FFFFrustrating

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You get what you pay for. If your league hires young, inexperienced umpires, why would your expectations of their abilities be any higher than that? That's just a reality of recreational ball that you have to live with- games played by young, inexperienced players will usually have young, inexperienced umpires.

An experienced umpire probably would have warned/ejected your coach for: 1) Being out of the dugout and behind the backstop, or; 2) Arguing balls and strikes with the "You got to call it both ways" comment.

The former is a standard rule that is easy to enforce. The latter is a common complaint, usually made by inexperienced coaches that don't know any better. It always bothers me to hear about an adult coach (who should know better) using such comments to intimidate a young, inexperienced umpire. It's no wonder that so many young umpires quit after a season or two.

Let me say this... I was one of the coaches at the game. There was not one time the coach was arguing balls and strikes. He was merely trying to help the kid out. I would agree that this rec league (town) that we played against has some difficulty for whatever reason getting umps that are "qualified" to ump. Our first game against this town, the ump had no experience with baseball at all. He openly admitted to that. He was told that he would have someone more experienced to work with. The league very simply hung the kid out to dry.
In this particular instance, I am not aware of this other kids experience. He made calls from 3 feet behind the catcher. In fact, he commented that he can't call low calls because he can't seem them being so far back. But rest assured you are misguided in thinking anyone was trying to intimidate the umpire.

I also have to wonder, if your pitchers weren't getting the borderline calls, why would they continue to throw the same pitch in the same location? Sounds like an issue with inexperienced coaching. Once you realize you're not getting that pitch, you have to adjust.

It may very well be inexperienced coaching but it is also inexperienced pitching, seriously we are only talking 10u here. The pitcher she is referring to here, is raw. She pitches corners very well, whether by accident or intentionally. Adjusting, isn't something she has mastered yet.

Does this sound a little harsh? Maybe it is. Would it soften the blow if I prefaced my comments by saying that I was, "Just venting"? I don't think it's really any more harsh than publicly ripping some teenaged umpire over a low-level rec league game on an internet discussion board.

Once again, I didn't get the fact that she was ripping any teenage ump. You were welcome to read the post and walk away from it. You choose to post or "vent" over something as silly as this.

I just get a little ticked whenever I hear, "The umpire lost the game for us", routine. We're getting a one-sided opinion- and a one-sided opinion by someone who obviously has an emotional stake in the outcome of the game, at that.

Really? I can't tell you how many games I've been to where a bad call cost the other team the game. Bad calls happen. Good calls happen. No one is going to post on the board their frustrations with good calls. Who doesn't go to a game with out having some emotional stake in the game? It's part of the game.

So, besides a few close pitch calls (which your pitchers apparently never adjusted to), I suppose nobody struck out, made an error or stranded a runner on base, and there weren't any wild pitches or passed balls or baserunning mistakes throughout the entire rest of the game?

Using the umpire as an excuse diminishes the efforts or your opponent and minimizes the shortcomings of your own team.

And again, not one time was it mentioned that there wasn't a few close pitch calls, or nobody struck out, or there were no errors, blah blah blah. It's rec ball. And if people want to vent their frustrations over a game there dd had, let them.

In closing, the ump didn't make us lose the game, we lost the game. No responsibility was diverted toward anyone other than the losing team. Crystle was simply saying it is gut wrenching watching your kid pitch with an inexperienced ump behind the plate. Nothing more.

 

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As a friend of ours says, pitchers' moms are another breed.

IMHO- its the pitcher's DAD (i.e. my hubby) who is another breed...poor guy can't stop pacing and I swear he get's a new gray hair everytime dd is in the circle....

 

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IMHO- its the pitcher's DAD (i.e. my hubby) who is another breed...poor guy can't stop pacing and I swear he get's a new gray hair everytime dd is in the circle....

gray is better than losing hair, right?

 

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UMMM- yeah i'll take the gray all day!

 

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Cut me some slack guys. I'm just nervous for her because I want her to do well. Not nervous about the games themselves...lol.

Glad I could provide amusement.

crystlemc, Watch out. There are some really mean folks around.
http://www.game-ex.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=25626
One handed softball anyone???

 

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Never did I say the ump cost us the game. I was just venting as to my dd's part in the game. Yes we had errors, strikeouts, and stranded runners. We did not play our best. If we had, the ump would have been a non-issue. My dd missed a tag at home that could very well saved us. I was just venting about the torture of watching dd pitch and all the emotions that go with it.

 

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Let me say this... I was one of the coaches at the game. There was not one time the coach was arguing balls and strikes. He was merely trying to help the kid out.

A coach leaving the dugout to stand behind the backstop is illegal. Using his illegal vantage point from behind the backstop to fuel his opinion that his team is getting shafted is unsportsmanlike.

How else do you interpret a comment like, "You have to call that both ways", as meaning something other than the coach thinks his team is getting a raw deal on ball/strike calls? Did he stand behind the backstop and scrutinize the other team's pitches? Did he admonish the umpire if the other team wasn't getting strikes called on the same pitches? Was he trying to "help out the umpire" on any calls that went in his own team's favor?

It's not the coach's job or responsibility to "help out the umpires". Coaches coach, players play and umpires umpire the game. I don't see how you can take these actions and comments as anything other than a veiled complaint regarding balls and strikes, designed to gain an advantage for his own team. No matter how veiled it is in "just trying to help out", the coach is overstepping his bounds. The fact that it is an adult coach aiming his criticism at an inexperienced teenager makes it even worse.

And if people want to vent their frustrations over a game there dd had, let them.

