Umpires apologize

I had a similar experience recently, but my reaction was different.

We (Va. Cardinals) were playing in an exposure event at the University of Maryland. Our batter had a strike called around his ankles while I was coaching first, and I had an "Oh, no!" kind of ... slip out.

After the inning, I had to cross the plate area as we were in the third base dugout. The home plate umpire walked towards me and I feared I was about to get a lecture.

"OK, so I missed ONE!" He said, smiling. I laughed and said, "What, you gonna go all humble on me? They'll kick you out of the union, you know!"

We had the same guy the next day. All in all he called a couple of great games.

Frankly I thought the humility was refreshing. He admitted he was human and made a mistake. He made his point that I should stay off his back, and he did it in a disarming way. It's not like he could go and reverse a strike call after I yell out; imagine what bedlam would come from that! All in all, I thought it was an example for all to follow.

He won't reverse your call but you probably will get a few more calls your way

So a guy blew the call, owned up to it, and apologized? And there's an issue with that? I'm not big friend of the umps, but what else are they supposed to do?

For reference, see Jim Joyce. That was his call, he blew it (although he made the call he felt was right at the time), he owned up to it, apologized, and "moved on". I put "moved on" in quotes b/c I would imagine he will never truly move on due to the enormity of the blown call, but I think everyone will get what I'm saying.

I honestly felt like the Commissioner should have used his virtually unlimited powers to have Gallaraga credited in the record books with a perfect game. Put an asterisk in there if you like, put up a display in the Hall of Fame to explain it, but this should be part of baseball's history.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Had this happen a couple of times this weekend ---umps blew the call--- as my coach left the field and walked by them on the way into the dugout, they apologized for bad positioning and missing the call


What's up with this?

Don't apologize--make the correct call !!!

By any chance were you at Medford or Moriches? (I'm not the one who apologized.)

No we were not

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
I honestly felt like the Commissioner should have used his virtually unlimited powers to have Gallaraga credited in the record books with a perfect game. Put an asterisk in there if you like, put up a display in the Hall of Fame to explain it, but this should be part of baseball's history.

This has been hashed out many times since it happened but there is no way, no how the league office can or should reverse the call. If they did then you need to dump the whole umpiring staff because you would nueter every MLB umpire.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Had this happen a couple of times this weekend ---umps blew the call--- as my coach left the field and walked by them on the way into the dugout, they apologized for bad positioning and missing the call


What's up with this?

Don't apologize--make the correct call !!!

Was it the same guy or guys each time or a different guy each time. As an umpire you can admit mistakes occasionally but you can't make a habit out of it or you will have a long year.
Umpires should be trained to be in the right place and use good timing to get the right call. If you do all that you will still miss a call. Now if you aren't where you are supposed to be then you will miss calls fairly easily. The other thing that can happen is a play will blow up,offline throw,missed tag, runner falls down, a number of things and you can't always adjust quickly enough.

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
I honestly felt like the Commissioner should have used his virtually unlimited powers to have Gallaraga credited in the record books with a perfect game. Put an asterisk in there if you like, put up a display in the Hall of Fame to explain it, but this should be part of baseball's history.

Fortunately, even this commissioner knows better than to do that.

What next? If in the next perfect game an umpire errs by calling a batter/runner out at first that replay showes to be safe, can the commissioner take away the perfect game?

Mistakes are made. Thirty years ago you wouldn't have known for sure if it was a mistake. Time to get over it

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to restart an argument like this. I just was using the biggest example of an umpire owning up to a mistake. I apologize for starting this argument yet again.

michael

Actually it was both of the two man team---the plate ump was the same ump we had the day before and he was the same them

I cannot stand apologetic umps---you make a mistake don't admit it out loud---just do you job and get it right the next time--don't tell my coaches or the players you blew the call, especially the players

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
---just do you job and get it right the next time--

Your best post ever TR.

quote:

I cannot stand apologetic umps---you make a mistake don't admit it out loud---just do you job and get it right the next time--don't tell my coaches or the players you blew the call, especially the players

I would have to agree here although I think after the game you can let a coach know that it was a close call - could have gone either way whatever....During the game, no way I am changing the call unless it is over a rule interpetation after conferencing with my other umpire(s).

Who is talking about changing a call---I never asked for that--just improve your umpiring skills and get the call right the first time--

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Who is talking about changing a call---I never asked for that--just improve your umpiring skills and get the call right the first time--

I have a similar philosophy with coaches.

Improve your managing skills by learning the rule intead of arguing nonsense non-stop and you won't get ejected next time.

JIMMY

Who got ejected???
I am not talking abouty any rule

Come down off that high horse you ride

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
JIMMY

Who got ejected???
I am not talking abouty any rule

Come down off that high horse you ride

TWHit, please learn to read with comprehension.

Who said anyone was ejected or any rule was being discussed. Good Lord a fourth grader could have told you that.

I simply wrote I have a similar philosophy as the one you stated. Your's pertains to umpires, mine pertains to coaches and managers.

No high horse, no low horse, no horse at all. Just plain written English.

