A running thread of local umpire frustration

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Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
I've posted plenty of examples of the umpires around here who don't care at all about doing a good job, aren't interested in knowing/learning the rules, and who are looking to leave ASAP. After today's game, I've decided to start a running thread of all the times this year umpires demonstrate they just don't know the rules. No judgment calls.

I'm not doing this in an effort to bury all umpires. The umpires who post here are great. We've actually had some good umpires so far this year, but we're about to start playing teams that use the bad umpires, so I expect I'll be updating this frequently.

For our umps who post here: This is what I deal with at the high school level year in, year out, and Illinois has absolutely no interest in making sure umps are good. There's no protesting of games, no process for reeducation or removal of bad umpires. There is a rating system, but it's only a small part of the formulas used for playoff games. The special report system is designed for egregious situations, like if an umpire shows up drunk or gets physical with a player or something like that. In short, my only recourse is to complain online. :p

Two calls from today's game. Our JV team was playing a weak varsity team (we lost 10-9).

First call: Uncaught third strike. Our batter froze in the box for a solid two seconds as we're all telling her to run. She starts to run. The umpire calls her out and says she didn't try to go to first immediately, so she's out. When I told him that wasn't a rule, he said "look it up." I, exercising self control, didn't tell him to go jump in front of several moving vehicles.

Second call: Girl swings and misses a pitch that hits her. He calls the strike, but he allowed one of their runners to advance to third. Again, when I told him that should be a dead ball because it hit her and the runner had to return, he said once she swings it doesn't matter. His words, it was "fair game" and then named a bunch of stuff a ball could hit (fence, catcher, etc.). He again said I need to learn the rules. He actually invited me to show him in the rules where it says it's a dead ball, which I would've done after the game, but he left before I could.

Neither call ultimately affected anything. Our hitter wasn't going to beat the throw, and the runner who advanced would've scored that inning no matter what. Still, I had to explain both calls to our girls, 11 of whom have not played before this year, since the umpire was loudly yelling about how I didn't know what I was talking about.

He also ended the game after three innings, less than 90 minutes into the game, because "it was getting dark." Sunset was literally exactly one hour after the time he called the game.

To be continued...
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
It always irritated me that umpires try to start hs games early. Our games were typically scheduled for 4:30 and parents were rushing to get there from work only to miss part of the game…
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
It always irritated me that umpires try to start hs games early. Our games were typically scheduled for 4:30 and parents were rushing to get there from work only to miss part of the game…
Well I agree games should not start early, but they should start on time. I've had some teams show up 5 minutes before game time due to busing issues, then take 25 minutes to warm up, other than your pitcher, your team should be ready to go.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
Of course they should start on time.

Grandmas and grandpas shouldn’t be scurrying from the parking lot to see the lead off grand daughter because some jerk was in a hurry to start a game early so he could get done quicker.
 
Jun 20, 2015
848
93
it's really not that hard to have first pitch at 5:01, assuming game starts 5pm. Of course incoming weather could always impact that. But earlier attempt better be cleared by both coaches.

And the umpire MSU rule book, is just crap. either know the rules and follow them, or get out.
 
Jun 23, 2019
27
3
New Hampshire
I’ve got a good one for this thread
Yesterday my DD was pitching. She’s not
any kind of dominating pitcher she can do it when needed (great centerfielder) 3/4 pitches into the top 1st she’s called for a illegal pitch
Reason?? Jumping? nope. Too much toe drag!! Drag was can be distracting to the hitter giving her an unfair advantage!!!
Too much toe drag kills her speed slowing her pitch down! Even worse the coach didn’t know enough about so put up any kind fight for his player. Inning ends ump says to DD stand with me and watch how the other pitcher does it . She refused and was told one more pitch like that and your outta the game!
For what?? Him not understanding the rules!
Can’t make this stuff up. No other issues before the game or relating to something else
Had been going on. Lastly isn’t it the ump in field who calls an illegal pitch? Nothing was said by that umpire.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
I’ve got a good one for this thread
Yesterday my DD was pitching. She’s not
any kind of dominating pitcher she can do it when needed (great centerfielder) 3/4 pitches into the top 1st she’s called for a illegal pitch
Reason?? Jumping? nope. Too much toe drag!! Drag was can be distracting to the hitter giving her an unfair advantage!!!
Too much toe drag kills her speed slowing her pitch down! Even worse the coach didn’t know enough about so put up any kind fight for his player. Inning ends ump says to DD stand with me and watch how the other pitcher does it . She refused and was told one more pitch like that and your outta the game!
For what?? Him not understanding the rules!
Can’t make this stuff up. No other issues before the game or relating to something else
Had been going on. Lastly isn’t it the ump in field who calls an illegal pitch? Nothing was said by that umpire.
Wow, just when you think you heard them all......
 
