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

[sleepwalker]

My 18 year old dd pitcher has thrown in a few 18U open tournaments this year. From what I have seen, the umpires have not called a strike on a batter that she has faced where the pitch has been above the batter's waist. Kinda makes me think that the umpire may be a former travel ball player who is trying to give back to the game of softball.

I few years ago, my dd was playing rec and there was an 18 year old travel ball player who was umpiring to earn spending money in the summer. She was umpiring slow pitch three nights a week and fast pitch two nights a week. One of the girls bunted the ball in fair territory right in front of the plate, where it died about a foot in front of the plate. I came out of the dug out and asked her why it was foul and she told me that it didn't travel far enough. When I asked her if it was in fair territory, she said yes, but in slow pitch it has to go at least 5 feet(or wherever that line is), in order to be fair.

You don't have to know the rules to play the game. You don't have to know the rules to watch the game. You don't have to know the rules to coach the game. It does help if you know the rules to umpire the game.

My 18 year old dd is umpiring rec fastpitch right now. She learns more about the game and the rules when she makes a wrong call and then consults the rule book after the game. I watched her make her first obstruction call the other night, only to have two coaches yell at her and tell her that she was wrong because the week before it was a warning. Her senior partner issued a warning and didn't back her up. I told her that her initial call was right, but she said when rec coaches are telling you that you don't know what you are doing, you tend to believe them. I am quite certain that the next time she sees a similar obstruction call that she will get the call right.

My personal opinion is that umpiring isn't a natural ability. It is a learned trait or skill. There aren't a lot of people willing to stand out on the field in front of hundreds of spectators that want to get their judgement calls questioned several times every game. The best umpires that I have came across are the umpires that understand that the game is for the kids and not the coaches or the spectators.

 

[Cowdogz]

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.

My teenaged son quit umpiring after one season, because of the coaches.

 

[eddieq]

Confessions of an umpire -

I had quite possibly my worst game behind the plate the other night. I struggled and blew a couple of pretty easy calls. I heard it from the sidelines and deserved every bit of it. There is one close call on a fair ball (bounded over the third base bag and landed several feet in the foul side in the outfield) that pisses me off because I know that I nailed it correctly but my credibility was shot at that point in that game.

I've been kicking myself and going over what I did wrong for the last two days over it. Not because the coaches, fans and players were complaining, but because I know that I can do better. I owe it to the players, coaches, the fans and to myself to do the best I can and learn from my mistakes.

On my way out, a gentleman stopped me and very politely gave me an "I umpire and noticed this in your mechanics" piece of advice. I don't usually engage with the fans, especially after a rough game, but it was a good conversation. I've been thinking on that as well. I have a game tonight (if the rain holds off) and I plan to work hard on the things I know I did wrong as well as continue to do right what I know I did right.

As noted, it's not easy and if you don't have thick skin, you won't last. The young lady in the OP is likely just starting. When I first started, the local deputy UIC sort of took me under his wing and invited me to his games where we chatted in between innings and went over some mechanics pre-game and post-game. She likely needs something similar. Hopefully the local association offers clinics . I usually get at least something out of those, even if much of it is repetitive.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Our rec league uses all volunteer umpires. You get what you pay for. I just smile and wave, thank them for the game regardless of calls good or bad.

I'll argue rules points with them from time to time but if they make a judgment call (such as ball strike) I just try and let it go.

 

[MsDinosaur]

My catcher DD didn't even ask on Sunday. After another nice strike was called a ball, the umpire volunteered, I'll quote as best as she can remember, "You realize I'm doing this 'cause you're not from here, right?"

Her team was bounced out of the Pitch for the Cure in Arkansas 0-15 against an Arkansas team. Balls in, out and down in the dirt were all strikes on our batters (to his credit, head-high pitches were still balls.) and only perfect meatballs, fouls and swings-and-misses were strikes on their batters. It was just batting practice for them. DD managed to draw a walk in her one time up; he called balls as strikes against her too, but she managed to hang in there long enough to accumulate four of the pitches he would call balls.

It's so silly because it wasn't at all necessary to ruin the whole spirit of the game; DD's team is not superstars. They could well have lost on even ground and definitely just a few iffy calls here and there would have swung it to the AR team.

We had a great time last year (we were eliminated by an Oklahoma team in a fair contest) and when we weren't playing Arkansas teams this year, but I definitely will vote against a return.

 

[NorthMS]

This may not apply in this case, but here's a different view point. I head up a local league that plays with 3 other local leagues. Most we do good to have 1 team per age group, so we team up with other like communities.

Finding good umpires is TOUGH! If I would ONLY field real good umps, I would have 144 kids with no place to play, period. We do seminars and discuss calls between days. Most are 16-18 years old. Most get substantially better after a few games. Where are they suppose to get their experience? I have a few that are real good. I place them in the toughest spots. Is it college level umpiring? No. I take up for my umpires. I'm quick to tell a parent/coach, if you can do such a better job, why didn't you sign up? It's easy to sit back and complain, when you aren't willing to lift a finger. We strive to have the best umpires as possible, but in small communities, we're pulling from an extremely small pool. Again, this may not apply to THIS situations, but there are those like us out there.
btw...any of y'all want to umpire in North Mississippi?

 

[Momo'sDad]

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.

You're so out-of-line, I don't even know where to begin.

I hate the parent or coach who wants to give a young rec umpire grief in the same way I hate the parent or coach who wants to give a young rec player grief. But when you state that she umpired a game after 'refusing a mask', then I know the problems your league has are much worse than an umpire with a tough strike zone. You don't have any coaches or parents with any common sense!!

If you were a concerned parent at the game, why didn't you protest her being behind the plate without wearing a mask?

 

[SBmom8992]

Momo'sDad - I respectfully disagree with your insinuating that I am out of line for venting frustration on a softball forum. I can assure you that I did not address the ump other than to ask her once where a pitch missed over the plate. I did not comment further, did not yell or argue calls. It's a fruitless exercise and I wouldn't tolerate it from my girls nor their parents. Did I LOOK frustrated? Sure did.

Hindsight being 20/20, I agree with your comment re: the mask. She was umping the game while standing with her back against the backstop. Upon discussing the issue with another coach, I have since learned that this is "her style" and she doesn't ump from behind the catcher. It was our first experience with her umping this year.

 

[Carsonsig]

this is why we dont do youth umps... we pay for local ASA umps. we still get a dipsh*t every once in a while, but at least knowledge wont be the issue...

 

[RichK]

Honestly I thought this: "Worst Response Ever After Asking Ump Where Ball Missed Over the Plate"

was going in a completely different direction.

I guess we've had some cranky umps lately : )