umps?

[SuperSport]

When I said bat i was just giving an example. I also didnt mean strikes or balls, out or safe. I know judgement calls are just that, judgement. I was meaning making calls to say "I'm the umpire", instead of understanding that this is the kid's time and not theirs. No one comes to the game to watch the umpire. As I said, I fully respect the job they do and appreciate it, because it gave me and will give my son a chance to play this great game.

[scorecard10]

I agree with you 1moreDBmom on BLUE slowing down and watching it go into the mitt. I have been around for many years and have played the game myself from behind the plate as a catcher. I have heard the ump call the pitch before it has even hit my mitt. Of course, not every ump is this way. I have seen some umps call a strike when the ball passes over the black part of the plate and others don't. I just wish that ALL umps could go to a camp every year for a little inservice prior to starting the season.

[BBC]

Hey, it is a thankless job that everyone knows everything about yet only a few are willing to do. Sounds kinda like political office.

 

I have seen several examples of improving the umpires. You can have a graduated scale of pay based on the umps classification. Evaluators can be used to grade the umps. I came from a place where the umps were rated as A, B or C. A umps were paid more money than Bs and Bs more than Cs. Coaches turned in their request for each game and the level of umpiring they desired. You can have an A ump behind the plate and a C on the bases or any combination you want. This way you can get what you pay for. Even in this scenerio you can only make half the people happy.

 

All that said, only a very few times have I seen a game where the ump really controlled the outcome. Most of the time you may not get the call, but I can show you where you left 8 runners on base, you made 3 errors, you didn't take the extra base. Like I always tell mine you get three strikes he can miss one you still have 2 more. He can miss 2 you still have 1, if he misses 3, I won't be their to see anymore... You're outa here!!!!!!!!!

[1moreDBmom]

I agree there are a lot of thankless underpaid jobs and umpiring is one of them no doubt. But then so is being a MOM, so you guys in blue just need to toughen up and get over that part. ***wink

 

The biggest ruckus I hear and see at baseball games usually start with an umpire that has a "moving tea cup" strike zone. He creates his own problems because by the 4th inning everyone including the little bat boys knows that something ain't right with the game. Then get a close call at home plate or a foul home run ball that looks like it might have looped around the inside of the pole and nobody will give you the benefit of the doubt...you've been showing us for 4 innings that you are inconsistant so now every call you make will be questioned.

 

Consistancy I tell ya... you never know that a good umpire is on the field! If you keep that strike zone moving and changing then you deserve all the gaff you get from parents and coaches.

 

Don't jump on me too hard Riverdaleman. I know we are dissecting the brotherhood of umpires here but remember that we are only talking about the horrible ones...and even you know some should not be calling High School ball yet....the ones that still hold onto the "3 balls means the next one is a strike"...or "2 strikes means the next one has got to be a ball"..... They apparently do not know that even though this is not MLB yet it shore ain't little league no more!

[riverdaleman]

DB MOM i aint mad in fact in your previous post about slowing down is a BIG thing even for umpires that have been doing it for 20 years and umpires that are in college and MLB SLOW down at camp every year they reenforce TIMING it does not look good when you call a pitch and it is just now at the plate and i believe every umpire has done it LOL...My oldest son has done some umpiring and one if his partners did a game that my son was playing in and he rung a kid up before the ball hit the mit and my son went to him after the game and told him and the ump goes yeah but it looked soooo goood LOL it happens

And you also reenforsed what i said about calling strikes you get in less trouble if you call strikes if you lock in and be patient and hustle you shouldnt have many problems from fans

[davidlimbaugh]

QUOTE(1moreDBmom @ Apr 12 2007 - 10:50 AM) 826435831[/snapback]I agree Riverdaleman!

 

A consistantly called strike zone that is just a a bit wider then what you expect in MLB will keep both teams (parents and coaches) from hollering and screaming at the BLUE

 

Consistantly wrong is better then a moving strike zone anyday!

 

A good consistant plate umpire will hear very little flack from the crowds and benches.

 

Something I notice that happens a lot is the umpires that tend to call the balls and strikes out in front of the plate... that is they make their mind up what it's going to be before it breaks. If those umpires could just learn to wait until the ball hits the glove before they make that call I think they would do better with the breaking stuff. And those are the same umpires that have a moving teacup...probably because as the game progresses they realize they have missed those calls and so they start adjusting the strike zone to what they think is going to happen with certain pitches...then the ball doesn't break as much and they are still missing the calls only in the other direction.

 

So slow down a little Blue and see it all the way into the mitt.

 

 

Two things... In 12+ years of watching Tennessee High School baseball and 40+ years of watching baseball in general I have seen only two (2) incidents where a plate umpire literally ruined a game. I was the coach in one of them - a slow-pitch softball game of all things!