Feb 13, 2021
880
93
MI
I’ve got a good one for this thread
Yesterday my DD was pitching. She’s not
any kind of dominating pitcher she can do it when needed (great centerfielder) 3/4 pitches into the top 1st she’s called for a illegal pitch
Reason?? Jumping? nope. Too much toe drag!! Drag was can be distracting to the hitter giving her an unfair advantage!!!
Too much toe drag kills her speed slowing her pitch down! Even worse the coach didn’t know enough about so put up any kind fight for his player. Inning ends ump says to DD stand with me and watch how the other pitcher does it . She refused and was told one more pitch like that and your outta the game!
For what?? Him not understanding the rules!
Can’t make this stuff up. No other issues before the game or relating to something else
Had been going on. Lastly isn’t it the ump in field who calls an illegal pitch? Nothing was said by that umpire.
Just an FYI, since you asked. Umpires have concurrent responsibilities for IPs. Though, simplistically, the base umpire has from the waist down and the PU has upper body.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
-- Make sure you are right about a rule before you add to this post. --

Look, the reality is you get the umpires that exist.

Some are going to be good; some are going to be bad... and frankly with the severe shortage, the more games scheduled on that day and the worse level your team plays at, the more likely you are going to get someone that frankly the umpire assignor would probably not want to assign if there was someone else. As a fellow official I want other officials to be great - but more importantly I want my fellow official to give 100% of what you can for the level of umpire you are currently are - we can work with that.

I take my umpiring seriously and the majority of umpires I umpire with do as well; taking our own time to get better off the field; ; but the majority of umpires are just out there umpiring games and only crack a rule book open if they have to.
  • No one is investing in umpires - not NFHS, not USA, not USSSA, not PGF, not anyone. Not even NCAA. Someone HAS to be responsible and invest.
  • No training... and when their is it is expensive, hard to get to and a variety of other issues.
  • There is no one rule set, so if you are umpiring a lot, keeping it straight can be tough.
  • As a sport, we have mostly killed rec so there is literally nowhere for the umpires to start gaining experience.
  • We put barriers to umpiring in the way - not least the entry cost and on-going costs. It is $500-600 in equipment/uniforms + sanction fees just to start. I spend roughly 1.5x that every year in replacement equipment/uniforms/etc. Sometimes more.
  • Then new umpires get thrown to the wolves - often in 10U travel where all the insane nutjob parents collect.
  • Then a vast amount of time they are treated them poorly - no water, nowhere to change, no breaks, no support from TD's or sanctions and so on. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.
  • No recruiting
  • Posting on Facebook 2x times a year "Be nice to the umpires" is not sanction support.
  • Not going to lie - there is massive politics in umpiring as well just like in any organization or group. Especially since most umpiring orgs are run by a bunch of old retired people who have time on their hands.
  • Pay... I don't know whether higher game payments will help recruit or keep
Should every umpires take it seriously and be better than many that are out there? Yes of course, but there isn't some secret source of better officials that are just waiting for a call to do a game - every umpire we have is doing games literally whenever they are available.

And there is a whole lot of people who just keep saying "They should just be better" - that it is just not going to happen unless someone (read: some sanction) steps up and actually does something about it.

And time is running out. We are not replacing the ones that are no longer umpiring - locally we were already losing a lot of officials to age and COVID has accelerated those leaving (physically unable, didn't miss umpiring, went to a different (easier) sport., etc, etc).
 
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