giving the situation to new pitcher
 

Do any of you as PU or BU go out to the circle and let the new pitcher know where the runners are, outs and count when a pitching change is made? Do some of you do it only for low level ball? I have been told by evaluators to not do this, because that is considered coaching. I will give the count from behind home plate but that is it, the number of outs if requested. I had a game last week, ASA 12U, fairly good team. When I didn't inform a teams pitcher, the coach became livid. I told him then, and later after the inning ended that it wasn't my job to do this, it was his job. He informed me it was my responsibility to do this. He was in the circle while she was warming up. He told me I was the only umpire he has ever had who wouldn't do this in his 6 years of coaching. He also told me they would be playing in our State tournament this weekend, and he was going to find out for sure. My problem is, I see umpire doing this all the time. Even at the State tourney he will surely find umpires that agree with him, and then think he is right. Just wondering. Dave

Absolutely, unequivocally not.

Manny, do any in your area do it anyway? We must have a bunch of untrained umpires and coaches. I absolutely refused to do it and he was genuinely pi$$ed off. Didn't bother me.

Honestly, the only place I've seen it is in Little League. And it's not something that is taught at LL clinics in our area. It's just that some LL volunteer umpires don't bother to attend those clinics, don't have league UICs who teach what is proper, etc., and those umpires think it's required as a courtesy.

But in softball here under ASA, NFHS, PONY, etc., I can't recall ever seeing an umpire give the situation, nor a coach complain when it isn't done.

It's simple: the game situation is something the coach should tell his/her new pitcher when he/she makes the change. If asked about the count and outs, I'll answer, and it's usually the catcher who does the asking. If not asked, I will give the count before I say Play if there is a batter in the middle of an at-bat. That's about it.

yep

I was sure I was correct. After getting an earful, I was about one second away from tossing him.

I've worked with several who do this on the HS level and had one ask me this year why I hadn't gone out as PU to talk to new pitcher.

That is the same problem I have around here. Not sure where they pick this nonsense up. By them doing this, it makes us doing it correctly, more difficult.

Speaking of OCs. Last month in an girls' ASA FP tournament, I was on the Plate and Mark, Jr., was on the Bases. in a 10U game.

Red Team (who is the Visiting team and is losing) makes a pitching change during the inning. The new F1 comes in and takes her five warm-up pitches while her HC stands next to her during her warm-up pitches. After F1 finishes warming up her HC continues to stand next to the Pitching Circle. I tell the HC we are ready to play and our conversation goes as follows:

Defensive (Red) HC: Aren't you going to tell her what the situation is?

Me: What?

Red HC: Aren't you going to tell her where the runners are and how many outs there are?

Me: No. You need to leave the field now Coach.

Red HC: But that is your job.

Me: No, that is your job. (She is now just outside her dugout gate.) I am not her coach, you are.

Offensive (Green) HC (from the 3B Coaching Box): Yes it is your job.

Me (to Green HC): That is enough because you are not part of this conversation.

Red HC: See! She (Green HC) even knows you are not doing your job.

Mark, Jr.: Time! Game over. Time limit has been reached.

There is nothing like a long conversation on a very hot afternoon when the time limit is close at hand.

Excellent!!!!

Count only, the same as after any extended delay. That is, it really has nothing to do with the fact that there is a new pitcher, but instead, that the game has been halted for a couple of minutes or so.

One of the senior leaders of my high school official association does this. I've partnered with him a few times, and I cringe each time.

I assume you told him it is because you are the umpire, not the coach.

6 whole years? :eek:

Lately I've had a long string of partners who want to do this. Drives me batty.

Taking personal opinion out of it, I've never been instructed to do this in any class or clinic. It's not in any umpire manual I've ever seen. That right there's enough to convince that it's not a recommend mechanic.

To me, it does strike me as "coaching". I mean, come, on, kids have four coaches in the dugout and their own set of eyeballs. Do they really need the umpire to tell them "the situation"?

Besides coaching, it reeks of an umpire who's itching to interject himself in the game any way he can. The guys that really get me are the ones who, while telling the pitcher which bases are occupied, make a dramatic point at each runner as they list them off. Like the pitcher doesn't even know where first, second or third bases are and has to have the umpire show her?

I pity the coach who decides to "get livid" because I don't do this. I'll tell him that how he coaches his team is his business, how I umpire the game is my business. If he wants to enjoy the rest of the game, he probably better not press the issue beyond that.

This one rubs me the wrong way just a little bit more than umpires telling the fielders to throw their hands up in the air if the ball goes out of play!

Manny, I have seen it serveral times while during tournments in MD, why they do it I have do idea, I guess I shoud ask next time.