umpires needed

[ksgovols]

Every ball park in our district has lights and we still play Varsity games at 4:00 some of the time. Naturally, the parks without lights can't play in the evenings. Still, the pool of umpires would be a lot larger if those with lights would use them or play games on Saturdays.

[Polarsloth]

theres a few parks in the district that i am from also that has lights "blinders" but they are not very safe to play under. but if you do have good lights you should use them. i love night games.

[midtnblu]

Regarding umpires, lights, start time of games etc.... here are some things to think about.

 

1. Like it was said here not all facilities have lights so games have to be started early

2. There are coaches that do not want lights. They know when it gets dark, they can go home.

3. If you start later, it will be colder, and it is already a crapshoot now with the temperature.

4. There are some games that do get changed from 6:00 to earlier in the day become of threat of rain or a drop in temperature. The season is so short, coaches have to get all district games complete by a certain date and anything they can do to keep from getting a game cancelled they will do it. Including starting a game earlier to play when it is 45 degrees instead of 35 degrees.

 

 

Coaches schedule the games when it gives them the best opportunity to play the game in the best possible weather, with input from the opposing coach when making the schedule, and still trying to make it convenient for fans, albeit this third item is low on the priority list.

 

And regarding being able to get better umpires if the games were started later....getting an "A" level umpire vs. a "B" level umpire is not going to show up in the win/loss column. Coaches know that games are won and lost by the teams on the field and they are not the ones on this forum complaining about the umpires.

[ksgovols]

It's just math. Later start times during the week and weekend games will provide a larger pool of umpires, good ones as well as bad ones. Those of us with 8-5 jobs have a hard time getting in the rotation. That's all I'm saying. Summer ball has a lot of coaches with 8-5 jobs and they schedule their games later and on weekends and get more guys to umpire. Weather and lights are a factor no doubt.

[meb1369]

Regarding umpires, lights, start time of games etc.... here are some things to think about.

 

1. Like it was said here not all facilities have lights so games have to be started early

2. There are coaches that do not want lights. They know when it gets dark, they can go home.

3. If you start later, it will be colder, and it is already a crapshoot now with the temperature.

4. There are some games that do get changed from 6:00 to earlier in the day become of threat of rain or a drop in temperature. The season is so short, coaches have to get all district games complete by a certain date and anything they can do to keep from getting a game cancelled they will do it. Including starting a game earlier to play when it is 45 degrees instead of 35 degrees.

 

 

Coaches schedule the games when it gives them the best opportunity to play the game in the best possible weather, with input from the opposing coach when making the schedule, and still trying to make it convenient for fans, albeit this third item is low on the priority list.

 

And regarding being able to get better umpires if the games were started later....getting an "A" level umpire vs. a "B" level umpire is not going to show up in the win/loss column. Coaches know that games are won and lost by the teams on the field and they are not the ones on this forum complaining about the umpires.

I seem to be hearing alot of umpires making excuses for other umpires. We play in District 7AA and I would say that the umpiring is inconsistent at best which usually revoles around the strike zone. Each umpire seems to feel the strike zone is his personally to call as he sees fit instead of what the rule book says. I have heard umpires comment that they like to see pitches at one point of the zone or the other. Or they will say they are pitchers umpires or hitters umpires. This is not calling the zone by the rule book. In the years that I coached one of the first things I tried to do was figure out where the umps were calling pitches that night and adjust accordingly. If their calling them at your ankles you have to protect there. If we had a uniform strike zone that was inforced this would not be nececery. I hope to live to see a day when technology will eliminte the need for umpires to call balls and strikes. Until that day I guess we'll just have to put up with what we have.

