tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70950094259376226162024-03-20T03:20:42.716-05:00Come on Blue!!! Tips and Stories from an Amateur UmpireFor the past 19 years, I have spent my summers on the baseball diamond umpiring. I have umpired everything from little league to college. I have attended the Harry Wendelstedt umpire school twice. This blog will be a combination of stories and lessons I have learned along the way.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-86424615896882420992014-01-08T11:33:00.000-06:002014-01-08T11:33:02.381-06:00I'm Back Last year I made the decision to stop umpiring and begin coaching. I was offered a job as the assistant Junior Varsity Baseball Coach at my old high school and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. While it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it, I found that I really missed umpiring. This year, my kids are a little too busy for me to make the commitment to coach on a daily basis so I will be back in Blue.
I am really looking forward to the upcoming season and can't wait for my new gear to show up in the next week or so. I plan on getting this blog up and going agina with weekly posts and rules questions. I also think I have the ability to put video on here now so hopefully, I'll be able to put some mechanics and positioning videos on here. Time will tell if my personal computer will cooporoate or not.
As far as coaching goes, it was a great exsperience; however, I found myself very disappointed with the quality of umpiring my team and the Varsity received. It's a shame to say but it sure seemed like the number of quality high school umpires are limited in the St. Louis area. Having worked High School Ball in the St. Louis, I was shocked at the lack of knowledge of the umpires we had. I know we were a small school and the better umpires get the better teams but even so, there is no excuse for some of the things that were missed in our games, and I will give you a few good exsamples.
We were playing in one of our first games of the year and we were in the field with runners on first and second with no outs. The batter hit a pop up to our shortstop in short left field. Our short stop was camped under the ball and dropped it. No call was made by the umpires. The runners ran and we turned a double play. The opposing manager asked why infield fly wasn't called and the answer given was that the ball was not in the infield. Any decent umpire knows that is just wrong.
Infield fly was an issue the entire season. There were a number of times that I pretty much called infield fly from the dugout. I actually had one umpire walk over and thank me because he said he forgot about that rule. How do you forget about infield fly.
We had another situation were our batter hit a ball in the gap in left center. The first baseman got in his way and our runner ended up on the ground. My runner got up and was thrown out on a close play at second. The umpire ruled him out. When I went out to ask him abotu obstruction, he told me that since the 1st baseman wasn't standing on the bag, there is no obstruction. What?!!! Obviously, this wasn't taught very well.
The last thing I will point out is the lack of hustle and bad positioning. I'm not sure if some of the umpires we had were just lazy or didn't know where to go but it was awful. We had three umpries hit by throws. We had a run down with no one on and the plate umpire didn't come down to help. We had a play at the plate where the plate umpire and field umpire where both at third (That was an interesting call). It was just the a bunch of stuff like that that made it very frustrating to an umpire to watch.
I could go on but I don't want it to seem like I am down on umpires or was a coach that yelled and screamed. I never got thrown out of a game and always gave the umpires the benfit of the doubt but it was hard. I'm sure part of the issue was that I was coaching a small school JV team and we didn't get the best umpries but these were rules that needed to be taught.
Ok enough about my bad experiences with umpires, the point of this post was not to blast umpires, it was to just get this blog up and running again. I can't wait for the season to start so I can knock off my rust and get back on the field doing what I love. Until then, survive the cold, only a few months until you can yell "PLAY BALL" again!!!<strike></strike>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-36504752717973342442012-12-14T10:53:00.000-06:002012-12-14T10:53:26.682-06:00UpdateIt's been a while since I have been on here so I figured it would be a good time to update what I have going on next year's baseball season. I still plan on umpiring but not nearly as much as before. This year, as I mentioned before, I will be taking on the coaching role. For the past few years, my old high school has been asking me to help out with their high school program. Well, this year, I finally have the time to do that and I have agreed to be the assistant JV coach. The orignal plan was for me to help with the varsity but due to my main job, I need the ability to miss a practice here or there if something gets in the way. I am very excited for this new challenge.
I'll update this post as the season get's closer. Hope everyone is having a great off season. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!! Oh yeah...PLAY BALL!!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-1634047743326885122012-08-21T12:41:00.000-05:002012-08-21T12:41:43.962-05:00Back at it...exciting annoucementWell, after taking off the majority of the summer to concentrate on my career, tonight I hit the diamond again. It will be my first game since May. It's fall ball so it should be a pretty easy game but it will be nice to be back out on the field.
