I've debated about posting this all day about two things that happened last night because I don't want to come across as complaining. Maybe this is more venting than anything but I also feel that this is something if newer / younger umpires can learn from.
First situation - our team is in the field and the batter has a check swing. We got a very young catcher so he hasn't quite picked up on asking for an appeal. So we yell out to our catcher / ump to check him (ask for an appeal) then our catcher turns and is instructed to respectfully ask the plate ump for an appeal. Well in this case the field ump was in the C position due to a runner on second. The plate ump refused to ask for the appeal. I realize that under NFHS rules he doesn't have to ask for it but in all seriousness what does it hurt?
The boy swung the bat because his barrell was pointing at our pitcher but the refusal to ask for the appeal is rather petty. Granted I'm looking at this from a coache's perspective but the rules also allow for appeals to be asked from umps in the C position. Because he refused to ask for an appeal we started chirping at him (which we shouldn't do). To me the simple solution here is ask for the appeal and let the field ump say what he saw. Once that happens coaches have no reason to keep chirping. Ask for the appeal and coaches will shut up (except for the idiots).
Second situation - we are hitting and have a runner on first. The other team puts in a new pitcher who is left handed. After his warm up pitches he is on the mound taking signs (he hasn't thrown a pitch yet). He starts to bring his hands together and about the time he should be stopping for the pause he lifts his leg and comes towards first to pick our runner. Ok I know this isn't a balk and not really the point of my situation other than to show that his first move as a legal pitcher is a pickoff move without stopping. But it's a legal move.
Our runner is safe and the pitcher toes the rubber getting signs. He starts his delivery and never stops to come set. The field ump calls a balk and moves our runner. The pitcher fixed this and started coming to a stop but it only lasted a few pitches. The rest of the game this pitcher never stopped his hands to come set.
The field ump who called the balk never called it again rest of the game. We were winning easily but that shouldn't have anything to do with it. Finally I went to the field ump and asked what was going on between innings. He said that a balk is called when the pitcher is trying to deceive a runner and he didn't feel that he was deceiving our runners. I said not stopping was the deception that part of the rule is referring to. He said he saw it differently.
Why don't umps just say they believe the pitcher is stopping? It's a judgement call and can't really be argued. In this situation this pitcher was not stopping at all - it was obvious. But if he says to me that he feels the pitcher is stopping then I'm done. I'm obviously not happy but my argument is over - if I continue it then throw me out. A smart coach is going to shut up and go back to the dugout.
I apologize if this comes across as griping and complaining because I know it's a tough job and I sure as heck don't want to do it. We need umps for the games and griping and complaining don't make anything better.
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