Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!!

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Re: Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that when a coach went out to talk to an umpire because of a questionable call, it was not with the intention to get the call reversed, but to maybe get the same kind of play looked at more closely next time.

We have been very fortunate with umpires for my dd's games, not so lucky with my 15 year old sons games. Really offensive umpiring is what I would call it.

 

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Re: Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!

I have had several instances where an umpire could simply honor my polite request to "ask for help", when the official making the call obviously did not have the best look at the play. I understand that they do not HAVE to do it...but wouldn't it be nice if their objective was to just get the call right.

As some have said, many umpires could lose a bunch of weight instantly by losing the humongous chip resting on their shoulder. :

 

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Re: Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!

I think we have found ourselves very lucky in the fact that we have been able to talk to the umpires without them having a major chip. Last week had the opportunity to have Mr. Wharton (sp?) in the field and he was great and very willing to talk to you if you had a question. Some of these umpires could learn a lot from him. I beleive Mr. Wharton is one of the top ASA officials in the area if I am correct.

 

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Re: Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!

Jim Wharton is a great gentleman and I have had the pleasure of working with him on the field, plus have attended several of his rule classes and clinics.

Many know Jim through his ASA duties and, if I am not mistaken, for his "day job" he serves as an officer with the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

I don't imagine that you would have too many problems with Mr. Wharton serving as your game official!

 

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Jim Wharton is a very good guy. He is actually the umpire scheduler for ASA in Central Ohio but still steps out to do a game on occasion. And yes he does work for the OHSAA.

 

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Re: Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!

I will have to say Kudos as well to Mr. Wharton for all of his volunteer time he has given to hGsa over the years, for their umpire training and overall to the girls softball in Central Ohio....

 

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Re: Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!

Umpires just need to do their job and stop trying to "control" the game so much. Let the kids play and call the game in a professional manner, and if there is a question about a call, it should be addressed by the coach in a calm manner, and the umpire should respond in kind. ?I can't see why this is so hard to do from the coaches or the umpires. Geez!

There are lots of good umpires out there, but unfortunately, there are even more obnoxious ones.

 

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Re: Why don't Umpires and Coaches know the rules!!

"There are lots of good umpires out there, but unfortunately, there are even more obnoxious ones. "

My own experience has been the opposite. The obnoxious umpires have been few and far between. They are out there, but I don't think that they outnumber the better ones.

Then again, your perspective could be influenced by the league you play in or the area you are located. The training of umpires can vary tremendously from region-to-region, and if you're in a small town you might see the same few umpires again-and-again. If they are poorly trained, then you're stuck with what you have.

My perspective has been such that I work mainly with well-trained umpires, certified by the state or sanctioning body, who care about doing things the right way and know how to act in a dignified, professional manner.

Even the local summer leagues I'm involved with are fortunate enough to provide training for their umpires, so even at that "local" level we have volunteers with a good grasp of the rules and mechanics.

During the couse of the year, I work with literally hundreds of different umpires, doing live games, training classes, clinics and evaluations. I see good umpires and bad umpires. The good far outweigh the bad.

But, again, that in my personal experience. Even working with hundreds of other umpires, my experience is just a small drop-in-the-bucket compared to the number of umpires and games being played in the entire state of Ohio. We need to be careful about making a blanket statement about "all" or "most" umpires when, in reality, we have seen only a tiny fraction of the total umpires out there at work.