We had one our first game in the CoEd Nationals at Oklahoma City in the Stadium and were playing our second game on a side-field and the wind was blowing around 20 miles an hour and the umpire had a strike zone the size of a postage stamp. Somewhere in the ASA Record Book is an entry for Intergraph vs YaMaMasBowman Construction Company with numbers for most walks combined and most walks for one team. The base umpire was upset because he missed his tee-time and we set the losers bracket back a long way because we lost something like 33-28 in about a 3+ hour slow-pitch softball game.

 

The second time was a couple of years ago at Cookeville - In the last district game of the year with the District Title on the line between co-leaders Cookeville and Riverdale the umpire had a strike zone smaller than the lady umpire I met in Oklahoma. His strike zone was BRUTAL! For both teams. Both pitchers ended up just throwing fastballs down the middle and letting each team hit it....

[ksgovols]

Timing is huge. That'll keep you in there when the pitcher breaks off a good curve ball. You also won't be embarrassed when the first baseman lifts up his glove and the ball's on the ground.

 

Selling the call is the other thing. When you make a call on a close play, do it with confidence.

 

Be in position and have good mechanics. After getting cracked in the collarbone by a foul ball straight back I learned not to lean into the pitch so much! I still find myself coming up too early some times. That's one bad habit I'm still working on.

[1moreDBmom]

Two things... In 12+ years of watching Tennessee High School baseball and 40+ years of watching baseball in general I have seen only two (2) incidents where a plate umpire literally ruined a game.

 

 

I certainly agree that bad calls seldom change the outcome of a game...but the horrible plate ump with the moving strike zone can sure set the tone for a miserable game for players, coaches and spectators alike....it's just so much more enjoyable iin the games where you don't notice the umpires.

 

The bad thing is that on this site we are probably wasting our breath with our complaints because the umpires on here are interested enough in the baseball that I would call them the "cream of the crop" ...the ones that are there for show or the UNIFORM or even the money (little though it be) are not gonna be in here or anywhere else learning how to become a better ump....

 

 

Making note to self to find Riverdaleman someday...I've got some good bush league heckles I need to use on him!!! LOL

[Smooth Operator]

Wanh, Wanh, Wanh

 

Let's cry and pout some more all you former or active umpires (and moms) ." Why don't you try to be an umpire?"

You all have an excuse built in your back pocket. And just so you know- Big Fly is right- you can talk about an umpire's perception of the strike zone having to do with his height but an umpire's height should have nothing to do with his strike zone. You all are basically saying that an umpire that is 5'11'' should have a different strike zone than an umpire that is 6'1". That is ludacris.

 

By the way, you are discriminating against really tall people and really short people. But wait, all of you guys are so classy- I wouldn't think any of you guys would do that. /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

[bigcenter]

Some of the mistakes i have seen this year are simply just inexperience or lack of attention. We for one have alot of umpires that are very young as in maybe a couple years older than us in some cases. I know for a fact a couple who graduated only 2 seasons ago. Im not saying this is a bad thing they just have to get some experince under their belts and the players, coaches, and fans should realize this guy is not as experienced and may miss a call or two. If it weren't for them we may have no umpires in the later years.

 

As for wanting the strike zone to be by the book. You really don't want to see this from letters to knees. For pitchers that throw harder they will live way up in the zone and batters either, one cant catch up with it so high or, two they will just pop most stuff up for easy fly balls. For the slower pitcher decent batters are just going to smash the ball. Perfect example is a game that was played last week. On Monday the strike zone was about from high shins to belt and the umpire did a great job staying with that all day, this resulted in a very low scoring good baseball game. The next day played with a umpire who was making the pitcher work from maybe mid thigh to letters. Let me tell you the ball was just being crushed. I personally as a batter and pitcher would rather have the low consistent strike zone than the high inconsistent one just for the fact it will be a better game and work both ways.

 

Over all most of the umpires have been alright from what I have seen this year. And we have to give it up for the veterans who I have played with for years and the young guys for taking their time to come out and officiate the game we all love.

[catsbackr]

QUOTE(Smooth Operator @ Apr 12 2007 - 02:46 PM) 826436082[/snapback]Wanh, Wanh, Wanh

 

Let's cry and pout some more all you former or active umpires (and moms) ." Why don't you try to be an umpire?"

You all have an excuse built in your back pocket. And just so you know- Big Fly is right- you can talk about an umpire's perception of the strike zone having to do with his height but an umpire's height should have nothing to do with his strike zone. You all are basically saying that an umpire that is 5'11'' should have a different strike zone than an umpire that is 6'1". That is ludacris.

 

By the way, you are discriminating against really tall people and really short people. But wait, all of you guys are so classy- I wouldn't think any of you guys would do that. /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

 

Ahh, true wisdom spoken by an idiot that has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Sack up, strap it on or shut up!

[1moreDBmom]

QUOTE(catsbackr @ Apr 13 2007 - 11:17 PM) 826437164[/snapback]Ahh, true wisdom spoken by an idiot that has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Sack up, strap it on or shut up!

 

 

 

Why not toss some fertilizer on him instead.....it's spring you know and we could use a couple blooming idiots to liven the place up a bit!