Umpiring In Chattanooga!

[cocheese]

Not ticked off, just offered a solution. Not disagreeing with you, just offering a solution. Not saying it's the only solution, or that you can't complain. I am 100% sure you have seen some horrible officials. But, there are a lot of gripes coming from people in the stands that are just as capable of putting on the blue shirt as the person out there collecting the check. Heck, if you're going to make all the calls in the stands anyways,and your at the ballpark, why not get paid!?! There's a simple reason why you see some many horrible upmpires; no one else wants to do it. Assigners can't force people on the field, they have to work with what they got. Stinks, but it's true. Umpires are only second to coaches in regards to how crazy you have to be, to do a job that gets so little praise compared to the complaints. Oh, and I'm not an umpire, just a fan these days. I hope those that don't know the rules stay home during the post-season. Best of luck to you.

[rulesman09]

I have no idea what your talking about. Yes I do no the rules, yes most fans are idiots. Don't know little Johnny. When a runner steals second, and the pitcher turns and throws to second with out steping off 1st, its a baulk. A ump should never shout Fair Ball! When a pitcher steps off and looks over at 1st and and looks at the runner hard then raise his arm like he is going to throw over an't a baulk. I could keep going and going and going. Had a vet ump this weekend talk to me about this he said we can teach them, go thru meetings but we can't go out there and hold there hands. Give it up Blue and you are.... you got some weak holes in some of your crews, even some of your own kind say so.

 

Actually, a pitcher can throw to an unoccupied base if it's in an effort to drive back a runner.

Edited April 23, 2013 by rulesman09

[umpire27]

I have umpired in East Tennessee and at the College level for 35 years and I do agree I have seen many umpires in it just for the small pay we get and they don't work the game like they should.I also know we have many meetings before and during the season and camps teaching the right way to work a game.I bust my butt every game no matter if it is Single A or College the kids deserve the best we as Umpires on the most part work 8 hour jobs then rush to the games and sometimes don't get home until very late that night.I also buy all my equipment around 500.00 worth and pay my gas and most of the times we sigh a piece of paper and they mail our checks whenever.I love the game that is why I do it and I miss calls but who doesn't we work 2 man crews and do our best to be in position and you never here about how we hustle and get calls right only if we miss one.I know the Tri-Cities Association works hard to be the best we can.I wonder how many Coaches Clinics the Coaches go to? I am looking forward to the Tournaments it's what we work for !!!

[chattacane]

I have umpired in East Tennessee and at the College level for 35 years and I do agree I have seen many umpires in it just for the small pay we get and they don't work the game like they should.I also know we have many meetings before and during the season and camps teaching the right way to work a game.I bust my butt every game no matter if it is Single A or College the kids deserve the best we as Umpires on the most part work 8 hour jobs then rush to the games and sometimes don't get home until very late that night.I also buy all my equipment around 500.00 worth and pay my gas and most of the times we sigh a piece of paper and they mail our checks whenever.I love the game that is why I do it and I miss calls but who doesn't we work 2 man crews and do our best to be in position and you never here about how we hustle and get calls right only if we miss one.I know the Tri-Cities Association works hard to be the best we can.I wonder how many Coaches Clinics the Coaches go to? I am looking forward to the Tournaments it's what we work for !!!

Thank you, Umps like you are what we need.... There is no way I would every ump.

[chattacane]

Actually, a pitcher can throw to an unoccupied base if it's in an effort to drive back a runner.

Not without Disengaging the rubber he can't.

[imontheline]

From OBR rule set but applicable in all rule sets including Fed.

8.05d "It is a balk when"

The pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a okay.

 

The accepted interpretation is that if the runner is stealing, than the pitcher can throw ahead of the runner while still on the rubber for "the purpose of making a play". Driving back the runner is not considered making a play in this instance.

 

If the runner fakes a steal and the pitcher while still on the rubber throws ahead of him to an unoccupied base, then it is a balk.

 

I think this is just one of those misunderstood rules.

Edited April 24, 2013 by imontheline

[chattacane]

From OBR rule set but applicable in all rule sets including Fed.

8.05d "It is a balk when"

The pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a okay.

 

The accepted interpretation is that if the runner is stealing, than the pitcher can throw ahead of the runner while still on the rubber for "the purpose of making a play". Driving back the runner is not considered making a play in this instance.

 

If the runner fakes a steal and the pitcher while still on the rubber throws ahead of him to an unoccupied base, then it is a balk.

 

I think this is just one of those misunderstood rules.

With a runner on base and the pitcher on or astride (with one leg on each side of) the rubber, it is a balk when the pitcher:

• throws from the mound to a base without stepping toward (gaining distance in the direction of) that base;
  

I am sorry if I did no't make it clear from the start, the guy had his foot on the rubber, came set, runner took off pitcher broke his hands while set and quick darted a throw to second with out even piviting.

Really don't matter, it was just a rant I got into and wished I had not.... Kinda like my first wife. No ump that I have seen caused a team to lose a ball game.... Have seen umps make bad calls but its a game it is expected just wished some I said some would act like they enjoyed there job, and hustle into position.

