Vol33

First, that is a gross over-simplification.  All head coaches are not teachers and therefore do not all have college degrees.

 

Also, umpiring at the high school level is not a profession, it is an avocation. Most high school umpires probably make less than $2,000 for a year.

 

Third, you've obviously never umpired.  It's not that easy.

 

Fourth, you can't play without umpires. 

 

And lastly, coaches are always going to complaing or be critical about umpires.

 

      

  Like ksgovols I too wore every hat on a baseball field and played D1 ball.  All any coach should expect from an umpire is rule knowledge and reasonable effort, i.e. getting in the right position for the call. When coaches fail to see this there will always be problems, a missed call is more acceptable than no effort to make the right call.  Most players exhibiting this effort find their way to the bench in a hurry. 

     Good umpires could care less who wins.  Unfortunately not all umpires are good umpires nor are all coaches good coaches.  Good umps reinforce what good coaches teach and are an intergral part of early stage development.  Bad umps destroy what good coaches are trying to instill.  Each should have a mutual respect based on their parts for making the game the greatest.  

     In my county the school custodian can be the head coach as long as he/she is a school employee.  As long a we fall under TSSAA jurisdiction we will continue to get lip service.  Don't mean to sound like a detractor but I've seen too much.  It can be fixed and hat's off to the great coaches and umps who truly make a difference.     

Go back and read Alcoa vs. Stone Memorial 3/20/2013. Stone up by four runs, Alcoa has bases loaded with one out. Pop fly to shortstop dropped, runner from third scores. That much is correct. Runner on second stays but runner from first goes to second, batter is on first. Runner at second takes off for third and is tagged out. Should have been the end of the inning as both teams exit the field and Alcoa sends out its defense. Home plate ump or ump wanna be says he called infield fly, no one heard this call. It is the correct call though so batter or runner at first is out two. This is where it gets tricky though, with two runners standing on second the lead runner tries to make third and is thrown out. Out three right? Somehow, with two runners occupying second base the home plate ump declares he had called time out, while ball is live. He then proceeds, after questioning by Stone Coach, to put the runner back at second base and runner from second back to first. Alcoa then scores on a hit. Strike zone became nonexistent for four Stone pitchers yet the Alcoa blocked pitches for strikes. Perhaps the poorest officiated game I have ever seen. Alcoa fans were apologetic it was so bad. They had the tenth and eleventh man that day. It happens.

Sounds like the Jets need to step it up. The two teams have competed well in the past. Welcome to AAA.

Both teams should step it up. If there are to be competitive sports there has to be a desire to win and not just settle for whatever. Many life lessons can be learned through sports which carry on in school and all through your life. It's easy to quit and lay down but it takes a little intestinal fortitude to overcome obstacles and win. Here's hoping these two fight it out for the District and leave highly favored Cookeville on the outside looking in this time.

I have not seen the field in a few years, but I have heard it is nice

Wingman, buc1973, newguy, MLREB, are you quadruplets? Your post profiles are all the same.

I think it's a great job, there was off the field issues the reason they ran the coach off 3 years ago.

 

You have a outstanding field, and I think there in a better district because your getting away from Alcoa, CAK & Loudon. I understand your going into Cookeville district but I can see Stone fighting for 2nd place with Rhea County, Warren County & Cumberland County

With the present administration, who were willing to settle for last or next to last place three years in a row, fighting for second place seems a lofty goal. Last years talent pool at Stone could have won the District had they had any mentoring. Nothing in Cumberland County High School baseball will change until parents get tired of just settling. Somehow a fire has to be lit under the BOE and High School Principals that as far as baseball the system has failed miserably. I do hope a little more forethought is put into hiring the next coach for the sake of the young men involved. They deserve much better than has thus far been afforded them. I also think Coaches, at least head Coaches need to be certified teachers. It's not that way in Cumberland County, you work in the school system you can Head Coach. There's just something wrong with that picture.

I'm sure that's technically true. I'm also sure that if an umpire called a ball that bounced a strike against your kid or even team, you and your side of the crowd would erupt.

 

How many MLB games have you see when the catcher sets up way outside and P zips it in but since the catcher had to swipe at it to catch the ball, the ump balls it? I know I see it once a game.

 

Again, if you know the difference between high level baseball and rec ball, you know the difference between "sticking" pitches and framing or holding the ball in a spot longer than you should. Catchers HAVE to stick boarder line pitches to get them called. That's indisputable.

 

I wasn't at the game and I have no vested interest in any of this, but I HATE it when people get on here or anywhere else to blame an umpire on a loss. You call a man a "homer," and you're basically calling a man a cheater.

 

Maybe he had an off game (which happens to everyone in life...just umpires aren't allowed for it to happen to them), maybe he's just no go, I don't know and I don't care, but if you lose by 4-5 runs, it wasn't the umpires fault.

Sorry again Diamond Dad, perhaps you should get familiar with Elite Baseball Camps and SEC level coaching. Sticking the ball as you put it is ok for little league but the higher you go umpires consider it a catcher trying to show up an umpire. It is discouraged. Catchers are taught to recieve pitches. If an umpire is calling a game equally, say it skipped, then it has to skip both ways.

From the point in the game the call was blown the home plate ump made the Stone pitchrs throw through a donut. You say you weren't there and have no vested interest so how could you dare call a group of first hand witnesses liars? It's not indisputable that catchers have to stick pitches unless you are stricly referring to little league which seems more you level of comprehension based on your posts. I don't mean to seem disrespectful but you really don't have a dog in this fight.

Let's place a bet as to who I am and if I am the "guy behind the plate".....ok? I come through Crossville often and would be happy to stop in, meet and collect. Yes...the accusations are not accurate but that's ok. Just send the tape.