[bbump]

If I have a High School game Monday a NCAA Division two game on Tuesday, A NAIA game om Thursday and Division 1 Confrence games on the weekend which was my schedule last week guess which one I heard the most griping and complaining and pure old whining in? That is right the High School game where the stands are full of the hobby coaches, that are summertime Joe Torres, that think they are Gods gift to the game. The actual High School coaches are tickled for competent umpires to be there and they know that they can relax and coach that day but the verbiage coming from the stands is hysterical. So veteran umps tend to stick strictly to a College schedule, and the good young umpires, especially in Metro areas will do the little kid travel ball stuff where the cash is flowing and it is worth their while to put up with the abuse. If you constantly abuse the new umpires the will never become experienced enough to get better. I have done this for over 30 years and I don't think I have ever seen a High School game where an umpire intentionally missed a call to cost someone a game. It is the only job in the world where perfection is expected on day one and improvement is demanded after that. Listen to yourselves sometime, in Football and Basketball there is usually a dressing room to shield officials from the fans. in Baseball it is usually a parking lot where abuse is rampant and I pity the poor official that takes up for himself out there. Umpires are needed you are right but if you want to make the initial $300 investment to become one contact your local assigner and join up with a great group of guys who love a great game, if your not willing to do what it takes then keep paying to yell at us but just know how ignorant of the game that many of you are, and dont even try to become anymore knowledgeable.

 

If I have a High School game Monday a NCAA Division two game on Tuesday, A NAIA game om Thursday and Division 1 Confrence games on the weekend which was my schedule last week guess which one I heard the most griping and complaining and pure old whining in? That is right the High School game where the stands are full of the hobby coaches, that are summertime Joe Torres, that think they are Gods gift to the game. The actual High School coaches are tickled for competent umpires to be there and they know that they can relax and coach that day but the verbiage coming from the stands is hysterical. So veteran umps tend to stick strictly to a College schedule, and the good young umpires, especially in Metro areas will do the little kid travel ball stuff where the cash is flowing and it is worth their while to put up with the abuse. If you constantly abuse the new umpires the will never become experienced enough to get better. I have done this for over 30 years and I don't think I have ever seen a High School game where an umpire intentionally missed a call to cost someone a game. It is the only job in the world where perfection is expected on day one and improvement is demanded after that. Listen to yourselves sometime, in Football and Basketball there is usually a dressing room to shield officials from the fans. in Baseball it is usually a parking lot where abuse is rampant and I pity the poor official that takes up for himself out there. Umpires are needed you are right but if you want to make the initial $300 investment to become one contact your local assigner and join up with a great group of guys who love a great game, if your not willing to do what it takes then keep paying to yell at us but just know how ignorant of the game that many of you are, and dont even try to become anymore knowledgeable.

[ksgovols]

Amen! Coaches and players blow way more games than umpires ever will.

[CUBCADET]

Amen! Coaches and players blow way more games than umpires ever will.

 

I agree with you on this one..I have yet to see an umpire miss an easy fly ball, let a groundball go through his legs, miss a coaches sign, or swing and miss an easy pitch to hit, but yet anything that goes wrong is always the umpire's fault for just being bad at the job or being a "homer". You are also correct that the stands are full of lawn chair coaches and managers that know way more about the game and the rules than the coaches on the field or the umpires calling the action. It sure does look easy from the bleachers, I'll admit. BUT, everybody needs someone to blame for their teams mistakes or whatever so why not just blame the guys in blue. Heaven forbid a coach or player do anything wrong to affect the outcome of the game.

[SHS1]

In my 30+ years of coaching and observing, there has only been twice that I felt the umpires cost me a ball game, and I don't believe that it was intentional. We only remember the bad ones, but how often does a coach actually say thanks to an ump(s) for calling a good game. Most of the goods one are never noticed , as it should be. I still get mad over a bad call and run my mouth. (just to keep them on their toes of course).

[CUBCADET]

In my 30+ years of coaching and observing, there has only been twice that I felt the umpires cost me a ball game, and I don't believe that it was intentional. We only remember the bad ones, but how often does a coach actually say thanks to an ump(s) for calling a good game. Most of the goods one are never noticed , as it should be. I still get mad over a bad call and run my mouth. (just to keep them on their toes of course).