After being asked for about 4 years, I have decided to continue being involved in baseball but in another capacity. Beginning in two weeks, I will begin my coaching career. I will be working with the SLABA Southwest Stars 17/18 year old team this fall and then in the Spring, I will be the assistant coach on my old high schools varsity baseball team. I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to coach at such a high level. It has always been a dream of mine to coach at the high school level and I am really looking forward to it.
It will be interesting to see how I handle situations that I have complained about for years. Having coached before, I know that I rarely yell at the umpires but I do get upset when they don't know the rules. I doubt that will happen much at this level but I'm sure there will be a situation or two that I can post about.
I plan to continue umpiring but not nearly as much as I have in years past. Unfortunately, with the coach opportunity, my kids getting bigger and new things happening at my main job, umpiring has kind of taken a back seat to everything else. I will always love umpiring and will continue to work as much as possible but I think time in my life where I am able to umpire on a regular basis is about over.
With that being said, I will do my best to continue to post on here as much as possible. I am really looking forward to postiing as a coach. I will continue to post rules questions and various things I see at the ball fields.
On that note, I'm off to go get some work done before my 6:00 game tonight. PLAY BALL!!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-53839836210865492882012-04-17T09:31:00.002-05:002012-04-17T09:35:30.768-05:00Batting Out of Order - Rules QuestionThis is Question 1 of 2 for this subject.<br /><br />The batting order for the following question is as follows:<br /><br />Bryan<br />Robert<br />Kevin<br />Matt<br />Mark<br />Mike<br />James<br />Kirk<br />Brad<br /><br />In the first inning, Bryan comes up and hits a single. Robert then strikes out for the first out. Matt then bats (KEVIN SHOULD BE UP HERE). Matt hits a double that scores Bryan. A Pitch is thrown to Kevin and then the home team calls time for batting out of order. Whats the call?Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-63201063029882046332012-04-10T14:27:00.003-05:002012-04-10T14:45:01.665-05:00Learn the RulesI feel like I have a post like this every year so I'm sorry if I have said all of this before but putting it out here keeps me from saying something during a game.<br /><br />Last night, I had two plays that made me want to make this post. <br /><br />The first was a foul tip (directly from the bat to the catchers glove or hand and was caught) when a runner was stealing. The catcher held onto the ball and automatically the defensive coaches started yelling that it was a foul ball. Now, if this was a 9 year olds game, that would have been one thing but this was a 13 year old game. Even if a coach never took the time to read the rule book, you would think that at some point in the 4 or 5 years of coaching he would have seen a foul tip before. They didn't put up too much of a fight but the fact that they argued the call was insane to me.<br /><br />The second didn't bother me but as a coach, he ran his kids out of an inning. Runner on 1st, no outs. Strike three is dropped by the catcher. The runner started going back to the bag but the coach was screaming at him to run. I was yelling "Batted is out, first base is occupied, BATTER IS OUT!!!" But nobody paid any attention to me. The kid was thrown out at 2nd. The kicker was, it was a 1 run game in the last inning. The next kid hit a double that would have tied the game. They ended up stranding him at 3rd.<br /><br />I understand that coaches and players are not going to spend as much time learning the rule book as the umpires do. I wouldn't expect it. But if you are going to coach the game, don't you think it would help to have an above average understand of the rules of the game? To any coach that reads this, I challenge you to read the rule book, to ask questions of the umpire in between innings. Learn the rules. It will keep you from arguing things you shouldn't argue and it will make you a better coach. The best coaches are the ones that not only understand how to teach the game, they also know the game. <br /><br />I know not just saying all of this to vent. I honestly believe that if coaches took just a little more time to learn the rules of the game, things would improve in all aspects of the game of them. Ok, time to get off my soap box. Only an hour and fifteen minutes until I head to the fields. PLAY BALL!!