Why MTD, Jr., and I do NOT umpire slow pitch softball!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Prior to last night, the only slow pitch softball that MTD, Jr., and I umpire is Specials Olympics and it uses straight ASA Rules.

Yesterday afternoon, the summer baseball and slow pitch assigner for the Toledo Park & Rec. Dept. (his first year assigning summer umpires), who is a H.S. basketball official and H.S. varsity baseball coach in the Toledo area (and a real nice guy) emailed to ask if Junior and I could umpire some slow pitch softball games for him last night (one game) and tonight (two games) at $25 (cash) per game. Junior was not available but I was and I said yes (the park where the games are played aren't even 4.5 miles from our home).

I did not know who my partner was until I met him at the diamond. I should tell you that the complex has four diamonds so there were eight umpires there: two of us in navy blue shorts, one in gray pants, four in navy blue pants, and one (a female, I am sorry, but I am not being sexist but I call them as I see them) in navy blue jeans, .

My partner was attired in the correct ASA hat and ASA powder blue shirt, navy blue pants with black belt and ASA ball bag, black shoes, and white () socks. His accessories included a diamond stud in his left ear, shin guards worn on the outside of his pants (), with the piece de resistance being a three inch wide wooden paint brush with a (approximately) six inch long handle () for his Plate brush. He told me that he had been umpiring ASA slow pitch softball for eleven years for the TP&R; I checked and he was not an OhioHSAA registered fast pitch softball umpire. I let him have the Plate, .

The game was an adult men's (wreck) league game and it was moving along at a good pace until the bottom of the fifth inning. I had a banger at 1B and I called the Runner safe. A little bit of griping by the Visitors but it was over by the time the next batter stepped into the Batter's Box.

Top of the sixth and I have a banger at 1B and call the Runner out, again a little bit of griping by the Visitor's but again, it was over by the time their next batter stepped into the Batter's Box.

We go to the bottom of the sixth and the real fun starts. Banger at first and I call the Runner out. Home F1, from the bench yells at me to get my "fat a$$ (I resemble that remark, ) into position". EJECTION #1.

The 1B Coach then yells at me that I am "an a$$hole". EJECTION #2.

The Visitor's score two in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game and as the Home team goes to their bench to bat, H-F4 tells me that I am "f**king a$$hole". EJECTION #3.

Long story short, the Home team scores a run in the bottom of the eighth to win the game.

Foot notes to the game:
1) In the top of the fourth inning, I had a Runner and the F6 collide at 2B, no obstruction or interference, just a mild train wreck and both players banged knees. I called Time, quite loudly, so that both players could walk off the collision, and my partner knew I had stopped the game because I was standing just off 2B and looking directly at him with both hands in the air when I called Time. Before I could ask either player if they were ready to play he allowed F1 to pitch to the next Batter, .
2) He never once gave the count during an At Bat, and I never new when he had called an illegal pitch because he never used the Delayed Dead Ball signal.
3) After all three ejections my partner allowed the ejected players to lallygag in the bench area and to continue to yell at me while allowing the game to continue. I had to take matters into my own hands, and stop the game until the ejected players went to the parking lot. He was worthless. But it was worth the price of admission to watch him clean the Plate with his paint brush and wear shin guards on the outside of his pants.
4) The Home team had an old geezer my age (he looked like he was in his 60's, ) who was its 3B Coach. After the game, as I was getting into my car, he yelled from across the parking lot that he was going to come over to my car and kick my a$$. ROFLMFAO!!

Never a dull moment in "wreck" league slow pitch softball, . My better half does not want me to umpire tonight; she says the $50 is not worth the aggravation from the yahoos that are called players.

MTD, Sr.

[Moosie74]

I've worked men's and co-ed leagues for a couple of years and the aggravation and stupidity of the players really outweighs the income most of the time.

I've worked games where 9 and 10 year olds were more mature.

I had one guy tell me I'd never umpire his games ever again. I'm still confused as to why that's a bad thing!

[jmkupka]

Men's modified fastpitch...

Wednesday night, liner caught by F6, tried to double R1 off 1st, airmailed the ball out of play. Entire defense goes berzerk when I award R1 third base. Not 1 player stayed quiet in their ignorance of the rule.

