For you guys that yell at umpires...

[Brueggs]

After umpiring our fundraiser tourney I vowed to never argue a strikezone again. lol. I think everyone should have to ump a tourney before they play the game, give a better perspective.

 

[doubles]

After umpiring our fundraiser tourney I vowed to never argue a strikezone again. lol. I think everyone should have to ump a tourney before they play the game, give a better perspective.

It always changes your perspective. Mine and all other player/umps that I've talked to.

 

[Hambo]

I've only ever "lost it" at an ump once. The ump and my team have a history though. He's actually known in our league as the ump to avoid. I actually saw a player refuse to play in a game that this particular ump was working. He's drawn a lot of criticism for staying behind the plate but making awful calls out at second/third base.

For those who talk about the local umps being "professional"... our umps take a time out between games to quickly drink a couple of beers. We actually have one guy who we hope we get early in the night because by his third or fourth game he's so drunk he can barely call a game.

However, I have found that most of them are pretty reasonable if you appeal to them in a respectful manner. I actually had an ump change a called strike last week because our team called time and our manager walked out and explained that the batter is only 5'10" and the pitch was at no point over his head (it's a 6-12' arc league). He stopped, laughed, and said... "you know what, you're totally right." and then changed the call to a ball.

 

[Eyecandy]

thaynes, no I am not kidding. I absolutely think they should be tossed for an entire season.
I am VERY serious about softball. And yep, we pay a lot of money to play. I don't like it when there are bad calls, but there is no reason for yelling and cussing. The more severe the penalty, the less of that crap you will see happening.

 

[marshall]

Our league is short on umps this season. In the coaches meeting the the LD said we may have different umps every game and may only have one ump (we've usually had two umps per game and the same two umps all season). He said umps were quitting because of all the arguing and complaining by the teams and that it wasn't worth it anymore to them.

 

[doG]

I play in a fairly small league and we are all friendly with the umps. They let us drink beer(outside the dugout)which is still against league rules and for that we keep the bitching to a minimum.

 

[deKilla]

In the coed league I play in we have ump evaluation cards and they have the below statement listed on their website. This a 80 plus team league with 5 divisions.

UMPIRE EVALUATION CARDS: are in the bags to be used. It’s the only way our umpires will get better and the only way we know how their doing. Everyone is welcome to fill one out & put the evaluation cards in the Presidents mailbox at 93 College Cres. (1st Street from the Georgian fields) - should be convenient since everybody plays at Georgian approx every second week.

 

[BigWhiffa]

before my games one day last year, an ump hadn't shown up so both teams were like what should we do....i was standing there and the guys knew me and asked me if i wanted to ump. i was like, yeah i guess i can take a crack at it.

2 innings in i call a strike on a guy and he starts giving me guff....i'm like are you kidding me? i've got nothing invested in this, i'll just walk off this field idiot. i made another CORRECT call on a close play to 3rd, and the same guy was like "OPEN YOUR EYES" he was on 2nd. i just turn and kind a glare at the rest of the team in the dugout and they start going "DUDE SHT THE F UP"..... on close plays i was always like oh crap here we go and was never so relieved to see dropped balls and what not. called the parkboard the next day and got my 50 smackers. per both coaches, it was a good called game.

i don't yell at anyone anymore.

 

[deKilla]

I have umped in the past and it showed me how easy it really is if you know the rules and take the umping seriously! This is why I get angered sometimes with certain umps.

 

[vipvanilla]

For those who talk about the local umps being "professional"... our umps take a time out between games to quickly drink a couple of beers. We actually have one guy who we hope we get early in the night because by his third or fourth game he's so drunk he can barely call a game.

There is no excuse for this. If our ump(s) showed up drunk to the game, I wouldn't allow a single pitch to be thrown until the Director and UIC were contacted and brought to the fields. The ump is paid staff, whether the team is bringing money to each game or the city/organization is paying the ump. Try showing up to your 9 to 5 everyday, drinking on your breaks and lunch until you're so drunk you can barely work in the afternoon. Let's see how long you last in the position.

