i wish i knew

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Originally posted by tryintomakeit09:
I often feel of umpires as I do about policemen. They both are givin way too much control of things at certain times. Maybe it's just because the last month I have been aggravated with the officiating, who knows. lol I do know one thing for sure, sometimes the men in blue should just let us play OUR game.

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That's the problem. Too many times "OUR" game means playing outside the rules. The umpires, like all "legitimate" sports officials, are there to see that both teams adhere to the rules.

A game without officials will become a riot. A society without police will descend into anarchy.

They both are givin way too much control of things at certain times. AT CERTAIN TIMES, why does a policmen need to go ahead and give a driver a ticket when hes going 10 mlph faster than he should be going, why does an umpire need to make a call that doesn't involve him/eject a ballplayer for something so miniscule or how about change the k zone smaller in the 7th inning because the game's all tied up? If someone could explain this to me legitimately, it would be greatly appreciated!

After a 5 year abscence from High school I was asked to help coach an adult league team a couple of weeks ago. Sitting in the dugout an umpire made a questionable call. I asked him for an explanation and was told to "shut up or I am gone" It was bad when I left and worse now. This attitude is ingrained into them.

Trying to make it......because thats what the rules say....Baseball gives the umpires the power to rule on anything and everything that happens once the Umpire sets foot on the confines of the field and also until he leaves it. Baseball also gives Umpires the authority the right to rule on anything that is not even mentioned in the rule book. (Rule 9.01c).

Because you cant have a baseball game without rules, you cant have a game without Umpires. Its just the way it is, to change that would be to change the basic rules of baseball and if we did that we would be basketball.

Pro basketball does not even remotely represent the rules of basketball........watch a pro game and see if the rules against palming the ball, walking and fouling are called by the book......the game has disintegrated into slams and 3 point shots.

I cant speak to your thoughts as to why an umpire makes a call on something that doesnt concern him, there isnt enough info in your post to discern that. But if it happended in a baseball game the umpire has the respnsiblity to call it, hopefully by the book.

Ejecting someone for something miniscule is another thing.......some guys do have a quick trigger, argue balls and strikes your gone, use profanity your gone, but what is miniscule to you may not be miniscule to me or the rule book.

Calling a tighter zone later in the game is just wrong.......read down a few threads to see what most of us feel about Umpires who do that.....(they are cheaters) I don't work with cheaters.

Will,
Adult leagues in W. Pa are notorious for bad behavior from the participants....I do not do MSBL for much of that reason. I dont condone what happended to you. It was rude and uncalled for. But I know umpiring some of those games is like being the sheriff of Dodge City.... I reject your thought that that type of behavior is ingrained into umpires.....Of the men I know it is the minority rather than the majority.

Just my 2 cents.

Ump, you are exactly right, 100 percent. I just thought I might release my present frustation and see what other might think. I'm sure you are a great umpire because by the way you responded you sound like one.

quote:

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Originally posted by tryintomakeit09:
They both are givin way too much control of things at certain times. AT CERTAIN TIMES, why does a policmen need to go ahead and give a driver a ticket when hes going 10 mlph faster than he should be going, why does an umpire need to make a call that doesn't involve him/eject a ballplayer for something so miniscule or how about change the k zone smaller in the 7th inning because the game's all tied up? If someone could explain this to me legitimately, it would be greatly appreciated!

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Do you not read newspapers or watch the news on TV? Are you ignorant of how many people are killed or maimed because of someone driving "ONLY" 10 mph OVER the posted speed limit? On May 25, a truck driver going ONLY 10 mph over the limit decided to pass me in a no passing zone while I was attempting to make a left turn. My car was totalled, he never even slowed down, and came close to killing me.

"Miniscule" to tell an umpire to cheat? That's what suggesting to change the strike zone is.

quote:

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Originally posted by Will:
After a 5 year abscence from High school I was asked to help coach an adult league team a couple of weeks ago. Sitting in the dugout an umpire made a questionable call. I asked him for an explanation and was told to "shut up or I am gone" It was bad when I left and worse now. This attitude is ingrained into them.

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Why was the umpire making a call while sitting in the dugout?

An umpire should never tell anyone to "shut up".

Why didn't you ask for time, and come out and discuss the call in a sportsmanlike manner, instead of sniping from the bench?

sorry to hear you had car problems, but that was a freak accident

Freak accidents and plays are why we have all the rules we have. Something wierd happpens and a rule gets written. Then we as umpires have to interpret and enforce them. Many times this makes us bad guys that don't let kids play. I agree not allowing a coach to ask questions is dumb but asking from the dugout is too. I don't think I've ever refused to answer a question from a coach. Depending on how it was asked will govern the type of discussion if any.
As far as certain actions being ingrained in offcials that's also stupid. Some guys get into umpiring for the wrong reason and make it bad for all the other umps. You can't generalize about umps anymore than we can about coaches. The general assumption about coaches is they know very little about rules. They may know alot about how to play but not about the the rules of how to play. This is true in some coaches at every level but that doesn't mean all coaches are clueless to rules.

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Originally posted by tryintomakeit09:
sorry to hear you had car problems, but that was a freak accident

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"Freak accident" my rosy red rump. That maniac tailgated me for over two miles, then, after I put on my left turn signal and started to slow to turn, he decided to pass me. That was the FIFTH time in that area I was passed on the left while trying to make a left turn. Two of the idiots did it while I was in a turning lane, when all they had to do was go straight.

"Speed kills", and not only the stuff they smoke.

You must be one of those scofflaws who believes he's more important than others. In sports and on the road.

bluezebra

Are you an umpire as you implied I was "sniping" from the bench? Excuse the misunderstanding I was sitting on the bench!!!! time was out and I just asked a question. No explanation just shut up or your gone. As coaches are we not entitled to an explanation. I did not as you say snipe. what constitutes sniping. Is it against the rules to "snipe" Not to be disrespectful but there are good players and bad players good coaches and bad coaches and yes good umpires and bad ones. Forget about missing a call get upset at the ones who have poor game management skills. it is very interesting umpires should receive respect but as everybody else in he game they to have to earn it.