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-17452513855933672432012-04-10T08:24:00.003-05:002012-04-10T08:35:25.124-05:00Slow NightWhen I got to the fields yesterday, I was really looking forward to working my first game behind the plate. I was under the assumption that it was a Select Boy's 13 "Gold" game. What I didn't notice was that on the schedule, there wasn't a SL next to the game which meant it was a Rec game. Oh my, was it ever a rec game. I think I had at least 9 punch outs in the game. There were at least 10 errors by each team and I don't think a ball left the infield on the fly the entire game. At one point, the third base coach started yelling at the runner on 3rd for not running on a 3-2 pitch with two outs. The only thing was, the runner on 3rd was the only runner on. Yes it was one of those games.<br /><br />My second game was a select "silver" boys 13 game. This game wasn't great but it wasn't too bad. Neither team could hit very well but both teams played pretty good defense so I had plenty to do in the field. I had quiet a few bangers which always makes things a little more exciting. We had two very interesting plays in the game.<br /><br />Play 1:<br /><br />Runner on 3rd, 1 out. Batter hits a sharp ground ball to 3rd base. It hits the lips of the infield and comes up and hits the 3rd basemen in the face. The shortstop comes in grabs the ball and throws to first. The Batter runner has already reach first when the throw is made. The batter runner, for whatever reason, rounded first and took two steps like he was going. The first basemen tags him out. <br /><br />Play 2:<br /><br />Runner on 1st. Pitch does not come set and pitches, I call a balk. Batter hits a swining bunt down the 3rd base line. Everyone stops and looks at me. I do nothing. After about 5 or 6 seconds the third base coach takes the hint and tells everyone to run. Batter reaches first and the runner reaches 2nd. The defensive coach and fans kept screaming, "its a balk, send them back". I love explaining this rule because they never believe me and they pull out their rule books. <br /><br />Other than that it was a pretty easy night. Tonight I have one game. Hopefully, it will continue to be a good season.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-11147877487566849262012-04-09T14:25:00.001-05:002012-04-09T14:25:29.940-05:00Back at itAfter a week off, tonight I head back to the ballpark for two boys 13 games. It will be nice to get back on the diamond after a week off. As much as working a full time job and umpiring is exhausting, I couldn't ask for a better second job.<br />
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Now I have a question for all of you. My nephew is Chicago is playing on Saturday and I have been asked to umpire the game. I have mixed views on umpiring family. What are your thoughts?Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-54501111362348189012012-03-29T08:40:00.003-05:002012-03-29T08:56:35.898-05:00A Tale of Two Games<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-O2wlZOSaDdiXtP2kmAGfMsuI1oAjcG2iAmH4HtlZ5U4iTtNWaJhfsNj34jx6_MjgWOxTcRY60SqpKhNcQpq4Vgcc9nuArvpjnBsSVtcOjOw97GvVtyYpEoTgdVL-fze459nsoo_CSg/s1600/FIELDS+3.2012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-O2wlZOSaDdiXtP2kmAGfMsuI1oAjcG2iAmH4HtlZ5U4iTtNWaJhfsNj34jx6_MjgWOxTcRY60SqpKhNcQpq4Vgcc9nuArvpjnBsSVtcOjOw97GvVtyYpEoTgdVL-fze459nsoo_CSg/s320/FIELDS+3.2012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725314281869159714" /></a><br /><br />Isn't that a beautiful picture? I love that the baseball season has started. It is the greatest time of the year. Tuesday, I had my first two games and they were a quick reminder that with 12 year olds, you never know what you are going to get.<br /><br />My first game of the season was a Select "Gold" Level Boys 12 game and I had the dish. This was the type of game that every umpire should dream about. Both teams had pitchers that were around the plate. The coaches were pumped to be there but not hot heads. The parents were in the game but not crazy. The batters swung that bats, the fielders made plays AND....the game was over in an hour and 2 minutes. FANTASTIC. It was a 9-0 game but it didn't feel that way. 6 runs were scored in the bottom of the first and then no runs until the bottom of the 4th. It was a much better game than the score would lead you to believe. <br /><br />My second game was a Select "Silver" Level Boys 12 game. I use the word select here very loosely. This game lasted over 2 hours and 20 minutes. I think I made 6 calls the entire game. There were a lot of walks, errors, strike outs and just bad baseball. But as an umpire, I like games like this every once in a while. It reminds you that as an umpire you have to stay on your toes. You never know when a play is going to completely fall aparts and the ball is going to be thrown the last place you expect. It reminds you to react and not assume as an umpire. <br /><br />All in all, it was a great first night at the ball fields. I am working a tournament tonight and tomorrow. I think I have 12s tonight and 14s tomorrow. For all of you getting ready to start you seasons, good luck this year. PLAY BALL!