 

[MP33]

Had an ump this weekend that was horrible. Little punk kid, that was texting while the game was going on, wasn't even watching the plays. Made some horrible calls, both teams were like those were awful calls. I finally said something to him, he gave me a typical smartass punk kid answer, I responded by telling him if he wanted to get his ass beat he can give me another smartass answer. He never said another word. Bottom of that inning, he wasn't paying attention on another play, and since it was coed tourney we switch balls. I threw the women's ball in for him to swap out to a men's ball, he looked up as the ball was about to hit him. I did inform the tourney director of everything that happened, even what I did, he watched the kid for a half an inning, saw how bad it was, then sent the kid home and umped himself.

Before anyone goes all ballistic on me, yes, I do ump, in fact, I am the senior ump here. Were my actions uncalled for, probably. All I wanted the kid to do was pay attention, show some effort/hustle, and clearly make calls. We are trying to build this into a big coed tourney around here, and part of that is you have to have competent umps to build it. A combo of crappy/lazy umps reflects a poorly run tourney, and those kinds of tourneys won't last.

 

[Chimpy]

Before anyone goes all ballistic on me, yes, I do ump, in fact, I am the senior ump here. Were my actions uncalled for, probably. All I wanted the kid to do was pay attention, show some effort/hustle, and clearly make calls. We are trying to build this into a big coed tourney around here, and part of that is you have to have competent umps to build it. A combo of crappy/lazy umps reflects a poorly run tourney, and those kinds of tourneys won't last.

Uncalled for? Not at all. Your actions were apt in every sense. An ump is texting during the game? I would raise holy hell over that. That's incredible.

 

[Superstar555]

True dat!
I know of an umpire locally that actually
Got stomped by a whole team.

We had to walk an ump to his car after winning a LEAGUE championship.

Softball is super serious.

 

[EdFred]

I had this ump in my summer coed team who was clueless. I mean he just completely forgot common rules. Guy on first, guy batting hits a liner right to my short, who fires to first and gets the runner leading off so it should have been an easy double play, we're all coming off the field, the ump calls the runner at first safe beause "he has to tag him." Um, no he doesn't, it's a force. Everyone on my taem is making a commotion and waiting for me to flip out and argue with the ump while the other team is amazingly quiet knowing they just got a massive break. I've already had arguments with this guy a couple times and know it's going no where. I just shake my head and let the game continue. Nothing I could say was going to change his mind and I think at that moment we could see he realized he goofed but wasn't gonig to admit it.

We have the 2 strikes and you get one foul, the next foul you'r out rule in this league. I just could not get this ump to grasp this concept. He thinks 2 foul strikes and the next on'es "gotta be" and I kept trying to teach him "no, it doesn't matter how you get your first two strikes, it's two strikes, then one free foul." I finally had to complain to the commissioner on this one and he comes up to me and says "gee, you were right about that rule." Then the first batter of the game, he does it again incorrectly. Mind boggling.

You're both clueless.

 

[sjury]

I've yelled at an umpire twice, in my life. First time we were playing and the 2nd baseman would make fake tags and "Slap" the ball against you, or push you when you were on the base. I addressed it, as the manager, twice with the umpire and he kept telling me, "Just play the game coach." To end the game, the second baseman pushed a guy from behind off second base, the guy landed hard and the umpire called him out for coming off the base. Our team was winning, the guy separated his shoulder, we walked off the field in protest. He said he'd file the forfeit, I said that would be fine I'll be calling Rodger (the LD) on the way to the hospital, The umpire turned and said, "What a f'ing *****." That's when the fireworks started. Second time, was when we were sitting down after a game we lost by 1 run to our rivals and there were so many bad calls, some of our tournament buddies on the other team came over and said they would have felt better with better calls but we all agreed sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't, and the umpire over heard us talking, and came over to our picnic table and said, "I don't give a damn what you guys think, I make the calls as I see them, and if you don't like it then too bad." My pitcher said, "Just because you see a call one way doesn't make it the right call." To which he replied, "Well, don't think you guys will ever get a close call when I'm out there." Then the fireworks started.

That's two times in 20+ years that I've ever blown up at an umpire. I feel they both deserved it. On the field, you can make comments that are not insulting, like "Blue, didn't you see he was under the tag?" Or "Wasn't that a bit high for 12 feet?" They are not changing the call, but maybe next time they'll look closer.

