Learn the Rules

I 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.

Last night, I had two plays that made me want to make this post.

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

A Tale of Two Games

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.

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.

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.

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!!

Seaon Starts Tomorrow

It'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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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!!!

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

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!!!

Where 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.