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-70286948845172789822012-03-26T10:53:00.005-05:002012-03-26T14:34:13.300-05:00Seaon Starts TomorrowIt's finally here!!! Tomorrow the baseball season begins for me with two boys 12 games. It should be a fairly easy start to what I am hoping is going to be a very good summer. As the season is about to start, I felt it would be a good time to go through some of my tips to the new (and sometimes not so new) umpires.<br /><br />#1 - Dress like an umpire: Have you heard the expression "you never get a second chance to make a first impression"? This is true in almost every aspect of life and it holds true to being an umpire as well. Come dressed like an umpire. Make sure your pants and shirt are clean and wrinkle free. Have your shirt tucked in when you get to the field. Wear a black belt. Have you hat on the right way when you get there. If you are behind the plate, have your gear on before you leave for the field. Have a ball bag (I use two but one is fine). Make sure your shoes are clean and polished. Look professional and your well be treated like a professional. Look like a scrub and you will be treated like a scrub.<br /><br />#2 - Get to your field on time: This ties into #1. Get to your field 15 minutes before first pitch. If it isn't your first game of the day you might not be able to do this because your prior game ran late. In that case get there as quickly as you can. Be ready to go.<br /><br />#3 - Know the rules of the age group you are working. Know if infield fly is enforced. Know the bat restrictions. Know if there is a run limit per inning. Some umpire take a cheat sheet to the plate, I don't not like this. In my opinion, it shows that you need help to know the rules. Gives a bad impression. Take 5 minutes before the game to memorize them.<br /><br />#4 - BE LOUD!!! - I can't stress this enough. Good umpires are loud. It's as simple as that. You want to make sure everyone can hear your call. On top of that, being loud gives the perception of confidence.<br /><br />#5 - TIMING - This is as important, if not more so, as being loud. You need to make sure your timing on your calls is good. Umpires hear the term Pause, Read, React a lot. When you have to make a call (out/safe or ball/strike) you need to see the play or pitch, think the call in your head and then make the call. Don't rush your calls. First thing this will do is it will stop you from saying out and signaling safe. It will also allow you to make sure that ball hasn't been dropped on plays on the bases. Lastly, let's just say you are working behind the plate and on a pitch right down the middle you make a quick call but on the next pitch that is on the corner you use correct timing. In the coaches eyes, they will think you messed up because it took you longer the make the call. PAUSE, READ, REACT!!!<br /><br />#6 - Consistency - this goes without saying. You need to be consistent. Your strike zone can not change during the game. Sure you are going to miss a call here and there but you want it to be the same the entire game.<br /><br />#7 Be Polite - This is hard sometimes but essential. Coaches are going to yell, fans are going to yell, players are going to yell. You need to keep your cool. Even when you throw someone out, maintain your composure. Sure there are times you will have to raise your voice but never ever lose your cool. It only causes more problems.<br /><br />#8 Don't be afraid to ask for help: In baseball, the umpire who made the call doesn't have to seek help unless he wants it and even then he doesn't have to change his call. Don't let pride get in your way. If you have any doubt, as for help. Even if you end of staying with the original call, the coaches will appreciate it. <br /><br />#9 Angle is more important than Distance: Don't get too on top of plays. Younger umpires always want to get as close to the play as possible when making calls. There is no need for this. Angle is much more important than distance. Get yourself in the right angle to see the play and then make the call. <br /><br />#10 HUSTLE: Listen, in little league baseball you are usually only going to have two umpires per game. There are going to be times that you are going to be out of position. Weird plays happen and you can't always see them coming. If you are the type of umpire who is doing his best to get in position, you are less likely to hear a lot of yelling than the umpire who walks around the field. <br /><br />There are more tips that I could give but I think I have rattled on enough for today. For everyone getting ready to start their season, I hope it's a great one!!! PLAY BALL!!