I pride myself in my ability to keep cool in the face of abuse; it's much more satisfying to eject someone that way. However, in this deluge of uninformed hysteria, I let my exasperation get the better of me, and made the general announcement "guys, this is Softball 101" (referring to the out-of-play rule, not the level of talent on the field, which was so-so)

I admit it was an inappropriate remark, and regretted it as soon as I said it, as it ignited a new rash of abuse, accompanied by the resultant ejections (the first ejections in 3 years of umpiring this league)

[SE Minnestoa Re]

I gave up ASA ball years ago when the UIC at a tournament I reluctantly agreed to work decided not to pay for forfeits that were announced when we got there. I told him I get paid or I leave and take all my high school umpires with me. I got paid and so did they.

As someone said earlier, the aggravation is not worth the money. I only work high school and college games and am much happier.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by SE Minnestoa Re

I gave up ASA ball years ago when the UIC at a tournament I reluctantly agreed to work decided not to pay for forfeits that were announced when we got there. I told him I get paid or I leave and take all my high school umpires with me. I got paid and so did they.

As someone said earlier, the aggravation is not worth the money. I only work high school and college games and am much happier.

I doubt your experience had anything to do with ASA. I'd guess this was on either the tournament organizers or the UIC personally (or the combo).

Nevertheless, my experience with ASA/USSSA/AFA/NAFA fastpitch has been very good. I've never been stiffed, and serious problems with either players or coaches are rare. And, this includes adult men's and women's fastpitch as well as youth. (Parents are another story, but even that goes away at the older ages.)

But, then, I don't umpire slowpitch, so I have no comment on issues or problems (or lack thereof) with that game.

[MD Longhorn]

In 21 years of ASA ball, I've had only one issue regarding payment at a tourney - the same issue you mention ... and it was resolved in almost exactly the same way. I would not say ASA was the problem here.

That said ... I stopped doing slow pitch adults a LONG time ago, pretty much for the reasons stated here.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Prior to last night, the only slow pitch softball that MTD, Jr., and I umpire is Specials Olympics and it uses straight ASA Rules.

Yesterday afternoon, the summer baseball and slow pitch assigner for the Toledo Park & Rec. Dept. (his first year assigning summer umpires), who is a H.S. basketball official and H.S. varsity baseball coach in the Toledo area (and a real nice guy) emailed to ask if Junior and I could umpire some slow pitch softball games for him last night (one game) and tonight (two games) at $25 (cash) per game. Junior was not available but I was and I said yes (the park where the games are played aren't even 4.5 miles from our home).

I did not know who my partner was until I met him at the diamond. I should tell you that the complex has four diamonds so there were eight umpires there: two of us in navy blue shorts, one in gray pants, four in navy blue pants, and one (a female, I am sorry, but I am not being sexist but I call them as I see them) in navy blue jeans, .

My partner was attired in the correct ASA hat and ASA powder blue shirt, navy blue pants with black belt and ASA ball bag, black shoes, and white () socks. His accessories included a diamond stud in his left ear, shin guards worn on the outside of his pants (), with the piece de resistance being a three inch wide wooden paint brush with a (approximately) six inch long handle () for his Plate brush. He told me that he had been umpiring ASA slow pitch softball for eleven years for the TP&R; I checked and he was not an OhioHSAA registered fast pitch softball umpire. I let him have the Plate, .

The game was an adult men's (wreck) league game and it was moving along at a good pace until the bottom of the fifth inning. I had a banger at 1B and I called the Runner safe. A little bit of griping by the Visitors but it was over by the time the next batter stepped into the Batter's Box.

Top of the sixth and I have a banger at 1B and call the Runner out, again a little bit of griping by the Visitor's but again, it was over by the time their next batter stepped into the Batter's Box.

We go to the bottom of the sixth and the real fun starts. Banger at first and I call the Runner out. Home F1, from the bench yells at me to get my "fat a$$ (I resemble that remark, ) into position". EJECTION #1.

The 1B Coach then yells at me that I am "an a$$hole". EJECTION #2.

The Visitor's score two in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game and as the Home team goes to their bench to bat, H-F4 tells me that I am "f**king a$$hole". EJECTION #3.

Long story short, the Home team scores a run in the bottom of the eighth to win the game.