 

You are right about some coaches never paying a compliment to the good umpires. Most will, though.I really have never seen an umpire make a bad call intentionally, I think. But some are just not as seasoned as others, but you have to start somewhere. Some of the less-experienced umpires get put into high pressure situations by their assigners because there is not a veteran ump to work the game for some reason or another. I really believe they try hard, but maybe they just haven't been around long enough at the higher levels to recognize the situations they are about to encounter. A lot of times, when a coach senses a rookie in blue, they try to intimidate the guy , and it just makes matters worse when the umpire gets ridden or yelled at when he is already nervous or whatever by being there in the first place. Most umpires know the level where they truly feel comfortable working at and when they get put in a higher level, they just can't relax and do the job properly, because they are afraid of the wrath of the fans and coaches if they do screw up. Nobody is perfect, even the coaches, believe it or not. How would any of the fans feel if when they are at work and everybody in the place is critiquing and screaming at every move they make, often to the point of being stupid. And we all know...YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!!

I understand a coach humping for his team when he thinks he got a bad call, and as long as he speaks his mind and is courteous, he will get courteous treatment from most any umpire. The ones that go ballistic over nothing are the ones the men in blue dont care for. There are an awful lot of good coaches in this area that really know how to make their point and still not act stupid doing it. The trouble is, a lot of coaches dont really know the rules like they should, and when an umpire makes a tricky call, they just think since they dont understand what the rule or call is, they think they got screwed. Not the case usually. Being an umpire has to be one of the toughest jobs in any sport. One call I think I have seen to cause more of a fuss is the lefthanded pitchers balk/no balk. If the schools will put out a few extra dollars for the third umpire to be on the field, it would solve a ton of that problem, along with better call all over the field. A small price to pay for making sure things get called right, dont you think?

[davidlimbaugh]

CubCadet - 7AAA has gone to 3 men in blue for district games... I wish you could have been at Lindsey Nelson last Saturday to see a great example of an umpire not comporting himself very well in the field...

 

Situation: 2 man crew, men on first and third, two outs

 

Check Swing by right hand batter - from 3rd base dugout it looked like he went. Our catcher appeals to base umpire.

His reply - "I didn't see it, pitcher was in the way". A fan in the stands, not anyone in the dugout, comments to the effect of "Get where you can see it then!". He turns to the fan and yells back something to the effect I will stand where I think I need to stand and then our coach starts out of the dugout to ask him about it and he yells at Coach that he doesn't like his attitude and doesn't want to hear anymore from him - this is the top of the first and our coach's first interaction with him - not a great way to start a game - agreed?

 

The only other experience that comes to mind this year was an umpire in Chattanooga did something I have never seen in 40+ years of being at a ballfield. Same situation, a check swing - catcher asks for an appeal - home plate umpire says rather nastily "I said he didn't swing and I don't need any help!" Up until that moment I thought it was always a courtesy for the plate umpire to ask for help.... Isn't it??? I just took it for granted.....

 

CubCadet - you know me and how I feel about umpires /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

[ksgovols]

It is a courtesy for the home plate umpire to ask for help on check swings. That being said, it is the better part of judgement to go ahead and ask for the help as long as it's presented in the right way. Personally I want the catcher to ask me for the help, but it does depend a lot on where the field umpire is positioned. If the field umpire is in the C slot on a right handed batter, he can't see it any better than the guy behind the plate. The reality is that is if the bat is over the plate, wrists break or not, the home plate umpire has a better view. Most of the time, they are going if the batter can't prevent the bat from breaking the plane of the plate. The guy in the field is looking for the barrel of the bat. The guy behind the plate is looking to see if the bat is over the plate. I mean, you can foul that pitch off if your bat is over the plate. Is that a swing or not if you don't make contact?

 

The hardest call to make is balls bouncing off batters after they are 'hit'. You don't always see that behind the plate if you're in the slot and looking for ball/strike. Likewise with balks.