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-8948662381668105302012-03-20T13:56:00.003-05:002012-03-20T14:38:25.311-05:00Duties of the Home Plate UmpireI was training the other day and I asked a group of 14 year old rookies, what the responsibilities of the plate umpire were. They all gave me pretty much the same answer, to call balls and strikes and to make calls on plays at the plate. Both are correct answers but there is a lot more into being a good plate umpire besides these. This post is going to go through what I determine to be the responsibilities of the plate umpire:<br /><br />1) First and foremost, calling balls and strikes is the most important task an umpire does. It is also what separates the decent umpires from the good umpires. One of these days, I am going to put up a video on mechanics behind the plate but for the purposes of this post, know this: the key to being good at calling balls and strikes are simple. You need to be consistent. The strike zone does not change during the game, no matter what the score it. You need to be loud. The deaf grandmother needs to be able to hear your strike call. And you need to have good timing. PAUSE, READ, REACT!! See the pitch, think the call, make the call. <br /><br />2) Fair and Foul Decisions. When you get older and start working with more experienced umpires, this gets more complicated but as a younger umpire in our system, the plate umpire takes ALL fair/foul decisions. So you have to be ready to get on that line and make the call.<br /><br />3) Fly balls to the outfield. In our system, with no runners on base, the plate umpire takes takes all fly balls. Even though you can do that from behind the plate, it makes you look A LOT better to get out from behind the plate and get a better view of the play. Sometimes you only have to take 5 steps, other times (i.e. sinking line drive that the left fielder might dive for) you need to get past the pitching mound. The key is to just get out from behind the plate and hustle. <br /><br />Now, if there is are runners on, this is where it gets complicated. If the ball is hit from inbetween the left fielder and the right field (or other words, there is no chance it is going to be a foul ball) then the field umpire takes the ball and the plate umpire makes sure the runners touch the bases. In this situation, you won't go to far from the plate because you might have a play at the plate. If the fly ball is hit down the line, the plate umpire takes the ball and the field umpire watches the runner. CONFUSED YET?<br /><br />4) BALKS!!!! This is technically both umpires responsibilities but it is important.<br /><br />5) Ground Balls with no runners on - On ground balls with no runners on, the plate umpire needs to clear the catcher and follow the runner down the first base line about 10 to 12 steps. (Half way down the line if you want to do it like the pros but it's not necessary). You do this for two reasons. First, sometimes your partner misses the fielder pulling his foot early, you are another set of eyes that can be used, IF HE ASKS FOR HELP. Remember, you NEVER overturn a partners call. If he wants help, he will ask and then you can tell him what you say. It is up to the partner if they want to change the call or not. The second reason you head down the line is to make sure the runner stays in the running lane.<br /><br />As you umpire more, you will learn of more responsibilities but for the younger umpire, this will be more than enough to think about as you start working this spring. Just remember, the umpire that hustles is less likely to get yelled at as the umpire who just stands in one spot all game. <br /><br />Have fun this summer and PLAY BALL!!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-79711572022275607722012-02-17T08:44:00.002-06:002012-02-17T08:54:16.776-06:00Answer to Yesterdays Rules QuestionThe question was:<br /><br />Runner on 3rd. Batter hits a routine pop up to the third basemen that hits the runner on third while he is standing on the base. What's the call??! <br /><br />Read rule 7.08 (f), it reads that the runner is out if hit by a batter ball unless it has been deflected by a fielder of has has passed the infielder and no other infielders have a play on it. <br /><br />The base is NOT a safe haven. If it is a pop up and not infield fly, the fielder has the right to the ball and if it hits the runner in fair territory while standing on the base, the runner is out. It is is an infield fly situation and this happens, the batter has already been declared out so the runner is safe.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-50398303418320068522012-02-15T20:27:00.001-06:002012-02-15T20:27:20.821-06:00Rules questionIn our training session tonight this question came up. <br />
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Runner on 3rd. Batter hits a routine pop up to the third basemen that hits the runner on third while he is standing on the base. What's the call??!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-5428524972327437622012-01-09T10:29:00.000-06:002012-02-01T15:55:32.906-06:00Getting closer!!!Well it's February 1st and that means baseball is right around the corner. I am working on some new rules questions and hope to be putting them up soon. <br />