Foot notes to the game:
1) In the top of the fourth inning, I had a Runner and the F6 collide at 2B, no obstruction or interference, just a mild train wreck and both players banged knees. I called Time, quite loudly, so that both players could walk off the collision, and my partner knew I had stopped the game because I was standing just off 2B and looking directly at him with both hands in the air when I called Time. Before I could ask either player if they were ready to play he allowed F1 to pitch to the next Batter, .
2) He never once gave the count during an At Bat, and I never new when he had called an illegal pitch because he never used the Delayed Dead Ball signal.
3) After all three ejections my partner allowed the ejected players to lallygag in the bench area and to continue to yell at me while allowing the game to continue. I had to take matters into my own hands, and stop the game until the ejected players went to the parking lot. He was worthless. But it was worth the price of admission to watch him clean the Plate with his paint brush and wear shin guards on the outside of his pants.
4) The Home team had an old geezer my age (he looked like he was in his 60's, ) who was its 3B Coach. After the game, as I was getting into my car, he yelled from across the parking lot that he was going to come over to my car and kick my a$$. ROFLMFAO!!

Never a dull moment in "wreck" league slow pitch softball, . My better half does not want me to umpire tonight; she says the $50 is not worth the aggravation from the yahoos that are called players.

MTD, Sr.

I'm glad things aren't that bad up US-23 a ways where I work.

I have had one ejection in a game during my 3, now starting 4th (or is it 5th) season of Slow Pitch. Then again, I rarely do men's games and normally the Co-Wreck leagues I work are the teams just out to have fun. I also don't do tourney ball simply because softball is my 3rd or 4th sport and I rarely have a free weekend to do it because one of my other sports is covering the weekend.

The one ejection I had was a co-rec game. Things were going well until late in the game. Batter hits a grounder to second which the 2b airmails to F3. The runner, in attempting to avoid F3 who has jumped right onto the orange base, steps on the white portion of the base and his momentum takes him a couple steps into RF. He stops, turns facing 2b (no step towards 2b), then comes immediately back to first. F3 picks the ball up runs over and tags the the batter-runner (now runner) as he is coming back. I, as the single umpire (no issues with partner uniforms), rule that he is safe as no attempt was made to advance. F3 has no problem with the call, but the team's player manager, who is on the bench, has a big problem with it. He starts dropping F-bomb after F-bomb at me for the call. I'm not sure if it was the first or second one that got him sent to the parking lot, but it wasn't more than that. Our site supervisor was on the opposite side of the park (5 diamonds, 4 SB, one BB) and could hear him yelling (so could the cop in the parking lot). He finally left the field saying "I will see you after the game." The cop made sure he wasn't still around to do that. The rest of the game went fine.

That is the one and only ejection I've had from a SB game in my time umpiring. Now in basketball I've had a lot more than that. I've had some that I should have sent packing but didn't.

My favorite line from a player though was "He must be sleeping with someone on the other team." Looking at her and her team mates I sure wouldn't be touching any of her team, that's for sure.

[Gulf Coast Blue]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Prior to last night, the only slow pitch softball that MTD, Jr., and I umpire is Specials Olympics and it uses straight ASA Rules.

Yesterday afternoon, the summer baseball and slow pitch assigner for the Toledo Park & Rec. Dept. (his first year assigning summer umpires), who is a H.S. basketball official and H.S. varsity baseball coach in the Toledo area (and a real nice guy) emailed to ask if Junior and I could umpire some slow pitch softball games for him last night (one game) and tonight (two games) at $25 (cash) per game. Junior was not available but I was and I said yes (the park where the games are played aren't even 4.5 miles from our home).

I did not know who my partner was until I met him at the diamond. I should tell you that the complex has four diamonds so there were eight umpires there: two of us in navy blue shorts, one in gray pants, four in navy blue pants, and one (a female, I am sorry, but I am not being sexist but I call them as I see them) in navy blue jeans, .

My partner was attired in the correct ASA hat and ASA powder blue shirt, navy blue pants with black belt and ASA ball bag, black shoes, and white () socks. His accessories included a diamond stud in his left ear, shin guards worn on the outside of his pants (), with the piece de resistance being a three inch wide wooden paint brush with a (approximately) six inch long handle () for his Plate brush. He told me that he had been umpiring ASA slow pitch softball for eleven years for the TP&R; I checked and he was not an OhioHSAA registered fast pitch softball umpire. I let him have the Plate, .

