New to Umpiring...

I have this in a word document;
Umpire Professionalism
"What do you mean professionalism? I'm only a high school umpire."

Attend any collegiate or national umpiring conference, and one of the first words you hear out the keynote speaker’s mouth is professionalism. One and all think to them selves, "I've got that covered, where is the SEC assignor?" You generally here this "conference professionalism" described as, look the part of an umpire, be groomed neatly, have a tailored uniform, always polish your shoes, etc., etc. We have all heard it, and everybody is going to hear it again. Don't get me wrong, these are important keys to becoming the best umpire you can, but if all it took was polished shoes, and shaving every morning to become an NL umpire, we'd have 1000 times as many umpires as players.
When I'm talking about professionalism, I'm talking about an attitude or better described as a confidence and knowledge that should be carried by all umpires. From the 14 year old umpires working their first year of little league, to 30 year veterans working the NCAA Div. 1, College World Series. This confidence ISN'T arrogance, it is a confidence in knowing that when you walk onto that field, you are there to do a job as defined by your rule book and to enforce your rules as defined by common sense, the spirit of those rules, and interpretation of those rules by your case book. As an umpire you have one of the least forgiving, least understood and most under-appreciated jobs in the world. You must be prepared, before you walk onto that field, for anything to happen, and expect that anything to happen on every pitch. Being a true professional prepares you for that.
The two items that compose this professionalism are knowledge and confidence. A basic knowledge is required to umpire baseball period, but a true knowledge of umpiring lies a complete understanding of the rules, correct positioning, and proper mechanics.
• An understanding of the rules is probably the easiest cornerstone of umpiring to grasp. Begin with a basic knowledge and expand it. Read 10 pages of your rule book a day during baseball season. It takes ten minutes, and will expand your comprehension of the rules enormously.
• Correct positioning is in the simplest terms, angle and distance. Understand that having a proper angle is more important that being five feet from the play. Most umpires use two-man mechanics and it isn't possible to be standing directly behind the bag to make each call. Know where you need to be, get a good angle, see the play, and make the call.
• Proper mechanics allow you as an umpire to correctly communicate with your partner, and to allow your self as an umpire to be in the best possible position to see the play. Proper two-man mechanics get you in correct position, and lets the rest fall into place.
The confidence portion of professionalism is really the part of umpiring that you won't find in the rule book. This confidence allows you to deal with situations that don't normally occur, and to best handle outlying factors during a game. Utilizing these six keys will make the greatest difference in your ability to umpire effectively.
• Get the call right!
If you have to sell the call, then you probably didn't get the call right. I don't like hearing from association presidents "if all else fails, sell the call." It is better to stop and discuss the situation with your partner, and even get the rule book out if necessary, and ultimately get the call right, then to decide something on the fly and have it come back to bite you in the end. Our job as umpires is to be the final authority during a baseball game, and that requires for you to get the call correct at all costs. Use your keys of understanding the rules, correct positioning and proper mechanics to put you in the best frame of mind and best position to make the call and to get it right.
• Competitiveness
Accept the fact the every player is giving their maximum effort, you should too. Being lazy will let the game slip away from you. As an umpire you have to be willing to call the first pitch of the game the same way you call the last pitch of the game. If you don't your going to be in trouble. Realize that every pitch means something to someone on that field, and it should be important to you also. That 0-2 pitch, in the bottom of the fifth inning, that is low and outside may mean you get to go home if you call it a strike, but it may be the only at bat this player gets all month long. If you call a strike because you want to go home, you have done yourself and those players a disservice; you should have found somebody else to do the game for you. That pitch is important to that player, and it should be important to you.
• Every blue shirt doesn't come with a license for respect
Just because you wear an umpire uniform doesn't mean you deserve respect. You don't deserve anything until you earn it. If you walk onto the field with the attitude that no matter what you call you are always right, then you do deserve something. You deserve to have that manager stapled to back riding you the entire game. Earn your respect with confidence, your knowledge of the rule, correct positioning, and proper mechanics.
• Don't be afraid to answer questions
Answer all reasonable questions with reasonable answers. If a manager has a reasonable question, then tell him why you made the call the way you did. Don't allow a manager to use this chew on you, but use it as a tool to diffuse a situation and regain the confidence of players and managers. Remember, if you don't give a reasonable answer your not going to get a reasonable response.


