Very Nervous!!

[BretMan]

The first game I ever umpired was an 8U coach-pitch baseball game. I don't remember being especially nervous, probably because I had played and coached for over twenty five years so being on a field wasn't that big of a deal. But I'm sure I was a little bit nervous.

A couple of things I remember like it was yesterday...

There was one routine play at first base where I came out from behind the plate to make the call (working solo). Instead of just getting a good position and angle on the play, I ran full speed up the line, beat the batter to first by a mile and, while standing right next to the kid, gave my biggest loudest, punching the air, sell it hard "OUT!" call. The kid was so startled that he about jumped out of his shoes and started to cry! Right out of the box...I made an eight year old cry in my first game!

On another play, a runner was advancing to third base. Instead of stopping on the bag, he ran straight across it toward the coach's box. The coach grabbed him, spun him around and pushed him back toward third. The defense had thrown the ball to third by then and tried to put a tag on the runner as he jabbed his foot at the base. I called the runner out for being assisted by a coach. Kind of odd that I'd have to make that call in my first game! The next time I had to call that was several years and several hundred games later.

My wife had come to watch this game and was sitting at the edge of the parking lot along the first base side of the field. On the way home, she asks me why I called the kid out on this play. Then she says something like, "It looked to me like he beat the tag". So, in my very first game, I get grief about a call from my own wife who was sitting a couple of hundred feet away from the play!

[MNBlue]

Some really obvious things to many of us that I noticed while observing umpires at a 10U tournament this summer. Might be helpful and it might not be.

When the 'others' here want to critique this, keep in mind it was for VERY new umpires working a one umpire system.

• SLOW DOWN YOUR CALLS– NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS FAST!!!
  • When pointing to the pitcher to play – or holding her up with the “Do Not Pitch” sign, use the hand on the opposite side of the batter so the pitcher can actually see your hand. Right handed batter, use the right hand. Left handed batter, use left hand.
  • When showing the pitcher the count, make sure she is watching. If you give the count immediately after the catcher catches the ball, the pitcher is looking at her and not you. If you give it after the pitcher catches the ball, she is usually walking back to the pitcher’s plate and not looking at you. Wait until she turns around.
  • When showing the count, hands above your head and arms straight. If you are giving a signal that needs to be seen, make sure it can be seen.
  • Don’t turn your head on the ball when calling pitches. If you lose sight of the ball, the catcher will drop the ball.
  • ALWAYS face the ball, especially when someone is going to be throwing the ball from behind you.
  • When signaling safe, do exactly what you did in junior high PE. Bend your elbow at shoulder height with finger tips together. Extend your arms out.
  • When moving into the diamond to make calls after the ball is hit, get AT LEAST 15’ into the diamond. Farther is better.
  • If the catcher moves to get a ball – foul or passed – you MUST move as well. Don’t look for the ball, follow the catcher with your eyes until she is clear of you THEN find the ball.
  • DO NOT CALL A BALL FOUL UNTIL IT HAS STOPPED MOVING OR IT TOUCHES SOMETHING OTHER THAN DIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • DO NOT CALL THE PITCH A BALL OR STRIKE UNTIL THE CATCHER CATCHES THE BALL!!!!!!
  • When calling strikes, be LOUDER!!! Loud enough for the coaches in the coaching boxes to hear you.
  • Hold the indicator in your left hand.
  • When ruling a ball fair or foul, be straddling the line. You will be MUCH more believable
  • Hands should be straight when calling a ball foul or a dead ball.
  • DO NOT point toward first base when a batter walks. If she doesn’t go, tell her “That’s Ball Four”. If she doesn’t move, tell her again.
  • Move when there is play in the field to be ruled upon. The closer you get, the more believable you will be.
  • Put a notch in the wheels of your indicator at 0-0-0. It will help you re-set it without looking at it.
  • Outs and strikes should be called with your right hand.
  • DO NOT CLEAN THE PLATE WITH YOUR FOOT!!!
  • When there is more than one runner on base, don’t quit umpiring when you make the first call. There will almost always be another call. Look and move.
  • DO NOT TALK TO FANS!!!!
  • Don’t announce the number of outs. That is the coaches’ job. If you announce the number incorrectly and the players do something based on that incorrect information, they will be all over you. They already don’t like us, don’t give them ammunition.
  • Don’t touch player equipment
  • Don’t throw balls to the pitcher – hand them to the catcher to throw. The first time you hit a 10U pitcher in the head with a ball will be the last time you throw it to a pitcher.
  

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by MNBlue

Some really obvious things to many of us that I noticed while observing umpires at a 10U tournament this summer. Might be helpful and it might not be.

When the 'others' here want to critique this, keep in mind it was for VERY new umpires working a one umpire system.