I've umpired my fair share of games, and I've got yelled at, but I just tell them, From my point of view, I saw _____. This way I'm not telling them I'm right and they're wrong, but I called what I could see.

 

[Chimpy]

You're both clueless.

You're a doucehbag.

Your turn.

 

[Hambo]

There is no excuse for this. If our ump(s) showed up drunk to the game, I wouldn't allow a single pitch to be thrown until the Director and UIC were contacted and brought to the fields. The ump is paid staff, whether the team is bringing money to each game or the city/organization is paying the ump. Try showing up to your 9 to 5 everyday, drinking on your breaks and lunch until you're so drunk you can barely work in the afternoon. Let's see how long you last in the position.

Fortunately, he "retired."

I do have a question for the forum though... have any of you ever had luck going to the League Director requesting changes or rule enforcement? How did you go about it?

I play in a really loosely enforced league. It's supposed to be per USSSA rules but I've never seen a bat get checked and it often seems like the players in the league are more knowledgable regarding the rules than the umps. My biggest complaint has to do with rosters. Now, I know everyone has grabbed someone from another team in the league at the last minute in order to field a 10-man team. My team has done it and I've filled in for other teams... However, we have some teams that field almost an entirely different team come playoffs. I feel like that is just ridiculous.

Also, my local league has C, D, and E leagues. It's a joke though because a couple of really talented teams sign up for all three leagues. There are zero checks and no way to enforce roster rules.

 

[EdFred]

You're a doucehbag.

Your turn.

I at least know the difference between a force play and an appeal play, before calling an umpire clueless. A force play is only when you are forced to go to the next base, because there are no open bases between you and the batter-runner. A force play is not because you have to go back on a missed base, or you left early on a line out or fly out. This is a live ball appeal. (Or a dead ball appeal - of course during a dead ball, runners aren't allowed to "correct" any baserunning mistakes - well sort of, there are exceptions.)

 

[Chimpy]

I at least know the difference between a force play and an appeal play, before calling an umpire clueless. A force play is only when you are forced to go to the next base, because there are no open bases between you and the batter-runner. A force play is not because you have to go back on a missed base, or you left early on a line out or fly out. This is a live ball appeal. (Or a dead ball appeal - of course during a dead ball, runners aren't allowed to "correct" any baserunning mistakes - well sort of, there are exceptions.)

You don't know diddly squat. You're a douche.

It's scum like you that have ruined these forums. Literally. Can't simply respond to a post. You have to fling insults for no reason becuase it makes your pathetic lonely life feel better for a second.

Again, you're a douche.

Hope this helps, buddy.

 

[EdFred]

You don't know diddly squat. You're a douche.

It's scum like you that have ruined these forums. Literally. Can't simply respond to a post. You have to fling insults for no reason becuase it makes your pathetic lonely life feel better for a second.

Again, you're a douche.

Hope this helps, buddy.

Awwww, what's the matter, grubd won't text you back?

 

[Jammer]

I like when blue will explain a call. Something like "had to call him safe from this angle" or something like that. Couldn't pay me enough to ump.

 

[Rosetothehall]

i had an umpire say to me once...."I know its not a rule"..."Its my rule"
Tell me he didnt deserve to get lambased. I didnt do anything. Umpires on a power trip drive me nuts.
What I do...I let the umpire know he made a bad call, then end it. He isnt going to yell "DO OVER"

 

[EdFred]

i had an umpire say to me once...."I know its not a rule"..."Its my rule"
Tell me he didnt deserve to get lambased. I didnt do anything. Umpires on a power trip drive me nuts.
What I do...I let the umpire know he made a bad call, then end it. He isnt going to yell "DO OVER"

Depends what his rule is.

 

[scrub]

I hold umpires to the same standard that I hold all my fellow softballers. Tons upon tons of errors and outs from all teams at all levels. Yet the umpires are supposed to bat 1.000, that is just strange. Imagine if we held our teammates to the same standards, there would be fistfights every inning of every game. Like the fact that they are paid a piddling sum makes any difference, all of the sudden it's srs bznz up in your backwoods rec league or get this, super serious saturday tournament! aint that just the big time when theres a plastic trophy and made up "points" on the line!!

