a little out of position.

Anyways - R1 is going into second on what should be a routine force...ball gets thrown away, and he starts for 3rd. I am PU and was a touch slow going up to 3B, and the throw comes in, and I bang R1 out on a close one. Of course he started arguing - but this was his argument:

"Hey Blue, some of us are playing hard out here, and you got to give us some calls - Just because it LOOKS like I was out, doesn't mean you have to CALL me out!!! :eek::confused: :o

I had no answer for that one.....

No, I called you out because you WERE out! :cool:

I was way to tired to think of that at that time.....:rolleyes:

I WAS able to use the 'the strike zone changes after midnight' one, though :eek: - even though it was probably 'only' 11:30 :p

Actually, it looked like you were safe. I called you out 'cause you're an ***hole!

Along the same lines....
 

Working a Men's FP tourney a couple of weeks ago. I have known and called many games for the pitcher for team A.

About the fifth inning, he is getting frustrated with his defense not helping him, errors in the infield, dropped balls in the outfield, etc, and he walks a batter...

He yells at me...."I'm not that good of a pitcher Andy, you've got to give me those corners!"

My reply..."A foot off of the plate is not a corner...bring it in to about six inches and we'll talk!"

At that point, he removed himself from the game (voluntarily).

The ***hole tax will get you every time. Just like a coach starting an argument with " I used to umpire and ..." Not the way to get on my good side, LOL

Well, most of the time there are good reasons the coach "used" to umpire, but no longer does. Either he wasn't in shape to do so, couldn't stand the political side that didn't suit him or, and most likely the case, couldn't stand *******s like himself. :rolleyes:

Irish, I think the last reason should be listed first if you are placing them in order of merit. I am sure I will hear my favorite line at least once this coming week.

People who tell me they "used to umpire" become instant targets for recruitment and I will ask them right then and there if they are interested in coming back, as we always need good umpires. :rolleyes: That usually shuts them down 'cause they are now frantically searching for a response that will not make them seem more foolish than the original comment.;) OTOH, if they say yes, I immediately hand them my card and tell them to call me :D

Of course, it took me all these years to come up with these type of responses. I better write them down before the mind goes!

Now that would scare a hungry dog off a garbage pile! :p

For the sake of defending some that might have different reasons, how about this as a legit reason: His daughter is now playing age and is dedicated to his family? Same reason some say, "I used to play golf on Saturdays". :( Having been on both sides of the ball, I agree completely that telling me you used to be an umpire, doesn't help you with me.

And umpiring stops you from being dedicated to the family? That money one earns could very well be the difference in the daughter (who is there is an athletic scholarship, it will most likely be partial) attending the preferred or another college. :) Or fund college for the other offspring that isn't athletically inclined to get into a decent school.

Just because your child is playing ball does not mean one needs to stop umpiring. There are other games out there besides her team's or league's. Not only does is earn a little extra money, it also keeps the individual in the game, aware of the "real" rules and interpretations and, in some instances, makes one feel more useful as an observer or coach when involved in DD's games.

My point is that one should try to keep a hand in it even if doing nothing more than attending clinics and working a friendly or two, maybe even some SP where you will learn what it is really like to hustle.:D

Not to speak for Tony, but I also virtually stopped umpiring while DD was playing HS and summer ball. I kept the skills up by working practice situations and friendly scrimmages. But those summer weekends on the road were worth more to me than money. Once she started college ball I increased my HS and college schedule (around her college schedule) and went back to summer ball. :cool:

Or anything that includes "footprint" ;)

Some of us, believe it or not, enjoy watching our kids play. :eek:

I still attend the clinics in the Winter. I still take the high school test every year. I just don't want to miss my daughter playing.

For the record, I do SP two nights a week when her schedule allows it.

Sure, you can be a dedicated parent with a kid playing and still umpire.
In the context of coach saying, "I used to umpire"...
It is hard to coach a team and also have time for umpiring. :cool:

Standard defensive FP parent response. Where did I suggest anyone not watch their kids play? I love it when people respond to something that was never offered.

See, my point exactly. You can still keep your hand in the officiating side of the game and that means you still are an umpire.

However, to get back to my original statement, I'll stand by the reasons why people who try to justify their rationale by declaring their previous endeavor have left the vocation.

An umpire who coaches and knows what it is like to be an umpire wouldn't make such a declaration.

My $.02 since we got off on this "I used to Umpire" tangent.

It seems to me that when I have gotten this comment it is from someone who maybe did "used to umpire" but never really reached the stage where he actually was an umpire.

What I mean by that is, if I ever found myself in a coaching position and was going out to discuss something with an umpire, although I certainly would use my knowledge of the rules in the discussion, I would have no need to announce my former experience. Maybe I "used to umpire" or even was still an umpire, but because of that, I certainly am aware that at this moment in time, I am NOT an umpire.

A guy who has to announce that he was an umpire is telling me he still has a lot to learn about the game.....

I agree with that. I love in the 5th inning how a coach can tell me which footprint on the field was his players. I want to go hunting with this guy for his tracking skills alone.

Is that like the batter in SP pointing to one of a hundred "dots" on the ground where that last called strike landed? :rolleyes: :D

I love it when people say I'm being defensive when I'm not. :D

Coach: "Well, I used to be an umpire..."

Umpire: "But today you're NOT!"

********************************

Coach: "Well, I used to be an umpire..."

Umpire: "And when you were, how did you handle it when a coach came out to complain about something that had no basis in the rules?"

********************************

I've used them both before. :D

I almost always try to throw into the reply to these jackwagons... "Since you used to umpire, then you know what umpires think about coaches who say they "used to umpire."