• SLOW DOWN YOUR CALLS– NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS FAST!!!
  • When pointing to the pitcher to play – or holding her up with the “Do Not Pitch” sign, use the hand on the opposite side of the batter so the pitcher can actually see your hand. Right handed batter, use the right hand. Left handed batter, use left hand.
  • When showing the pitcher the count, make sure she is watching. If you give the count immediately after the catcher catches the ball, the pitcher is looking at her and not you. If you give it after the pitcher catches the ball, she is usually walking back to the pitcher’s plate and not looking at you. Wait until she turns around.
  • When showing the count, hands above your head and arms straight. If you are giving a signal that needs to be seen, make sure it can be seen.
  • Don’t turn your head on the ball when calling pitches. If you lose sight of the ball, the catcher will drop the ball.
  • ALWAYS face the ball, especially when someone is going to be throwing the ball from behind you.
  • When signaling safe, do exactly what you did in junior high PE. Bend your elbow at shoulder height with finger tips together. Extend your arms out.
  • When moving into the diamond to make calls after the ball is hit, get AT LEAST 15’ into the diamond. Farther is better.
  • If the catcher moves to get a ball – foul or passed – you MUST move as well. Don’t look for the ball, follow the catcher with your eyes until she is clear of you THEN find the ball.
  • DO NOT CALL A BALL FOUL UNTIL IT HAS STOPPED MOVING OR IT TOUCHES SOMETHING OTHER THAN DIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • DO NOT CALL THE PITCH A BALL OR STRIKE UNTIL THE CATCHER CATCHES THE BALL!!!!!!
  • When calling strikes, be LOUDER!!! Loud enough for the coaches in the coaching boxes to hear you.
  • Hold the indicator in your left hand.
  • When ruling a ball fair or foul, be straddling the line. You will be MUCH more believable
  • Hands should be straight when calling a ball foul or a dead ball.
  • DO NOT point toward first base when a batter walks. If she doesn’t go, tell her “That’s Ball Four”. If she doesn’t move, tell her again.
  • Move when there is play in the field to be ruled upon. The closer you get, the more believable you will be.
  • Put a notch in the wheels of your indicator at 0-0-0. It will help you re-set it without looking at it.
  • Outs and strikes should be called with your right hand.
  • DO NOT CLEAN THE PLATE WITH YOUR FOOT!!!
  • When there is more than one runner on base, don’t quit umpiring when you make the first call. There will almost always be another call. Look and move.
  • DO NOT TALK TO FANS!!!!
  • Don’t announce the number of outs. That is the coaches’ job. If you announce the number incorrectly and the players do something based on that incorrect information, they will be all over you. They already don’t like us, don’t give them ammunition.
  • Don’t touch player equipment
  • Don’t throw balls to the pitcher – hand them to the catcher to throw. The first time you hit a 10U pitcher in the head with a ball will be the last time you throw it to a pitcher.
  

Now you made me nervous !!

Seriously, Adams, all good advice, just work on the all caps stuff and right hand only the first game. I was lucky enough to have no warning, game time decision as they say, 8-9 yr old LL, my son playing.


Also, remember you know the most and ARE THE ONLY ONE THERE WHO IS NEUTRAL about the result.

[jr131981]

at least for me, when i first started doing JO games, 9/10 coaches liked me bc i hustled out from behind home plate, apparently they must have been used to old lazy umps.

also, one of the biggest lessons i had to learn when doing young girls was never assume they are going to make the smart/routine play. example, R1 on 2nd, 2 outs, im in C position, 3-2 count, runner steals on delivery, ground ball to SS. at this point in time, the runner had is 2/3 of the way to 3rd and im moving towards 1st. next thing i know, the SS throws the ball to the 3B. lesson learned for me.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by jr131981

at least for me, when i first started doing JO games, 9/10 coaches liked me bc i hustled out from behind home plate, apparently they must have been used to old lazy umps.

An objectionable juxtaposition: "old lazy " Lazy is not unique to the senior umpires.

[jr131981]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

An objectionable juxtaposition: "old lazy " Lazy is not unique to the senior umpires.

true, i guess i should have specified old, as in cannot move as quickly anymore, or just flat out lazy umps.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by jr131981

true, i guess i should have specified
old, as in
cannot move as quickly
anymore ,

or just flat out lazy umps.

Just as long as you only care about mobility and not chronology, which is usually exaggerated in our youth-obsessed society.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by jr131981

also, one of the biggest lessons i had to learn when doing young girls was never assume they are going to make the smart/routine play.

Seriously? How about ANY girl, boy, woman or man, regardless of age? And when they do make the wrong play, guess who they think is responsible for making it right? And don't say the coach.

[jr131981]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Seriously? How about ANY girl, boy, woman or man, regardless of age? And when they do make the wrong play, guess who they think is responsible for making it right? And don't say the coach.

i did SP for a few years before i got involved in FP. since the majority of the guys who play SS in SP either played baseball growing up or at least watch baseball on tv, they know what the routine plays are. i find many of the girls, especially at the 10U 12U 14U dont know the basics. i dont know if thats a result of bad coaching or just not being around the game as much as boys, but i never thought of that until i had the situation i described above in my first FP game.

theres a "big" SP tourny here in a month... 1 ump system. if theres a runner on 2nd and a gb to the SS, unless the ball is hit to his right and unless theres some crazy disparity in the runners, im assuming hes throwing to 1st and using the mechanic as if no one is on base bc thats simply where that throw is going.

[Umpteenth]

You may assume that is where the play will be; however, you must let the ball take you to the play. If you don't, you're gonna get there late.