Umpire tosses the Music intern in minor league game

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

So you are admitting you aren't impartial.
You're letting the batter influence your ball and strike calls.
Wonderful. I'm glad you're not a MLB ump.

Staying in the box till the pitch is called is understood at pretty much every level above little league. When I have the most trouble it is when I do the lower levels where coaches and players that don't understand.

[Dom Heffner]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

I realize asking batters to stay an extra 2 seconds in the box waiting for a call to be made and asking the organist to not play songs mocking the ump are irrational, insane and unreasonable requests by some , but if you think about it, if these things were done voluntarily then there would be fewer problems in the game.

First of all, thanks for giving us some insight into umpiring. I've always appreciated it. It brings a different aspect to things. Nice job.

If batters jumping out of the box hurts your ability, then by all means you are correct.

For Lawrie- and my memory may be failing- but the second ball four he just sat there and it seemed like the umpire was calling it a strike just to get him back.

I know it's one example, and it's unfair to sort of bring it in, but that's the kind of issue that is going to make folks just look at umpires and wish we had a machine. The calls either go way or another, so making it against someone for that gives a competitive advantage over hurt feelings. Maybe you are right and I'm not giving the ump the benefit of the doubt. Your perspective is certainly worth taking another look....

[hebroncougar]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

Sovereignty of umpiring??

Im am going to be blunt, you are so far off my point it is kinda pointless to respond.

Well, maybe I read it wrong. I hope you arent changing balls to strikes just to make a point. I would hope every umpire is above that. Anyway, good discussion.

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[Dom Heffner]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

Staying in the box till the pitch is called is understood at pretty much every level above little league. When I have the most trouble it is when I do the lower levels where coaches and players that don't understand.

We are turning into an impatient society lol....we want the call now!

The only argument I make for machines or sensors or video is that we sort of take out all these unwritten rules and chivalry and we simply get the call.

By making a human being the unquestionable authroity and final word, we get all this other stuff, which I just don't care about.

I truly enjoy listening to Orel Hershisher, and he's terrific about explaining the ways of umpiring and pitching. But learning about all these different strike zones and rules is interesting but can't somebody just call a baseball game?

I don't want it to be more than that.

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by hebroncougar

Well, maybe I read it wrong. I hope you arent changing balls to strikes just to make a point. I would hope every umpire is above that. Anyway, good discussion.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

Myself and 99% of the umpires in our association will call a borderline pitch or not so borderline pitch a strike if the batters are continuously leaving the box before the call is made. Like I said earlier at most levels above LL it is understood so it doesn't really happen that often. However I have done it numerous times and will continue to do so if I feel the batter is trying to gain an unfair edge.

This is my last comment on the Lawrie incident btw.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
Mata ahoo Hima de
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
Himitsu wo Shiri tai

I'm not sure why we have to bring the Germans into this.....

[jojo]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

I realize asking batters to stay an extra 2 seconds in the box waiting for a call to be made and asking the organist to not play songs mocking the ump are irrational, insane and unreasonable requests by some , but if you think about it, if these things were done voluntarily then there would be fewer problems in the game.

Voto must be the rudest Canadian in history.

[CySeymour]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

Myself and 99% of the umpires in our association will call a borderline pitch or not so borderline pitch a strike if the batters are continuously leaving the box before the call is made. Like I said earlier at most levels above LL it is understood so it doesn't really happen that often. However I have done it numerous times and will continue to do so if I feel the batter is trying to gain an unfair edge.

With all due respect, and I have actually sided with you in most of this thread, this is wrong.

A pitch is either a strike or it isn't.

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by CySeymour

With all due respect, and I have actually sided with you in most of this thread, this is wrong.

A pitch is either a strike or it isn't.

Agreed.

But...batters should be aware of the environment they are in. Fairly or not, it would be wise for a batter to wait on the call if they know prematurely running to first could net them a strike, albeit for the wrong reasons. Not a big pet peeve of mine, but it just makes sense to me.

[WMR]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

What I think it is funny is that people are overeacting to the umpire simply doing his job by following the rule book and treating this incident as if this intern was somehow executed as opposed to simply ejected.

The rule book does not state that all rules are void if the person commiting the offense is unpaid. The umpire is not going to first inquire if the person is being paid or not before he ejects someone.

The umpire should be very proud of himself. He followed the rules as he is paid to do so thus he deserves a pat on the back.

It's unfortunate that so many umpires and officials have a similarly arrogant approach to their proper role in sports. Umps should be like wallpaper, not attention *****s trying to get noticed or be the center of attention.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

Agreed.

But...batters should be aware of the environment they are in. Fairly or not, it would be wise for a batter to wait on the call if they know prematurely running to first could net them a strike, albeit for the wrong reasons. Not a big pet peeve of mine, but it just makes sense to me.

Hitting is hard enough and a player needs to focus on enough already. Obviously a hitter has to know what the arbitrary strike zone looks like on a given day, but why should a batter have to worry about the umpire too?

Frankly if a borderline pitch has been called a ball several times then suddenly it's a strike regardless of the reason, the ump has failed.

But this notion that an ump has the latitude to arbitrarily make an incorrect call just doesn't jive and it is certainly incompatible with the parallels some have made between umps, judges, and police officers.

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

Agreed.

But...batters should be aware of the environment they are in. Fairly or not, it would be wise for a batter to wait on the call if they know prematurely running to first could net them a strike, albeit for the wrong reasons. Not a big pet peeve of mine, but it just makes sense to me.

Good point!!

Just like don't have the people upstairs play songs or put things on the scoreboard insulting towards the umpire.

It is alot to ask I know but life would be so much easier if it just happened.

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by jojo

Hitting is hard enough and a player needs to focus on enough already. Obviously a hitter has to know what the arbitrary strike zone looks like on a given day, but why should a batter have to worry about the umpire too?

Frankly if a borderline pitch has been called a ball several times then suddenly it's a strike regardless of the reason, the ump has failed.

But this notion that an ump has the latitude to arbitrarily make an incorrect call just doesn't jive and it is certainly incompatible with the parallels some have made between umps, judges, and police officers.

And that is all fine and I agree.

But as of the present day, nothing is changing. So it would be wise if batters waited for the call. If they don't , that's their prerogative, but it might cost them a strike.