3-man vs 2-man Umpiring Crew

[riddlers]

3 man crew would be best all season long

at least in district games...........i have watched all the games at the 8aaa tourney so far as well..... even though some of the coaches and fans might not agree i think the games have been pretty well officiated.........3 man crews definitely give the guys a better opportunity to see the plays better.........

Edited May 7, 2006 by riddlers

[chuckm]

i thought it was almost 3 hours LOL he was gonna get ous out of there quick too lol

 

That's right, we started at 6.

 

I have seen every game in the 8AAA tournment this year and I know there have been at least 10 calls that were made that probably would have gone the other way if there had only been two umpires instead of three. Why can't every game have three during the regular season?

 

I'm curious. What type calls are you seeing with 3-man that wouldn't necessarily be called in 2-man? Tag plays, interference, catch-no catch, etc.

[riverdaleman]

I like the 3 man becasue you are able to be on top of plays and it looks better you usually have 2 umpires looking at a play and you can go out more on fly balls in fact there was a few today that i saw if therre had been a 2-man crew they still would have gotten the catch...BUT it looked a lot better with an umpire right there in great position right on top of it also i saw a kid rob another kid of a homerun and with the 3-man crew he was able to go out and be right on top of that play and when the kid caught it and fell he was ble to see that the ball never came out so there was no question as to what happened on that play

[ksgovols]

it would be good, but there are not many umpire associations that have enough umpires to do that all season

 

Agreed. It's tough to find enough umpires in an association to do a 3 man during the regular season, particularly when you consider the middle school games and all. I'll bet the percentage of missed calls in a 2 man versus a 3 man wouldn't be that great. Most of the guys do a good job of getting in position to make the call. Where it helps is on check swings, pickoffs and stuff like that in my opinion. Safe or out, ball or strike is usually on the money. All of the umpire that aren't calling kids out for wearing jewelry or slinging bats are doing a pretty good job.

[chuckm]

Agreed. It's tough to find enough umpires in an association to do a 3 man during the regular season, particularly when you consider the middle school games and all. I'll bet the percentage of missed calls in a 2 man versus a 3 man wouldn't be that great. Most of the guys do a good job of getting in position to make the call. Where it helps is on check swings, pickoffs and stuff like that in my opinion. Safe or out, ball or strike is usually on the money. All of the umpire that aren't calling kids out for wearing jewelry or slinging bats are doing a pretty good job.

 

Have you been issued your jewelry warning yet? If so, you're ejected.

[riddlers]

Agreed. It's tough to find enough umpires in an association to do a 3 man during the regular season, particularly when you consider the middle school games and all. I'll bet the percentage of missed calls in a 2 man versus a 3 man wouldn't be that great. Most of the guys do a good job of getting in position to make the call. Where it helps is on check swings, pickoffs and stuff like that in my opinion. Safe or out, ball or strike is usually on the money. All of the umpire that aren't calling kids out for wearing jewelry or slinging bats are doing a pretty good job.

i am sure you are right if you do every single game at every level with three.......my suggestion would be for district games only

[LCborn]

Cost is the biggest thing, I guess, and a lot of teams don't have the budget to pay 3 blues every night. I can sympathize with that. For some teams, sure, it's a question of maybe spending 1 less day in Florida. But I bet for most teams the extra dollars would come out of equipment or uniforms.

 

The issue of finding the bodies seems important, too. It seems like if every team went to 3 in the crew, every association would have to come with 50% more umpires. Or maybe they could just work each of them more. I don't know if there is that much slack in their manpower.

 

The principal upside is another pair of eyes on the field. That's gotta be better. It also would make breaking in newbies an easier process if each rookie ump was a third of a crew instead of a half of a crew.

 

I don't see it happening on a wide-spread basis, though. Coaches all have limits on their dollars and most of them probably would rather spend money on other things than the extra ump. Also, just as football teams have that "twelfth man" umpiring teams already have the "third man"--the bleacher blues.

[binns37388]

I can't speak for the other umpire associations, but ours, based out of Tullahoma, would have the manpower to use 3 man crews in AAA district games. The AAA schools would have enough money to pay for the extra umpire. The A schools we service have a more limited budget. In certain big A games, it would be possible. In high school bkb, they went to the 3 man system several years ago and I haven't heard anyone complain about the extra money for a third bkb official. I realize bkb, at most schools, brings in more revenue than baseball. In previous years, before the realignment, the single A schools had always used two umpires for their district tournament, but when Cascade hosted the tourney last season, Coach Chris Parker went with the 3 man system. I still think its a possibility for all AAA district games and some important single A games in our area, but the host schools and coaches would have to make that decision. It definitely would be better for the game and the umpires.

[uteevol]

That's right, we started at 6.

I'm curious. What type calls are you seeing with 3-man that wouldn't necessarily be called in 2-man? Tag plays, interference, catch-no catch, etc.

Tag plays for one...saw two overslides, one at second and one at third...the one at second would have probably been called the same with a two man, but the one at third would mostly gone the other way. Runner on second attempts to steal third and the third base ump is on the line with a perfict view...sold the out and the coach didn't say a word. Another one was a close play at first and the first baseman pull at the last second...ump at first was behind the play and not inside made it easier to see and sell. I spoke with Hall of Famer (Eugene London) 8AAA supervisor and he indicated that three is the way it should be and you'll hear less complaints from the fans and coaches will get the balk call that's almost never called in a two. Bottomline is it's a better called game....

[uknowme]

Runner on second attempts to steal third and the third base ump is on the line with a perfict view...sold the out and the coach didn't say a word. Another one was a close play at first and the first baseman pull at the last second...ump at first was behind the play and not inside made it easier to see and sell.

That sounds a little strange. I'm not disputing what you say happened, but on the play at first base , the ump should have came in and pivoted just as in the 2-man crew mechanic.

Edited May 7, 2006 by uknowme

[uteevol]

That sounds a little strange. I'm not disputing what you say happened, but on the play at first base , the ump should have came in and pivoted just as in the 2-man crew mechanic.

Clairfication - He did, just not as much as usually...his partner at third was coming across for the possible call at second if needed...I haven't called in years, but from talking with some at the games that have and are still calling, position is still the key to seeing the entire play and the 3-man allows that a lot more....

[uknowme]

Clairfication - He did, just not as much as usually...his partner at third was coming across for the possible call at second if needed...I haven't called in years, but from talking with some at the games that have and are still calling, position is still the key to seeing the entire play and the 3-man allows that a lot more....

That's very true. I still wish we could use it more during the season. Although we had a very long pre-game meeting before our first district game, there were still a few times that we almost became crossed up. It's not hard to do after 2-man all season.