And if they vent on a public forum, where anyone is free to post a reply, with statements like, "I guess that's what you get when playing teams that hire teenage umps who don't play ball, have most likely never played ball, and figure it's an easy $30", (rrriiiiippp!) then they'll just have to be prepared to maybe get a reply that's not in total agreement.

It's not a question of me "letting them" vent. They can vent all they want- and did. But anyone reading this forum has the same right to vent right back.

 

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crystle, I hope it gets better for you with your dd on the mound. But I won't sugar coat it for you, my dd is going to be 15 in a few weeks, and has been pitching for 3 years. I am still an absolute nervous mess every single time she takes the mound..lol. In fact, this is her freshman year, over Spring Break she went to Florida with her HS team, before they went they set up a scrimmage, I nearly threw up when I got to the scrimmage and seen they had her starting...lol

(Mrs. Ninercoach)

 

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Bad calls are part of the game and it does make us crazy but she getting experience pitching ,dealing with calls and making adjustments , even tough times in the circle are learning experiences
Hang in there

 

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As a young one I was happy when the occasional game didn't go my son's way. Allowed him to get tougher mentally and not get rattled as he progressed through the rest of his ballplaying days.

 

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Speaking of being a pitcher's dad, it doesn't get any better when they get older. I was at my DD's college conference tournament last week watching the game. I'm one of those that can't sit still for long and wander all over the field watching from every angle and chat with whoever is around at the various vantage points. As I was walking by the CF bleachers, a dad from the other team said "You must be the pitcher's dad." He could just tell by the way I was watching the game. Of course his DD was a pitcher on the other team, though she wasn't pitching that game. Guess I was an easy mark on that. Fun times tho, fun times.

One thing I have noticed in college, the fans/parents are a lot friendlier and low key for the most part. I have often chatted with parents from the other team and we always have a nice chat about the game and what are kids are doing in school etc. A lot different than HS or even travel ball, not nearly so dog eat dog. Maybe that's just experience, but it sure is refreshing.

 

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I'm on my second daughter/pitcher. Dealing with the stress so much better the second time through. Remember that your dd will pick up on your stress; do what you have to do minimize that. Why do you think so many experienced pitchers parents meet on the outfield fence.

We teach our athletes to control what they can control, that goes double for you. The weather, the umpire, and the fielding errors will happen, their reaction is what matters. What they do between games in practice will make all the difference.

It is all worth it when she goes out on the mound one day and dominates a great team, but most importantly she tried and failed and tried again, and again. You will survive and your daughter will be a stronger person for the effort. Good Luck

 

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I'm sorry but I don't "get" the nervous mentality by parents for pitcher DD's. My DD pitches and I don't act nervous, pace, wring my hands, anything; and neither does my wife. I can understand if you're playing a team that can really hit so you'd be concerned if a liner came back at DD, but to fret every pitch as to whether a ball or strike - - I just don't get it. Are there parents living vicariously through their DD's/kids?

 

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I'm sorry but I don't "get" the nervous mentality by parents for pitcher DD's. My DD pitches and I don't act nervous, pace, wring my hands, anything; and neither does my wife. I can understand if you're playing a team that can really hit so you'd be concerned if a liner came back at DD, but to fret every pitch as to whether a ball or strike - - I just don't get it. Are there parents living vicariously through their DD's/kids?

I think as a parent you just want to see your kid succeed in all they do. They are going to fail and that is tough to watch sometimes. What impresses me about my DD is she'll pitch; she had a terrible time last night, but she always wants to give it another shot. She got pulled last night and rightfully so, but she still wanted to go back out. She hasn't given up yet. I'm more proud of that aspect about her than anything else.

 

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Been there. Done that. Bought the t-shirt.

Here's what I tell my daughter ALL THE TIME..."Some days you're the bird, some days you're the statue." Your DD will have umpteen games like that one but she has to work through them. You did great just by listening to her and letting her vent. It happens.

To be a pitcher you have to have the thickest skin ever and you have to be laid back. It's been our experience that if we win, everyone loves the pitcher but if we lose, everyone blames the pitcher. It's the nature of the business so to speak. And as her parent, you better get thick skin too because you will hear all kinds of people talking trash about your daughter...it's not right, but it's what happens.

Good luck.

 

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Remember the old story -

If you're lost in the woods with a companion and being chased by a bear you don't have to outrun the bear...just your companion!

Remember both pitchers have to face the same umpire. Your dd just has to work to keep her cool and be better physically and mentally than the one in the other dugout. Then even in a poorly umped game things likely will go your way. She needs to control the things that are within her control. That means if it's rec ball and she can't get a corner throw it down the middle and let your D do the job. If she can't throw it down the middle when she tries don't blame the ump for not giving pitches that are close because she isn't actually hitting her targets.

Here's what I've learned about being the parent of kids that pitch. They are almost always giving their best at any given time out there but sometimes their best means lots of walks and bad pitches. There is no shame in not succeeding in a given game. It's a learning process and at the end of the day usually means less than correct pitching mechanices. Just something to learn and work on. At the rec level give her lots of grace. It is the place where you will quickly learn whether your DD is cut out to pitch or not. If she is she will rise above the competition at the rec level when she pitches. If she doesn't then enjoy her pitching in rec ball for fun and make sure she can play 7 of the other 8 positions (maybe not catcher) and that she can HIT!

P.S. (Not sure if that bear illustration really fit but I just like it).

 

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Perfect fit! Both pitchers are on the same field with the same umps. Outplay the other team with-in the boundaries or perimeters you both are playing in. Brilliant!

I like the bear story