• Don't be the judge, jury and executioner
Your job is to umpire the game, not to pass judgment on individuals. Some players may not be the most outstanding of individuals, but don't let that distract you from what your job is. Accept the players for what they are, baseball players, and do your job, umpire the game. Control the game as necessary, and never pass judgment on players
• Most importantly, leave the game on the field!
Once the last strike is called, leave the baseball game on the field. Use the situations that happened during the game to make you a better umpire by going back and reading your rule book or asking another umpire, but that is as far as it goes. Managers that ate you up during that game are just regular people outside the diamond, as are you. Don't let a situation that occurred during the game relive itself somewhere else. Decide how the situation could have been handled better, learn from it, and let it go.
If you as an umpire can combine all these elements into your job, that is when you are a professional. We all have fell short at one time or another during a baseball game, but use those situations and these keys to continually improve as an umpire, and each time you walk onto the field think of yourself as a professional and your job as an umpire will become one that continually is filled with satisfaction.

Some comments, if I may, about "Selling the Call".

This is perhaps the most misunderstood comment regarding umpiring by coaches, fans and even many umpires.

The phrase came about NOT to instruct umpires to "sell" a bad call, or even one they were unsure of. The phrase, originally, and still to more experienced umpires means: "The play was close, you saw what happened, now let everyone know it was close but you got it."

Over the years "Selling" a call has gotten bad press from those who didn't know what it meant.

I prefer how it was referred to at an NCAA clinic by the PAC 12 assigner. "The umpires signal, both visual and verbal, should match the difficulty, closeness and intensity of the play."

At least at the higher levels, managers and coaches appreciate an aggressive call that matches the play. Umpires get more **** when they call a nut buster bang bang play out as if the runner was out by four steps.

quote:

Originally posted by New2It_VA:
I played baseball through my mid 20s, so I have a lot of on field experience.

A. Your playing experience means one thing--you have a good idea on where a play is going to develop. That being said, learn your mechanics inside and out--they will get you where you need to go in the widest variety of situations. Most players have a hard time switching sides, because the responsibilities of players and officials are not the same. Remember, some of the things you learned as a player are probably not true.

B. Network the **** out of other umpires. As you meet more and work with more, and you gain experience, you will find that some "veterans" are useless for advice, and some are golden. Chances are, you won't know who is what at least for a few years. Don't hitch your horse to any single mentor--if anyone ever has an issue with you bouncing questions off other people, it's a huge sign that they might not be a good role model.

C. Use the Internet to your advantage. There are plenty of good umpire-specific sites. When you go there, lurk for a while...don't just show up and start asking questions. It's a different society, and we (they) tend to get a bit cranky of answering the same basic questions over and over. Which means...

D. Be willing to self-teach. Stick your nose in the rule book, your interpretations manuals, and your mechanics manuals. If you can ask someone a situational question, and at least know what rules and interps may be relevant, it does wonders for your understanding.

E. This is an investment, both personal and economic. If you are in it to make money, you generally won't until you have cut your teeth a bit. You have to put the time and effort in to get to where you want to go. Once you do get to those levels where you may be coming out a bit ahead, you'll know it was worth it. When I was a teenager, doing LL games for $20 a pop, all my money went into uniforms and equipment. I always looked the part and had (at least after year 2) professional-quality equipment. That paid off in first impressions when I wanted to leap ahead.

F. Always get good equipment. 1. It protects better. 2. It sells better. 3. It's cheaper in the long run. You get pro-level equipment, you keep it a few years, and you get fewer bruises. If you decide this isn't for you, you can still unload it. You go cheap, you get bruised, you don't have fun, and if you stay with it, you're just going to get the better stuff eventually. If you don't stick with it, you'll have something no one wants to buy.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy03:
Some comments, if I may, about "Selling the Call".

This is perhaps the most misunderstood comment regarding umpiring by coaches, fans and even many umpires.

The phrase came about NOT to instruct umpires to "sell" a bad call, or even one they were unsure of. The phrase, originally, and still to more experienced umpires means: "The play was close, you saw what happened, now let everyone know it was close but you got it."

Over the years "Selling" a call has gotten bad press from those who didn't know what it meant.

I prefer how it was referred to at an NCAA clinic by the PAC 12 assigner. "The umpires signal, both visual and verbal, should match the difficulty, closeness and intensity of the play."

At least at the higher levels, managers and coaches appreciate an aggressive call that matches the play. Umpires get more **** when they call a nut buster bang bang play out as if the runner was out by four steps.