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I don't know about all of you but I can't wait to get the training season started!!! Hope you all had a good off season!!! I'll post more in the next day or two.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-28297870113539288012011-10-07T15:31:00.003-05:002011-10-07T15:33:17.213-05:00Rules QuestionThis question was asked to me a week ago by one of my friends. I almost had this happen this summer. Let's see what you have for the call.<br /><br />Batter hits a weak ground ball in foul territory down the first baseline. It hits something and starts heading back to fir territory. I comes to a rest up against 1st base in foul territory. Fair or foul?Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-10375600709550418852011-10-07T11:46:00.000-05:002011-10-07T11:46:49.995-05:00Baseball Manager Epic Meltdown (139)This ejecetion is worth watching. If you are ever interested in how minor league umpires are talked to, this is a good example. Every minor league umpire I know has a story of an ejection like this. WARNING.....THERE IS SOME SERIOUS LANGUAGE ON THIS VIDEO. <br /><br /><iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QOZxT9MHAJU?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-4569802187240105832011-10-07T08:24:00.004-05:002011-10-07T09:09:45.420-05:00When is enough...enough?Earlier this year, I ejected a coach for arguing balls and strikes. After the game when I was writ ting up my report, I was asked by a younger umpire where I draw the line when it comes to arguing the strike zone. It was a very good question so I thought I would share my thoughts on it here.<br /><br />Arguing balls and strikes happens all the time and in all honesty, I don't have a problem with that. As a coach, I love to tip toe on the line when it comes to arguing the strike zone. As an umpire, I love to watch coaches tip toe the line. So, in many ways, I am a little more understanding when it comes to this than many other umpires.<br /><br />Before I really get into this, let me tell you about the argument that caused the ejection. I was working the field and my partner was really hearing it from one side on his strike zone. They were making comments on pretty much every other pitch and he was just letting it go. Well around the 3rd inning, it was getting to the point where if he didn't say something, I was going to. They were being ridiculous. Finally in the bottom of the 3rd, there was a pitch off the plate, belt high the he called a ball. The coach start making comments. He walked down and told him to knock it off. The coach automatically yelled to his catcher, "Was that a strike?" At this point, I would have thrown him out. But my partner didn't. He told the coach, "Last warning. Not another word." If you are ever going to tell a coach not to say another word, you better back it up. Well, the coach kept on asking the catcher where it was. My partner started walking back to the plate. Well, at this point, the told the catcher to "freeze it for him for 5 seconds so he might be able to see it." At this point, being the senior umpire, I had to get involved so I walked over, told to coach to knock it off. <br /><br />He wanted to argue that he could talk to his catcher whenever he wanted. I told him that he was showing up my partner and needed to stop. He kept arguing so after about a minute, I said, "I'm done, not another word about the strike zone or talking to your catcher, and I mean it." He looked at me for about 10 seconds and then said, "I can talk to whoever I want, whenever I want." At this point, I tossed him.<br /><br />As an umpire, trying to figure out where the line is when it comes to arguing balls and strikes is a tough one. You don't want to make it seem like you are looking for an ejection but you also can't seem like a push over. When I am working a game behind the plate, I live by the following. If they are just moaning and groaning but then letting it go or asking the catcher where a pitch was on close pitches. I let that go. If they start making comments to me, I will let that go for a little while. If the comments towards me last for more than a batter or two, I will walk down the line and tell them to knock it off. At that point, what happens is in the coaches hands. As long as cursing is not involved and it isn't personal, I will not eject a coach for saying something from his dugout right away. I will give them the opportunity to decide what happens next.<br /><br />I guess what I am saying is as long as the arguing is coming from the dugout, I will put up with it for a while. But if a coach leaves his position to argue balls and stikes, it's a completely different story. I do not have tolerance for that. <br /><br />If a coach comes out of the dugout screaming about balls and strikes, you need to take a firmer stance on that. To me, I give one quick warning then toss them if they don't stop. If a third base coach says something to me quietly while walking back to the dugout, I might let that go depending on what was said.<br /><br />The line is different for each umpire. Some of us have rabbit ears and others a oblivious to the comments. What we all should do, is try to find that place in the middle. Being soft is not a good thing but then again neither is being too much of a hard ass. <br /><br />In the end, as an umpire you are going to be criticised, that's just part of the job. The question each of you have to ask yourself is how much you are willing to take.