He's got you there TR. You were complimented on a good post but then Jimmy simply wished coaches would be better learned in rules, it would make our life a lot easier. It was a general statement meant to encompass coaches industry wide, nothing was directed at you about not knowing a rule or accusing you of being ejected. We constantly get the same **** that was never a rule and we can't understand why managers say stupid things like, "Hands are part of the bat,""The ball is dead when it hits the ground and then the batter" and "My runner can hit the fielding player because my runner has the right to the baseline." I'm not saying you have ever used any such ditties but we sure hear it a lot. We hear professional announcers say it all the time.

Michael

I took that remark as an affront !!!!

Why? There was absolutely nothing for you to take issue with. I mearly explain that you weren't the object of attack but coaches in general. We suffer many stupid coaches as well as stupid announcers.

quote:

If they did then you need to dump the whole umpiring staff because you would nueter every MLB umpire.

Oh, baloney.

The umpire involved already manned up and handled this with the utmost class. What would action by the Commissioner have done to him at that point?

And so what if we didn't correct errors in the past. Why not correct those we can now correct? In this instance, it wouldn't have affected the game's outcome or the standings, it just would have let the pitcher have his rightful place in history. With or without an asterisk.

Can't we all just get along?

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Oh, baloney.

The umpire involved already manned up and handled this with the utmost class. What would action by the Commissioner have done to him at that point?

It's not an issue of him. It's an issue of what happens in the future if that becomes a reality.

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
And so what if we didn't correct errors in the past. Why not correct those we can now correct? In this instance, it wouldn't have affected the game's outcome or the standings, it just would have let the pitcher have his rightful place in history. With or without an asterisk.

What if there were other missed calls in the game that possibly extended the perfect game? Do we go back and replay, play-by-play, every call? What if there was a ball that was called a strike?

Jim manned up and admitted his mistake and everyone thought it was a good thing he did. Now if the head office had come in and said they were changing the call to preserve a perfect game you are down starting a slippery slope you don't want to go down. Do you then change the same call to take away a perfect game. Do you change a call in the second before anyone was aware it might be a perfect? Do you change a season ending call and switch who goes to the play-offs? Look at the stupid cr ap they did at the LLWS this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael S. Taylor:
"The ball is dead when it hits the ground and then the batter"

Michael,

The ball is dead when it hits the batter.

Sorry, bad wording. I meant the ball is automaticly dead when it hits the ground if it hits the batter.
Conversation goes like this:
Coach: That ball is dead when it hit the ground, the batter should stay in the box.
Me: No, it is dead when it hit the batter, he gets first HBP.
Coach: No Way! That ball is dead when it hits the ground, automaticly.
Me: Do you teach your catchers to block pitches?
Coach: Sure.
Me: Why?
Coach: To keep runners from advancing.
Me: Why, the ball is dead when it hit the ground.
Coach: Not in that case!
Me So you want a sometimes automaticly dead ball. He’s at first coach, let’s go.

This is a long conversation that I don’t usually have unless it is lower levels. Higher levels he just gets that the BR is at first, let’s go.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael S. Taylor:
Sorry, bad wording. I meant the ball is automaticly dead when it hits the ground if it hits the batter.

I knew what you meant.

I knew you did but thought others may not.

Not a fan of umpires apologizing on the field after their mistakes.

Too many apologies have been occuring the last couple of years!

I am a fan of a pair of umps returning the fees paid to them should mistakes be made.

(And those fees approach $140 per game and get half with a rainout.)

And these guys got paid prior to the game beginning !!!!

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
And these guys got paid prior to the game beginning !!!!

SOP.

The next perfect game you see a crew call will be the first. It never ceases to amaze me when coaches seem to expect us to never make a mistake.
I understand there are guys out there that bring nothing to the field and you certainly have to complain. When you get a crew out there working hard and they make a mistake give them some room.
There are times to go out and discuss a call no matter how good the crew is but discuss is the key.

Show of hands for umpires who man up and return the bucks?

quote:

Originally posted by Bear:
Show of hands for umpires who man up and return the bucks?

And also a show of hands from those coaches/ADs/tourney directors who are so impressed with the quality of the umpires that they pay extra. If you aren't happy with someone, don't hire them again. That works both ways as I'm sure that most umpires have a couple of coaches they won't do games for.

quote:

And also a show of hands from those coaches/ADs/tourney directors who are so impressed with the quality of the umpires that they pay extra. If you aren't happy with someone, don't hire them again. That works both ways as I'm sure that most umpires have a couple of coaches they won't do games for.

Why would somebody pay more for a person doing their job?

quote:

coaches/ADs/tourney directors

Having been a tourney director for three decades,
my umpiring budget increased exponentially every year.

It ended up being the largest line-item and seeking
top nine inning dollar for two 1/4 hours of severn innings work.

And the best part is the umpires demanded a 'show up' fee should the ball game / tournament get rained out.

Meaning umpires got paid for doing Zero Work!

Gentlemen: Would you consider utilizing this message board for its' purpose...questions/answers regarding hs baseball rules. It would be greatly
appreciated.

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