bad mechanic advice from assignor

[BretMan]

What a nightmare. Too bad that you are in a position where you "have to" umpire for this guy. I am registered with NSA, but I don't really have to be. One of their commissioners is a buddy of mine and he practically begs me to work a couple of tournaments for him each year. This year I worked two for him, both of which just happened to be on weekends where ASA didn't have anything going on.

NSA does publish an umpire manual and none of the stuff this guy is telling you is in there.

- Their manual instructs umpire to say only "Ball" or "Strike" when calling pitches. It specifically says NOT to point, gesture, comment on or embellish pitch locations with hand gestures.

- Their manual describes the plate umpire going toward third in foul territory, then cutting into the infield to make a call there, almost verbatim word-for-word the same as ASA describes it.

(And, if this (N)imrod told you a plate umpire should NEVER be in foul ground...where exactly does he think your starting position should be? In front of home plate?)

- There are many references in their manual to the plate umpire watching a runner touch the plate, including in the exact same scenario you described (runners starting on first and second).

If this guy was there to evaluate you, he should have been watching and saving his critiques and comments for a private conversation with you after the game. What's with interjecting himself and yelling at you during the game? Sounds like the guy is a real tool.

I can't even imagine what my response might be if an evaluator approached me during a game and asked me "why the "F" I was was doing something, or started yelling at me about my mechanics. Well, I can imagine...and it wouldn't be pretty!

If I was in your shoes, I'd have a big problem. I do not suffer fools gladly! I'm a pretty laid back and easy going guy...until somebody starts shoveling BS in my direction. And this guy shoveled a heap your way.