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-43714402199479950372011-10-04T13:48:00.003-05:002011-10-04T13:50:45.655-05:00How would you ruleI remembered this play while watching Jon Jay of the Cardinals run over the catcher.<br /><br />Runner on 2nd, 1 out. The batter hits a line drive to center. The runner from 2nd rounds third. The throw is coming in. The runner is coming home. The ball is cut off but the catcher acts like he caught it and blocks the plate. The runner absolutely lights the catcher up. Do you make a call here?<br /><br />This happened in a Frontier League game where I was behind the plate. Actually it was my first Frontier League plate.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-30889181208513153072011-09-29T14:57:00.003-05:002011-09-29T15:03:14.708-05:00Quick Tip for the Young UmpireThere are times as an umpire when a coach, player or fan can get you so upset that you actually just want to start screaming at them. Hell, there have been times that I have wanted to haul off and knock their teeth right down their throat. But as an official you need to learn how to rise above that. <br /><br />When I was 16, I had a game where a coach put his hands on me. It was just a small shove but he still put his hands on me. Every instinct I had told me to shove him back but my partner had grabbed me and told me to walk away. Later, I was talking to my Dad and he told me that it is always best to kill them with kindness. As I have matured as an umpire, I have always rememebered that.<br /><br />If you ever watch me umpire, I call everyone sir (even 12 year old players). I call the mom's Ma'am if they ask a question. If a coach starts an argument, I still call them sir. If we get into a screaming match with one another, I still call him sir. I know that there are times I am going to have to yell but I always try to be professional. <br /><br />That is one tip I try to give every young umpire I work with. Sure there are times you are going to have to lay the law down when working a game but never ever lose your professionalism.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-58594970401768043292011-09-28T10:03:00.001-05:002011-09-28T10:05:11.897-05:00Rules QuestionRunners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out. The runner on 1st steals on the pitch. The pitch bounces off the plate, hits the umpire in the chest and then lands in his ball bag. What's the call?Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-41525512478425396632011-09-22T12:45:00.001-05:002011-09-22T12:46:46.784-05:00Rules QuestionOk, I had this last night. Let's see how you would rule it.<br /><br />Runner on third, two outs. Pitcher throws a pitch that bounces before home plate and the catcher knocks it down. It rolls about 5 feet away. The runner from third breaks for home and the catcher gets the ball. When going to tag the runner, the batter backs up into the catcher causing him to have to stop and go the other direction.<br /><br />Whats your call?Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-991511881740375632011-09-22T12:41:00.002-05:002011-09-22T12:45:00.458-05:00A Decent Night at the BallfieldsLast night I had the opportunity to work a game with a Double A umpire. Ian started umpiring at my association when he was 18 and half way through his first game, the Umpire and Chief and I told him that he needed to go to umpire school. Well, long story short, he went and now at the age of 24 he is a double A umpire. Pretty cool.<br /><br />Anyways, when he season is over, he always comes back and works a few games with us. Last night, I got to work with him and he is an amazing umpire. Unfortuanetly, the game, was not a very good game. He didn't have much to do in the field but it was nice to watch his positioning and mechanics. I took a few notes, asked a lot of questions and for once I enjoyed a 16-1 blow out.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-18402265340307040032011-09-20T10:27:00.000-05:002011-09-20T10:27:16.210-05:00Where has the fun gone?Excuse for a minute while I pull out my soap box because I have something to get off my chest. When did little league baseball stop being fun? This past summer I have really noticed that it doesn't seem like the coaches, kids, fans or umpires are having nearly as much fun as they used to.
The other night I was umpiring a boys 12 fall ball game. It was between two fairly good teams. One team had a coach who didn't say one good thing the entire night. There was no constructive criticism. There was just yelling!! If I was a parent of a kid on this team, I would have pulled my kid off the field. At one point, a kid hit a screaming line drive to the center fielder. He crushed it but he hit it right at him. The coach started yelling at the kid for not getting around on the ball quicker. Really? Are you kidding me? What happened to a pat on the butt and telling the kid "Nice stroke, keep your head up."