Bad umps are a different story than bad calls. The former should be pulled by the organization if they don't improve. The latter, it happens, not even a big a deal, gtf over it. Man half these teams dressed like they got their uni's customed at baby gap screaming at grown men over foul balls and "where'd that miss??" It missed right where you saw it miss jackass, we're all here to play softball not listen to you flap your gums. heyoooo!

 

[bigsmooth13]

I used to have a horrible attitude towards umpires. That all changed when I started umpiring. Lets just say now I am the guy trying to calm my teammates down.

 

[EdFred]

I hold umpires to the same standard that I hold all my fellow softballers. Tons upon tons of errors and outs from all teams at all levels. Yet the umpires are supposed to bat 1.000, that is just strange. Imagine if we held our teammates to the same standards, there would be fistfights every inning of every game. Like the fact that they are paid a piddling sum makes any difference, all of the sudden it's srs bznz up in your backwoods rec league or get this, super serious saturday tournament! aint that just the big time when theres a plastic trophy and made up "points" on the line!!

Bad umps are a different story than bad calls. The former should be pulled by the organization if they don't improve. The latter, it happens, not even a big a deal, gtf over it. Man half these teams dressed like they got their uni's customed at baby gap screaming at grown men over foul balls and "where'd that miss??" It missed right where you saw it miss jackass, we're all here to play softball not listen to you flap your gums. heyoooo!

If I could agree more than 100% with this, I would. I don't have a problem with players that make errors. That's going to happen. I don't have a problem with umpires that make the "wrong" call on a close play.

What I do have a problem with is players that don't know the "rules" of the game - like always hit your cutoff man unless someone says otherwise, just like I have a problem with umpires that don't know the rules of the game.

But in either case I am not going to chew the umpire out. That's what protests are for.

 

[Softball101tc]

I've yelled at an umpire twice, in my life. First time we were playing and the 2nd baseman would make fake tags and "Slap" the ball against you, or push you when you were on the base. I addressed it, as the manager, twice with the umpire and he kept telling me, "Just play the game coach." To end the game, the second baseman pushed a guy from behind off second base, the guy landed hard and the umpire called him out for coming off the base. Our team was winning, the guy separated his shoulder, we walked off the field in protest. He said he'd file the forfeit, I said that would be fine I'll be calling Rodger (the LD) on the way to the hospital, The umpire turned and said, "What a f'ing *****." That's when the fireworks started. Second time, was when we were sitting down after a game we lost by 1 run to our rivals and there were so many bad calls, some of our tournament buddies on the other team came over and said they would have felt better with better calls but we all agreed sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't, and the umpire over heard us talking, and came over to our picnic table and said, "I don't give a damn what you guys think, I make the calls as I see them, and if you don't like it then too bad." My pitcher said, "Just because you see a call one way doesn't make it the right call." To which he replied, "Well, don't think you guys will ever get a close call when I'm out there." Then the fireworks started.

That's two times in 20+ years that I've ever blown up at an umpire. I feel they both deserved it. On the field, you can make comments that are not insulting, like "Blue, didn't you see he was under the tag?" Or "Wasn't that a bit high for 12 feet?" They are not changing the call, but maybe next time they'll look closer.

I've umpired my fair share of games, and I've got yelled at, but I just tell them, From my point of view, I saw _____. This way I'm not telling them I'm right and they're wrong, but I called what I could see.

Your justifications aren't really justifications. You're still a whiny vagina of a man who's yelling at another man.

 

[Resin Glazed]

Have this one guy on my team, of course he likes to let the ump know that hes making ****ty calls. I'm constantly telling him to shut the **** up because its not going to help us win a close game.

Some guys like to play softball just so they can argue with blue.

 

[thaynes]

technically they are paid and trained as umpires, so they are professionals.
Had an ump at a tournament this weekend who was so proud and stubborn he got into an argument with the TD over the rules. Overall did a nice job, but at least know the rules when you step on the field, and if you don't, don't argue with your boss who made the rules about it.

This guy can atest to everything ive said about the umpires around here. Howd you guys do artie?

 

[Artie]

This guy can atest to everything ive said about the umpires around here. Howd you guys do artie?

We ended up winning it, beat FSA 29-19 in the finals.