Umpire Qualifications

Coach Taught this Play

This play was taught by the coach if you can believe it (team was from Louisville, KY).

 

Wow...there is so much more one could say, but wow is a good description

 

Ended Well

Thankfully my partner at home saw the play and called the runner out for the triple play. Coach started to argue, but then got the little grin of a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar and hp umpire ejected him. We also reported the play to their AD as this was not what you would hope to be getting from your coach.

 

Umps can't see it most of the time BUT parents do...

Sounds like a Southwest JV or Varsity or Babe Ruth game...the coaches there did it all the time until they all got caught doing it.

 

This play, runner at second and cutting the corner to head home, was become such a problem in the SW4A in the mid 90's that the league put a rule into their by-laws that if caught, the coach would be ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct which would include a suspension for the ejection.

Usually it was happening on a squeeze play with runners on 2nd and 3rd.

I do not think I have seen it since they put in the ejection.

 

Thoughts on umpiring

It really irks me that some umps come to the game for the $$$$ only.

They have no idea what the strike zone is and are totally inconsistant. They make calls like they are literally blind. I even heard from an umpire last year that the base ump asked him who was going to call "the balk," because he had to get going.

I guess there are thieves in every profession or parttime job, but it really blows my mind how some people can do those type of things.

The one thing that I don't think any of them takes into consideration is that the ball players practice every day so that they can perform at their best and the umps should do something to bring their "A" game to the field everytime.

 

I'm not going to say all. But, this sums up pretty much what I asked. Is it hard to ask someone to learn just a little more, take a class. We ask our players who do not get paid to give 110% to do extra to get better. What is wrong to ask an ump for a little extra. I'm sure $40 - $60 would be the range (sorry if wrong) is not enough for what they do. But guess what? Maybe that extra hour to be a little better at the job they are getting paid to do would make it a little easier. IMO

 

I believe HS baseball umpires in NC are now getting $55 per game. And I agree that while the kids are working so hard, it is always nice to have a game where you have good officiating, the players deserve that.

Btw, if any officials are simply doing it for the money, then they should be doing HS softball ($52/game where games end in an hour),,, or better yet HS volleyball, those games end quickly also. ($50+/hour for those 2 much quicker sports isn't bad for the guy just looking at $$$$)

p.s. American Legion umps get $80/game, of course you have 9 inning games there. Obviously the better umps in baseball are NOT doing it just for the $$$, because baseball is a slow-paced game. You've got to love it to go out there and do it for any length of time.

 

To be completely honest, the only time I get angry at umpires, is when the call is completely obvious from all angles, when an umpire is out of position (yes I know this because I play baseball, so i know where the ball should go in most cases where the ball is gonna tail and where most throws end up off line land), when an umpire blows a call 2x or more times in the same game. But most importantly, when the fans get into it and start climbing all over his back when they are completely wrong. Mooresville vs North Iredell, catchers interferance, base hit, fans start yelling the runner at third that scored should have to go back to third, they are yelling and jumping up and down almost having a seizure. When the rule is basically either take the catchers interferance, or take the result of the play, North Iredell obviously took the result of the play. You konw it's sad when you have a JV player telling parents to shut up becuase they are completely wrong...it just really weighs on my mind. Get in the game yeah, the games nothing without the fans, but chill out, baseball is my life yeah, but it's still only a game.