One Man System

Unless you are lucky, don't expect that you will get any consideration from RAT coaches who will expect a two man performance out of you.

Be ready to work, anticipate, hustle to get good angles, and give em a good game, all you can do.

It is a real challenge, don't use it as an excuse to slack off, do what you can, know you'll face many limitations, don't let it bother you, call what you see, believe it and call it.

On any hit ball get out to the working area in front of the mound. From there you can react to whatever happens on the field. Pick-offs at first are your best quess. Steals at second are called as much by timing. If the ball beats the runner and the tag is in time, call the out.

Im sure we all have had to do "One man" games in our time...Partner books off...no show ....Its not the best situation........the game is meant to be umpired by 4 umpires....(pro)....can be done very well by three (ncaa) and adequately by 2........(everything else)....

1 umpire is only a stopgap measure.....

Following MST's advice is good.......make sure you clear out the catcher on every play and get the best angle you can.........make every call out in the working area and make sure your calls are adamant and confident.....

I have never been one to warn coaches in the pregame meeting but what "Al
l Knowing Garth" says does ring true more often than not.......

Although most Coaches will acknowledge that the one man game is a tough call and that you wont be able to put eyes on every situation it will not stop them from complaining....

Do not tolerate grief........a one man game is either a assigning mistake or a cost saving measure on their part.....as I assume this is since it is a scrimmage.........I know many umpires who will not take one man games period.....

best of luck.....let us know how it goes.

All of our games below Varsity are 1 man games, so I have done and watched a lot of them.

Great advice so far. Just a couple of others.

1. Angles are better than distance. Get angles when you can.
2. You can't call what you can't see, be consistent on steals and pick off's. If you see it - call it if you don't - don't.
3. Move and anticipate. (anticipate part is important)
4. Be crisp with your calls and be extra careful on mechanics.

If a coach see's you getting out and moving, getting angles, using clean (not sloppy) mechanics they will be thankful.

Remeber to have some fun!

Well, it looks like I'm off the hook - rainout.

Too bad, it would've been good experience and fun.

Good experience, yes. Fun, perhaps. Try getting to your car at 2300 hours when there is no one but you and a ****ed off set of coaches, fans and ballplayers who couldn't give their RATs arse about the fact that you did a solo, got paid as if you had a partner and then took grief for not being Superman.

I walk off solos.

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All of our games below Varsity are 1 man games, so I have done and watched a lot of them

Just as a clarification........do you know why there is only one man assigned to JV and Frosh games?

Is it the $$$.......? 2 things here.......some schools dont want to pay the extra fee for 2 umpires...

And then there are some associations who bid these level games as 1 man with a higher fee.......so instead of 2 umpires at $35 = $70... they get 1 umpire at $50 = saving the schools $20.......

1 man games are a ticket for grief..........then again, I recently had a situation where 3 of us showed up for a HS varsity game.....a call to the assignor revealed a screw up..his comments were "you guys decide who goes home"........

Our decision?........we did 3 man.....and split the checks 3 ways.......great game, great practice for post season on 3 man mechanics and we all got paid.....

Sure instead of $55 a piece.......we got $36.....the teams were happy, and the game for all of us went well.

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Try getting to your car at 2300 hours when there is no one but you and a ****ed off set of coaches, fans and ballplayers who couldn't give their RATs arse about the fact that you did a solo

Wow, do you ever stop?

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Originally posted by Bulldog 19:

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Try getting to your car at 2300 hours when there is no one but you and a ****ed off set of coaches, fans and ballplayers who couldn't give their RATs arse about the fact that you did a solo

Wow, do you ever stop?

Care to personally comment on your one man umpire experiences in hostile environments?

Wow, do you ever consider that you haven't a clue if you have none?

Do you care that the truth is that umpires get assualted every year under similar circumstances? Of course you don't, your particular agenda is to troll with one line non sensicals and leave the facts to those who are at risk. Like me.

Unlike you.

I've never heard of an umpire in this area being assaulted. I've heard of umpires walking off the field because a coach disagreed with him. That caused his partner to finish the game alone.

But I also am not the one who has "RAT" in nearly ever post I make as I refer to coaches.

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog 19:
I've never heard of an umpire in this area being assaulted. I've heard of umpires walking off the field because a coach disagreed with him. That caused his partner to finish the game alone.

But I also am not the one who has "RAT" in nearly ever post I make as I refer to coaches.

"RAT" is awful, umpires only get assaulted because they deserve it.

Just a reminder to our members who ARE here to discuss baseball in a positive and interesting way:

Feel free to send me a private message, or report problem posts (especially a pattern of posts) by clicking the little triangle with exclamation mark below the post. When brand new members come on the forums and their first 4 or 5 posts are rude and nonsensical, they probably are not here for a positive reason. Usually no amount of arguing with them will make them start following the rules - they thrive on the attention! I have easier ways of dealing with such obvious behavior.

Thanks,

Julie

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