The game was an adult men's (wreck) league game and it was moving along at a good pace until the bottom of the fifth inning. I had a banger at 1B and I called the Runner safe. A little bit of griping by the Visitors but it was over by the time the next batter stepped into the Batter's Box.

Top of the sixth and I have a banger at 1B and call the Runner out, again a little bit of griping by the Visitor's but again, it was over by the time their next batter stepped into the Batter's Box.

We go to the bottom of the sixth and the real fun starts. Banger at first and I call the Runner out. Home F1, from the bench yells at me to get my "fat a$$ (I resemble that remark, ) into position". EJECTION #1.

The 1B Coach then yells at me that I am "an a$$hole". EJECTION #2.

The Visitor's score two in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game and as the Home team goes to their bench to bat, H-F4 tells me that I am "f**king a$$hole". EJECTION #3.

Long story short, the Home team scores a run in the bottom of the eighth to win the game.

Foot notes to the game:
1) In the top of the fourth inning, I had a Runner and the F6 collide at 2B, no obstruction or interference, just a mild train wreck and both players banged knees. I called Time, quite loudly, so that both players could walk off the collision, and my partner knew I had stopped the game because I was standing just off 2B and looking directly at him with both hands in the air when I called Time. Before I could ask either player if they were ready to play he allowed F1 to pitch to the next Batter, .
2) He never once gave the count during an At Bat, and I never new when he had called an illegal pitch because he never used the Delayed Dead Ball signal.
3) After all three ejections my partner allowed the ejected players to lallygag in the bench area and to continue to yell at me while allowing the game to continue. I had to take matters into my own hands, and stop the game until the ejected players went to the parking lot. He was worthless. But it was worth the price of admission to watch him clean the Plate with his paint brush and wear shin guards on the outside of his pants.
4) The Home team had an old geezer my age (he looked like he was in his 60's, ) who was its 3B Coach. After the game, as I was getting into my car, he yelled from across the parking lot that he was going to come over to my car and kick my a$$. ROFLMFAO!!

Never a dull moment in "wreck" league slow pitch softball, . My better half does not want me to umpire tonight; she says the $50 is not worth the aggravation from the yahoos that are called players.

MTD, Sr.

MTD, Sr. You have been around awhile......but you have not paid attention.......there is a reason that adult softball is called AA (Alleged Adult).....

This acronym was coined by a fellow called Ed....in around 1998.....maybe sooner......Slow Pitch Softball....is a genre of and in of itself.......

I have done a total of 208 games......good luck in your endeavour......

Joel

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Gulf Coast Blue

MTD, Sr. You have been around awhile......but you have not paid attention.......there is a reason that adult softball is called AA (Alleged Adult).....

This acronym was coined by a fellow called Ed....in around 1998.....maybe sooner......Slow Pitch Softball....is a genre of and in of itself.......

I have done a total of 208 games......good luck in your endeavour......

Joel

Joel:

What do you mean I have not paid attention. Thursday night's game is the reason I have not done slow pitch softball up to now. Too many nut cases playing softball.

MTD, Sr.

[scrounge]

You couldn't pay me enough to do beer league softball.

Well, you could, but it would have a couple more decimal places than the current fee.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by scrounge

You couldn't pay me enough to do beer league softball.

Well, you could, but it would have a couple more decimal places than the current fee.

Not a problem. Old fee $25.00. New fee $25.000000001

There you go

[Rita C]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Not a problem. Old fee $25.00. New fee $25.000000001

There you go

Yes, he did mean zeros and commas.

Rita

[KMBReferee]

Why would you even use shin guards in a slow pitch game?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by KMBReferee

Why would you even use shin guards in a slow pitch game?

I never have, but my guess would be to protect one's shins?

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by KMBReferee

Why would you even use shin guards in a slow pitch game?

Simple, teams often put the person who can "catch" the worst in the catcher's position. I have come home from slow pitch "wreck" games with bruised shins because of balls hitting me so often. Granted part of that is from rock hard fields and unpredictable bounces, but some is piss poor catchers as well.

I have used shin guards on occassion if I know the teams playing and who the catcher will be for that game. Some games I wish I was in full fast pitch gear the catchers are so bad.

This is one of the issues of umpiring in a league that doesn't allow stealing in SP.