Not just bad calls, but OUTRAGEOUS. Post 'em here

It seems to me that there have been a ton of absurd and crazy calls this year, many reported here on different threads. I know there are always bad calls and always will be, but this year feels like the worst in recent memory. I have noticed a lot of umpires with "attitude" this year for sure. I prefer the ump who has authority with a confident demeanor over the ones who think their blue uniform is a first cousin to a policeman.

Post the most outrageous calls you have seen this year. I bet we get some doozies!

 

Not A Bad Call, But Good Entertainment

We were at Campbell University today for a double header against Longwood.
The home plate ump in the first game did the most interesting thing I've ever seen an ump do.
Before he would call a strike, he would "moon walk" a couple of steps and then make the steeerik call. I could have watched him the whole day.
He did it every strike for 9 innings. He earned his money and it was worth the cost of admission.

 

Stepping out of the box

We had an unusual situation the other night. We had a crew and the strike zone was erratic but consistently erratic. However they spent the whole night telling people to get back in the dugout. I realize safety is an issue so I can live with that.

But the next item turned out to be a game changer. All night long they stayed on kids from both teams to stay in the box when at the plate. Even when the kids had to look down to 3rd for a sign the ump kept harrassing teh kids to get back in the box. This made matters worse because the kids could not listen to two people at once so they sometimes would have to ask for the sign again.

In the 7th inning with a man on 2nd and we were down by 1 run we had a batter at the plate. he had earlier hit a homer, double and single. He took the 1st pitch low and away but it was called a strike. Tough pitch but is what it is and moved on. Kid looked down to 3rd for a signal, ump said get back in the box. Kid held up his hand as he was still looking a 3rd base coach for the signal. More for instruction from the coach than a signal. Kid steps back in the box and ump says "That's strike 2". kid replies that he only threw 1 pitch, how could it be 2 strikes? Ump said, 'you stepped out and I told you to get back in. You didn't get back in immediately so that's strike 2'. Kid kept 1 foot in the box at all times.

By now Head Coach is making his way down from 3rd base box. He realizes what has happened. Kid stands there confused not understanding the situation. Head Coach is fired up but does not scream across the field. he and the ump confer at the plate. Without warning the ump gave the kid a 2nd strike with the game on the line. When the kid finally realized what happened he turns away and mutters, 'that's horse----". Umpire tosses the kid. Now we just lost a hot bat at the plate in a 1 run game. Coach is forced to send in another batter with an 0-2 count and he strikes out 1st pitch.

Not only did we lose but we lost our starting pitcher for the next night and 2 more games as he had to sit out 3 games. Kid probably should not have said what he said but he did not it to the ump. In fact he had his back to him. But to make that call in that situation with the game on the line I felt was unusual. he gave no warning. He told both teams all night to get back in the box but never said he was going to call a strike on anyone. then out of the blue he makes that call.

To make matters worse, the ump would scream across the field at the coaches instead of both parties approaching each other privately. It just seemed the ump not only wanted to be the star of the show that night but wanted to draw attention to himself.

I can live with telling the kids to get in the box. I think it is in the rules. But tell the kids the penalty. There was no warning, nothing. He just makes that call in the 7th inning of a 1 run game with the tying run at 2nd and a hot bat at the plate. Then we lose the kid for 2 more games. If you're going to make that call don't make it late in the 7th inning of a close game.

 

Man I love those guys, even if they are calling a bad game, they look good doing it!

 

DQ

Last week a kid was DQ'd from a game. He stepped into the batters box and the ump called time and stepped out. He told the kid he was DQ'ed for having jewelry on. The kid had a Live Strong Wrist ban along with one that read faith, etc and one that had the Red Sox logo. I was told that the umps warn the caoched before the game. The booking agent was there to grade the ump, so Im guessing he was trying to do a good job. He also told one kid to keep 1 foot in the batters box at all times.

I questioned strechy and he told me that they got specific instructions from Chapel Hill to enforce the rules. i thought in this situation, the ump could of told the kid to remove the writs ban before steppin in the box.

I watched our next game and saw a kid on the other team have on a nice yellow one- He remained in the game the entire time w/o any problems.

Come on Man!!!! lets at least be consistent.

 

PHS...I am the ump that DQ'd your player that night. We have been told by Chapel Hill to enforce this. And I also wear Livestrong wrist bands on both wrists since my grandfather is a cancer survivor. Both coaches were warned before the game and your Tarboro coach even asked to make sure this was their warning. What your kids and your coach do from there is up to them. As for the next night, Tarboro HS no longer use our association but SWE does. Take it up with the other association as to why the rules were not enforced.

 

Very good explanation---hopefully you hit the "wrong" smiley at the end of it.

 

Over 4 years I watched about 200 college baseball games live. In 199 when a kid hit a bomb, his team greeted him outside the dugout...and no umpire objected.

Last year in a key conference game (8th inning..come-from-behind rally) a kid hit a jack and was greeted near the dugout (not near the plate). Suddenly the plate ump walked over and ordered everyone on the team except for the 10 in the game (counting dh) to the lockerroom. He said if he saw 1 kid peeping out a window, he would eject them all.

Yes, earlier in the game another kid hit a HR and the team was warned to stay in the dugout. But no 'penalty' was mentioned. I suppose there must be a rule to back the ump, but Coach Smith/Anderson were shocked to learn about it...and even more baffled by how it was enforced. If we needed a relief pitcher in the 9th, he was 200 yards away confined to the lockerroom...not allowed out unless summonsed to the mound. That was the most idiotic, embarassing ruling I ever witnessed in all my years.

 

there REALLY needs to be some way to go beyond these umps.
not talking balls and strikes (which need to be addressed and more consistent) just the OTHER stuff.

 

Im not too overly concerned about the other kid wearing the band, and I do understand the rules. I just believe a little common sense should of been used in the situation. Telling one kid to keep one foot in the box, and I believe telling another to hurry off the field after a fly ball was uncalled for. There wasnt a JV game before- so theres no need to try and rush the game. Now if the kid walked out and stood there for a long period- ok. Again the boss man was watching and I believed you were trying to do a good job and for the most part you did. The kid from SWE you threw out- He wasnt disrespecting you, the coaches or anyone- He was going to the dugout after a bad 3rd strike (was a bit low) and expressed some frustration. I dont think he should of gotten that. IMO you did a good job of being consistent calling strikes, maybe except for the last inning.