Agree 100%. Selling the call demonstrates your confidence in it being correct.

quote:

Originally posted by New2It_VA:
Hey fellas:

I will be starting my first year as an umpire this spring. I played baseball through my mid 20s, so I have a lot of on field experience. I thought I knew a lot about the rules of the game until I acutally picked up a rule book. Any advice for a new umpire? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks for your time.

Congratulations! I'm happy to see a new face behind the plate. Just so you know, I'm usually leaning against the fence, probably 30-40' down from first base.

I have a perfect view of the strike zone from there so if you ever have a question about a ball/strike or a fair/foul call, please look my way...I'm happy to help!!!!

Ha..

I coached high school football for a long time, and I always offered that same thing to the official on our sideline.

Some basics to remember:
1. As mentioned, you played so you have a good idea where the ball should go. Remember with smaller kids, don't lean on that knowledge too hard because they will not do what they are supposed to in many cases.
2. Buy good gear whenever possible. If you do you will buy once. If you don't, you will buy again in a year or two.
3. Go to clinics whenever possible.
4. You played 80% of your games with 20% of the rules. As you have found out, you thought you knew the rules but really didn't. Much of what you learned while playing was wrong.
5. If you ever heard the phrase,"A good unmpire is one nobody notices," forget it. Sometimes you have to make a call that is going to have a call that is going to make you front and center. Make the call, by not making it you are doing a disservice to the game. What the quote means is don't pull rules out to prove you know the rules. In other words, don't needlessly insert yourself into a game.
6. Watch guys that you know are good in your area. Talk to them if possible to find out why they did something you are unsure about.
7. Remember you will never know it all.

Know the rules. Do not be confrontational.

Good advice so far....

There is no substitute for rules knowledge....you must be fluent if you expect to do the game and its participants the best job possible.

Dont skimp on quality protective gear, its part of the largest expense a baseball umpire has, but its money well spent.

Be humble ...if you arent, baseball is about to make you humble.....

Be the type of partner you would want to work with...

Honor your committments...to the games assigned, to the partners you draw...

Use the internet, the sites and resources available let you "go to clinic" 24 hours a day anywhere, anytime...

Invest in umpiring......financially in clinics, gear, uniforms, rules and mechanics books.

Remember it costs nothing to hustle, study, concentrate and focus....

Dont quit in the offseason.....study in the offseason pays off on the field during the season....

Just my .02

And, for God's sake, do not yell "FOUL BALL!!!!!!" on an obvious foul ball.

Edit: And don't ever yell "dead ball" on the field. It's "foul ball" or "time".

Don't quit your day job.

quote:

Originally posted by yawetag:
And, for God's sake, do not yell "FOUL BALL!!!!!!" on an obvious foul ball.

Or even on a shot down the line that just misses the chalk. The call is FOUL. Drop the "BALL" part.

Thanks guys, I've just started back umpiring after a 30 year hiatus coaching and I've found this string very helpful.

Welcome back to the advocation.

Do any of you guys know of web sites to order equipment from? Any suggestions would be helpful. What brands would you recommend. From what I've seen, Wilson seems to be the top of the line.

Now that we've seemed to avoid the Myan Apocalypse, I'm ready to order my gear.

quote:

Originally posted by New2It_VA:
Do any of you guys know of web sites to order equipment from? Any suggestions would be helpful. What brands would you recommend. From what I've seen, Wilson seems to be the top of the line.

Now that we've seemed to avoid the Myan Apocalypse, I'm ready to order my gear.

Good timing. December is when many suppliers have deals. You'll find that most guys will recommend Ump-Attire and/or Honig's. (There are others, such as Lester's, that are not as commonly used but sometimes have hidden gems.) Also, check the "For Sale" section of some of the umpire sites.

http://ump-attire.com/

http://honigs.com/

As for which brands, that's going to be personal preference, because we are all built differently. Again, there are reviews of much equipment on those umpire sites, and when they have threads of "What's in your trunk?" you'll see the same two or three names pop up. If you have the chance, try on each of your candidates before buying. For example, some people swear by New Balance plate shoes, others Reebok, and some are good with both. While both the WestVest Gold and Platinum are pro-quality and made by Wilson, they are made for different body styles and stances. It's a matter of comfort and preference.

I was a huge Honig fan for years, and really don't have a problem with them now, but their website was always very difficult to navigate. I buy almost everything from Ump-Attire.com. Both companies have excellent customer service and top of the line equipment.
Cliff Keen makes good shirts but their polo blue matches nothing else, all others are fine. Smitty makes decent stuff, Official Sports make decent shirts cheap, but they have didn't size strips that look odd. Richardson hats seem to be better than New Era these days.