I don't understand when the mentality of little league baseball change. When I was a kid, I played National Blue which was as high as you could play in our league. We were a pretty good team. We took it seriously. We wanted to win. But it was fun. Our coaches understood that it was their jobs to teach us the fundamentals of the game and get us ready for high school. Winning was nice but it wasn't the most important thing. Sure, if we didn't have our heads in a game, we would get yelled at but it wasn't nearly as brutal as it is today.
As an outsider looking in, I am nervous about my son playing baseball when he is old enough. I am all for tough love but the coaches today are so focsued on winning they forget that their main job is the fundamentals. Not to teach a 10 year old to throw a curve ball. And even though there is a time a place for coaches to yell, there is no place where are kid should be asked if he is stupid for making a mistake.
As an umpire, I have to remind myself at times there as long as the coaches don't physically harm the players there is nothing I can do. If the parents want to put their children in that type of situation, who am I to say anything about it. But I will tell you that I have been around little league baseball for my entire life. Kids are not having as much fun as they used to. Sure, I think the kids still like the game but not with the same zeal we did when I played as a kid.
When I get to the point where my son starts playing baseball, I am going to coach. Not because I think I know the most about the game. I don't. But I can teach the fundamentals as well as anyone and I really think that, and having fun, are the most important aspects to little league baseball.
Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-49377295675919264602011-09-13T10:53:00.002-05:002011-09-13T10:59:54.184-05:00Rules QuestionWell, I am in the thick of fall ball and have been doing a few games here and there. Even though most of the games aren't very competative, I enjoy fall ball. It gives me a chance to work on new plate mechanics or to sharpen up things that need work on. It is also, for the most part, a much more relaxed atmosphere than the summer.<br /><br />I have three games this week so I hope to have some stories by the weekend but now is a good time for a couple rules questions.<br /><br />This play I saw earlier this summer. I know I got the call right but the coach didn't agree. Let's see what you come up with.<br /><br />Runner on first. The first baseman is playing in front of the runner. Batter hits a line drive past the first baseman and it hits the the runner. The 2nd baseman hasn't moved. Whats the call?<br /><br />I'm sure all of you will get that one. I sure hope so.<br /><br />Well, I am going to try to come up with some really good rules questions over the next few weeks. Until then, remember that the tie does not go to the runner and PLAY BALL!!!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-78990749512787524652011-08-01T19:25:00.001-05:002011-08-01T19:27:05.096-05:00UpdateIt's been a long HOT crazy summer. Unfortunately, my primary job has made it very difficult for me to umpire over the last month but with fall ball right around the corner, I plan on geting back on the field real soon. In the meantime, I am working on some training posts and rules questions posts which I hope to have up soon.<br /><br />Until then...PLAY BALL!!!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095009425937622616.post-77793799027783930432011-06-24T09:37:00.002-05:002011-06-24T09:48:43.712-05:00I dare you to forfeit this gameToday, I got to talking to an old friend who I used to umpire with all the time and for some reason, this story came to mind.<br /><br />About 8 or 9 years ago when I was running the umpires at our association, my buddy and I put ourselves and a very good 12 year old game. It was two of the top teams in the area. We usually put ourselves on these games because they were great games to umpire.<br /><br />I was working the plate and the game started without an issues. Then about the third inning, I called a kid out on a pitch on the inside corner. He turned and started complaining. I did what I always did and told the coach to tell his player to knock it off. Well, it was the coaches son who was complaining. He told me that if I called strikes that were actually strikes, his players wouldn't complain. Well, obviously, I didn't take that very well and we got into an argument. We went back and forth for a minute and then I just walked away thinking it was over. (Now would be a good time to mention that he and his son were black. Yes it actually has something to do with the rest of this story). <br /><br />Anyways, I was walking back to my partner when I heard the following line, "Maybe if you weren't a racist you would call balls and strikes the same for my son as everyone else." At this point, my partner and I both at the exact same time turned and threw him out of the game. Well, he wouldn't leave. He just kept yelling, "I'm not going anywhere." After about two minutes of this, I told him that he had one minute to leave the field or I was going to forfeit the game. He looked at me and said, "I dare you to forfeit this game." Well, my partner and I looked at each other and walked off the field. <br /><br />That game was one that I have never forgotten. I received about 20 phone calls about it within an hour of making my decision. To this day, I stand by our decision. As much as I hated not letting the kids play, I think it was the right call.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07817438833820372301noreply@blogger.com3