I could care less who you are. Come to Crossville any time you want and look me up, I'm not hard to find. You have chosen to defend an indefensible idiot call, which you say in no way affected the outcome of this game. Explain why the fans apologized at how the strike zone disappeared for Stone pitchers and your guys could skip them in for strikes. Your own coach already had his team in the field, he knew, but how could he say no to such a wonderful gift? I'm not knocking your coach, he seems like a good man and the team seems well coached. It is just incredibly hard to stomach a vindictive ump. Just calling a spade a spade.

Total outsider here - but isn't it quite possible the home plate ump had an off night? Haven't you ever had one?

 

It kills me that the kids botch plays all over the yard, coaches make bad decisions through the course of the game, but if the ump misses a call or two it's all the umpires fault when your team loses.

 

I do know this, umpires could not give two craps about who wins and loses a contest. To think otherwise is pure insanity. There's also no such thing as "homers" as TSSSA makes sure that umpires don't work games where they have ties to either team.

 

If the umpire wanted the catcher to stick pitches, then that's what the catcher needed to do. Anyone that knows anything about baseball knows that the catcher plays a huge role in getting borderline pitches called balls or strikes. If the catcher sticks it, he gives the ump a better look at the pitch and also lets the ump know he thought it was a strike. If he lets the pitch take his glove with it, then the opposite is true.

 

It really irks me when parents/players/coaches try to blame the outcome of the game on an umpire. If you got beat, you got beat - own it. Be accountable and stop making excuses.

Sorry DiamondDad, if an ump is calling balls and strikes based on the position of the mitt he's an idiot. The strike zone, that implied rectangle from a batter's chest to his knees in relation to the plate is where the pitch is to be called. A guy who stands deep in the box may have a breaking ball hit the dirt but cross the plate in the zone. Looking at the mitt rewrites the strike zone just as the ump rewrote calling time out with two runners on second base. Own that. Stone has lost many games this year and how many whining posts have been on this site. To my knowledge zip. If an ump is in position to see the zone that's all he's supposed to need to see to call balls and strikes. He was observant enough to know who sat where and who said what, rabbit ears, perhaps he should have observed the game a little more. Real college umps and major league umps detest a catcher holding a pitch, trying to show up the ump. Please just explain why your fans were apologizing to the Stone fans for this obvious butchering.

Vol33....I had a long reply to your nonsense but after thinking about it....it's not worth it. For you and your friends.....and I will say it again....I am not the umpire..the guy behind that plate that you and your friends are making the false accusations against. Doesn't matter though. My suggestion if you feel so strongly about that game....send the tape to the TSSAA and let them handle it and determine if it is deemed that there was bias against your team. I guess it's ok to go on a public forum and make false accusations against an official. Happens all the time when your team loses.

These accused loser fans have been very complimentary of umping crews all season. In your case though they were overly compelled to puke. Enough said, you are not worth any further replies.

Yeah...Whatever is your reply. Great one at that. First of all.....no I am not the he/you that you are implying, but I was at the game and a was a close observant. My reply....BS on all your whines.

I seriously doubt the umpire in question, or any umpire would question a batters position.....in the box. What most likely happened was he told him to get in the box. You see....there is a speed up rule that forces the batter to keep one foot in the box between ball and strike pitches. My guess....the batter was out of the box and was put back in it.

 

So you were directly behind the catcher watching each pitch as the catcher did not move his glove.....LOL. People like you amaze me ....and are whats wrong with sports in general.....particularly on the H/S down to youth level. Here is a memo to you. The catchers, many times, do not have their mitts over the strike zone. Believe that? If they are wanting something outside many times they will have their mitt....and body mostly in the batters box. It is called by many umpires but it is not a strike by definition.

 

Here is another newsflash....umpires are paid by the game and not the hour. To extend a game for any reason other than the right reason would not be logical. Just a suggestion.....join your local Umpiring organization, take the TSSAA testing, and get your butt out there.

 

Your whining is comical and your knowledge of what goes on in a game and on the field is brief at best. You are an embarrassment to Stone and certainly not very intelligent baseball fan. I bet you are the Stone Ambassador that was sitting in the lawn chair by the dugout running his mouth most of the game. You know....the one that the umpire in question shut down? Were you?

Hey Blue, the Stone Ambassador you refer to was a catcher for the University of Tennessee. I was within ear shot of this man all game and his only utterance was when you blew the infield fly situation. Firstly, having officiated for many years umpire crews usually have a signal to each other when an infield fly possibility exists. As umpire in chief, you the home plate ump, are to audibly declare infield fly, batter is out, runners advance at your own risk. Next time use your big boy voice and don't passively whisper like a little girl. The runner scored from third was correct, however, please offer your explanation for saying you had called time out with two runners occupying second base. BS on all of your whines as well. You choose to quote rules at your convenience but your knowledge seems quite limited as well.

If you are the great college ump you declare why not position your field ump correctly. Shortstop side with runner on first base, really? If you were a real ball and strike man the mitt is the least of consequences in calling the zone. Get it, the zone. The balls relationship to the plate and the batter determines the zone. The mitt is merely for catching the ball.

Save all your condescending remarks for the next team your butcher. You were an embarrassment to the game and to others who wear blue. Umpires are paid to know and enforce the rules of the game without bias. In your case, your embarrasment led to Stone pitchers throwing through a donut while Alcoa got two hula hoops. Their fans aplolgized for your ineptitude. By the way it was really classy of you to run your mouth to the Stone assistanct coach after the game. How's that for a news flash?

Lastly, if you were such a great college ump did you get busted back to the minors? The real whiner is you and your classless attitude. Read it might be on film, I sure hope so. Sorry I have to steal your quote," Your whining is comical and your knowledge of what goes on in a game and on the field is brief at best."