No other sport has the cost of equipment needed to officiate baseball...and the options are as varied as the amount in your checkbook...

I am a wilson platinum chest protector wearer, I have yet to find anything that protects me as well....

Masks, Chest protector and Plate shoes are where you want to invest your money....

ump-attire is a great place to buy your gear....

A close friend of mine owns this business.

http://www.thesportsloft.com/mm5/

I don't know how he stacks up against his competitors price-wise, but I can personally vouch for his honesty and dedication to customer service.

Does anyone have an opinion on the Gerry Davis Chest protector?

quote:

Originally posted by New2It_VA:
Does anyone have an opinion on the Gerry Davis Chest protector?

Not worth the money--might as well get a true hardshell. Spend the few dollars more and get a WestVest.

While we're at it...make sure you know how to measure yourself. Chest protectors and shinguards come in different sizes. For CPs, measure from your throat to the bottom of your sternum. For shinguards, measure from the center of your kneecap to the top of your instep.

quote:

Originally posted by New2It_VA:
Does anyone have an opinion on the Gerry Davis Chest protector?

Yes. Get one that really protects, preferably a hard shell.

That's my issue. I'm 6 foot 4, 315 pounds. Most of the Wilson CPs seem to be 13 inches max. Some others are longer (up to 17) and even have extensions, but they don't look like they offer the protection the Wilson Gold or Platinum do. I wish there were some stores that had stock so I could try them on. Any suggestions for someone who is gigantic?

quote:

Originally posted by New2It_VA:
That's my issue. I'm 6 foot 4, 315 pounds. Most of the Wilson CPs seem to be 13 inches max. Some others are longer (up to 17) and even have extensions, but they don't look like they offer the protection the Wilson Gold or Platinum do. I wish there were some stores that had stock so I could try them on. Any suggestions for someone who is gigantic?

Remember you are not protecting your full torso. You are protecting your chest, ribs, collarbone, shoulders. You stomach is not covered by a chest protector. A shot might sting, but it doesn't do damage like it will in the areas of bones and heart.

quote:

Originally posted by New2It_VA:
That's my issue. I'm 6 foot 4, 315 pounds. Most of the Wilson CPs seem to be 13 inches max. Some others are longer (up to 17) and even have extensions, but they don't look like they offer the protection the Wilson Gold or Platinum do. I wish there were some stores that had stock so I could try them on. Any suggestions for someone who is gigantic?

Maybe the All-Star System 7?

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy03:
Remember you are not protecting your full torso. You are protecting your chest, ribs, collarbone, shoulders. You stomach is not covered by a chest protector. A shot might sting, but it doesn't do damage like it will in the areas of bones and heart.

Also, you usually have a catcher in front of you, who will presumably stop the ball, whether by glove or his own equipment. There are the exceptions that get through.

I like the quality assistance from ump-attire.com

Agreed on U-A. I ordered a pair of plate shoes just before Christmas. Right after I did I got an ad for the same thing at a reduced price. They reduced the order price for me.

Make sure that you have good medical insurance. You will get hurt at some time!

I'm a high school teacher. So it's OK. Thanks for the advice!

Buy the best gear you can....pro gear in the long run will cost you less money than having to upgrade...

check with your new association, see what the standards are and purchase accordingly...

make sure you atay around and help out here at HSBBW.....we can always use another on the crew.

Oh, yeah...we forgot the most important piece of advice.

Don't suck.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt13:
Oh, yeah...we forgot the most important piece of advice.

Don't suck.

From the fan's / parent's perspective, it's OK to suck as long as you hustle, know where you're supposed to be and you're there, ask for help when appropriate and don't otherwise act like you aren't paying attention on the bases when the HP asks for help on balls and strikes.

We don't expect you to get them all right, we just expect you to get a better angle than we have up in the stands, know the rules and not be a jerk when there is an "issue" (and there will be "issues").

quote:

Originally posted by JMoff:


We don't expect you to get them all right, we just expect you to get a better angle than we have up in the stands, know the rules and not be a jerk when there is an "issue" (and there will be "issues").

Many fans don't believe there is a better angle than what they have. Most fans have no clue as to the prescribed positioning for making calls, or which umpire has which call. I can't count how many times fans haved screamed at me for taking the appeal of the touch of third as the plate umpire.

Funny, When I started umpiring, I told everyone I had been making the calls for years from the stands and shouldn't have any problems from the field.