[sparkman]

Chattanooga area not the only place with bad umping, have also seen in the in Upper Cumberland area. Have seen some good ones too. One difference I see, when I see a game that was umped well, they moved on the field and got into position. Too many umps stand around and try to make calls they can't see. And, no matter how much the fans are on the ump, he should never turn around and talk to them and try to justify the calls to the fans. Shows he's not in control of the game. Bad calls happen, bad effort shouldn't.

[DiamondDad]

And, no matter how much the fans are on the ump, he should never turn around and talk to them and try to justify the calls to the fans. Shows he's not in control of the game. Bad calls happen, bad effort shouldn't.

 

This is why there aren't as many good umpires as you guys would like to see. I've coached, been a fan and umpired baseball at all levels from coach pitch to HS. Fans think they can literally say anything they want to an umpire and the ump can't say anything back so they abuse the situation and verbally abuse the umpre.

 

This is flawed logic in my opinion. How many times have you heard personal insults hurled at an umpire because a group of fans didn't like a call? "You're horrible!" "You're an idiot!" "Moron!!" are just some of the phrases I've heard on a weekly basis. Someone screams that at you enough, are you not going to say anything back? At some point you stop being an umpire and start being a man. When was the last time an umpire screamed at a fan or coach that they're the worst fan or coach they've ever seen? "Do unto others.." right?

 

I would LOVE to see the reaction of a coach that's been riding an ump all night, if that same ump yell "What are you thinking?!?!" when the coach made a bone head move.

 

Or if the ump got to chastised a fan for thinking the 3-1 move is a balk (still legal in HS ball) while screaming "Go back to umpire school, dummy!"

 

I know there are 3 people that get to yell insults at me with out repercussions, and even that has it's limits - my wife, boss, and mother. If you don't fit into those categories then watch what you call me. Why do people think just because they're an official of a high school sporting event that they aren't afforded the same human courtesy we should give all people?

[rulesman09]

From OBR rule set but applicable in all rule sets including Fed.

8.05d "It is a balk when"

The pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a okay.

 

The accepted interpretation is that if the runner is stealing, than the pitcher can throw ahead of the runner while still on the rubber for "the purpose of making a play". Driving back the runner is not considered making a play in this instance.

 

If the runner fakes a steal and the pitcher while still on the rubber throws ahead of him to an unoccupied base, then it is a balk.

 

I think this is just one of those misunderstood rules.

 

Let's check out the 2013 NFHS interpretation:

 

Situation 20: With runners at 1st base and 2nd base, the runner at 2nd bluffs a steal of third by running hard to 3rd base before he stops and retreats to 2nd. The pitcher, seeing the runner take off hard to 3rd base, legally throws to the unoccupied 3rd base. The third base coach wants a balk called because the runner from 2nd stopped.

Ruling: A pitcher may throw or feint a throw to an unoccupied base in an attempt to put out or drive back a runner. As long as the umpire judges that it is reasonable for the pitcher to believe that he had a play at third, even though the runner stopped, it is a legal move. (6.2.4b)

 

Correct on the fact that it is misunderstood.

[imontheline]

Touche' Rulesman.

 

Do you tote your Fed rulebook and case play book with you to work? Looks like I need to.

Edited April 24, 2013 by imontheline

[sparkman]

This is why there aren't as many good umpires as you guys would like to see. I've coached, been a fan and umpired baseball at all levels from coach pitch to HS. Fans think they can literally say anything they want to an umpire and the ump can't say anything back so they abuse the situation and verbally abuse the umpre.

 

This is flawed logic in my opinion. How many times have you heard personal insults hurled at an umpire because a group of fans didn't like a call? "You're horrible!" "You're an idiot!" "Moron!!" are just some of the phrases I've heard on a weekly basis. Someone screams that at you enough, are you not going to say anything back? At some point you stop being an umpire and start being a man. When was the last time an umpire screamed at a fan or coach that they're the worst fan or coach they've ever seen? "Do unto others.." right?

 

I would LOVE to see the reaction of a coach that's been riding an ump all night, if that same ump yell "What are you thinking?!?!" when the coach made a bone head move.

 

Or if the ump got to chastised a fan for thinking the 3-1 move is a balk (still legal in HS ball) while screaming "Go back to umpire school, dummy!"

 

I know there are 3 people that get to yell insults at me with out repercussions, and even that has it's limits - my wife, boss, and mother. If you don't fit into those categories then watch what you call me. Why do people think just because they're an official of a high school sporting event that they aren't afforded the same human courtesy we should give all people?

I agree with you on the personal insults, there really is no place for that. That's not the kid of talking back to fans I was talking about . An ump wants to go after an abusive fan, go to it. And, I have had some many occasions to question bonehead calls by our coaches this year, I wish could see an Ump call him out on it. But, when an Ump blows a call, has it overturned by the field ump with a better view, and then, between innings, walks over to the fans and tries to justify his bad, incorrect call, I think he should stay away from the fans. My issue with the umping problems I've seen this year is watching umps who don't make an effort.