Worst Response Ever After Asking Ump Where Ball Missed Over the Plate

[SBmom8992]

Tonight I encountered the worst umpire (young lady in late teens) I had ever seen in all my years or playing, watching, and now coaching softball. Calling balls over the plate at the knees "ball on the ground" if our catcher didn't catch it. We are rec league, our pitcher throws hard and we didn't have our typical catcher in to start the game. We quickly made an adjustment in the second inning to put in our stronger catcher so at least she caught those pitches but they still weren't called strikes.

But the best line I heard tonight was when she called a pitch that looked like anyone with talent would have jacked into the outfield it was so fat a ball and I asked her where that was, she said "it was above her waist." WHAT????

Not to mention she flinched and twisted away from the pitch every time a batter did not attempt to swing and actually told me shes scared because our pitcher throws hard. She stood 4 feet behind our catcher and refused to bend down to see the pitch.

She also happened to be very friendly with the other team - and this was a playoff game. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Have you ever seen an ump check their clicker before calling a ball or strike? She sure did when the pitch wasn't an obvious ball and could have gone either way.

So we lost in the bottom of the 4th by one run with 2 outs by walking in a run with a full count. It was too dark to start a new inning. Luckily we are still in it. We move to the loser bracket and can still be in the championship game with 2 more wins. Just an ugly way to lose.

 

[Cowdogz]

Our rec league pays [mostly teenaged] umpires $20 to umpire behind the plate, after giving them a 2-hour training session. You get what you pay for, and it's just as much the league's fault for hiring them as it is the kid's fault for not knowing the rules. My hitters routinely get rung up on pitches over their heads.

One kid came to us between innings and said, "I'm confused, if there's two strikes and they hit a foul, are they out?" At one point I looked around and we had bases loaded with one out, and I wondered if his head would explode if I tried to explain the infield fly rule.

 

[cmustangsfp]

If it was a regular season rec game I would have said "meh". The league should have paid for professional umpires for the playoffs, or at least more experienced umpires. I would definitely bring this to the softball director's attention. I ran into the same thing in rec. My DD's were throwing high 40s and occasionally drifting into the 50s at 12U. One umpire was standing around before a game and was telling me he was deciding whether or not to wear his protective gear because it was just a "rec" game. I told my DD to take the mound and throw a few (she was already warmed up as she was going to be the starter). After one pitch and the "WHAPP" sound that reverberated from our catcher's mitt he said "I'm going to my car to get my gear". We also had "the flincher" behind the plate, which became worse after the catcher missed one and she got hit in the shoulder. We complained to the director and they had a talk with her and she improved. I give her kudos for that because I know it is not easy being back there. I subbed in for an ump on occasion (wrong schedule, car wreck, out sick, etc) on a few occasions. I do not envy them back there, I respect what they do. When you have young and inexperienced umps back there, they need to have some corrective criticism, done in a positive way. Contact your director and see if they can offer her some suggestions to improve. We had the director of officiating come out and watch "the flincher" after she was given the corrective criticism. She did better.

 

[PA SB Dad]

SBMom, are you seriously questioning balls and strikes from a teenage umpire in a rec league game? We have student umpires in training in our rec league that start in our 10U kid pitch program. They are LEARNING to become umpires. Coaches and parents are specifically told they are not to question the calls made by the student umpires. The best way to NOT have other student umpires coming through your program in years to come is to treat them just the way you have. They are not adult trainees, but teenagers, and they make mistakes. You are the adult, and should be able to behave accordingly.

 

[coachjwb]

No wonder she's so far back ... she has no equipment on ... what is she doing back there with no equipment on?

 

[SBmom8992]

PA SBDad - I did the adult thing by asking for a meeting with the league director to discuss. My only interaction with the ump was to ask if a pitch above the waist is considered in the strike zone if that was her explanation for calling a ball. It's only natural to be frustrated with incompetence in a game when it counts. Regular season who cares? My pitcher felt deflated like she could do no right. It took the fun out of the game and that's worse than losing.

 

[SBmom8992]

Coachjwb - I removed the picture out of respect for the league and the girls in the picture.
Wrt the equipment - she refused a mask and we had to obtain a ump's pad and shin guards from a neighboring field due to a last minute field switch. She should have umped from behind the pitcher as we suggested or the game not start until equipment was brought to the field (2nd inning). Even afterwards she was significantly behind our catcher. It was just a bad scenario all around.

 

[abbygale]

I have one of those youth umpires (15 yo) and tonight she got her first taste of rec parents (of which I have been guilty lol) getting over animated. Unfortunately for her, it was the hometown who was losing to their longtime nemesis. She calmly thanked the little old lady who told her she was a horrible umpire. Inside she was probably terrified but the other team thought she was pretty good. 50/50

After hearing about it, I wished for a few do-overs for some of the stupid things I have said over the years.


And yes, mine had the gear.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

My 15 year old DD has been asked to ump some Rec league , but I have been very reluctant. I am hesitant to subject her to these types of parents at this point. I umpired LL for years. I know how it can be. I feel like I would have to be at every game just to protect her from some of these nut jobs.

 

[fastpitch]

However bad she was I blame the league for allowing the kids to ump it.