Umpires Learning and Improving

For nearly two decades I have umpired.  I have sat in classrooms and stood on fields at camps with hundreds of umpires. I have conversed on social media and discussed baseball rules with countless umpires. I have published books about baseball rules for umpires. You could say that I know a few things about umpires and officiating, but I am always continuing to learn.

                                                     

Most umpires working upper level ball got there by hard work but more importantly by being open minded to listening and learning. Umpires willing to consider a perspective that may be different from their own become better umpires and move up. Being closed minded and limiting your resources stops the ability to learn and improve.

On the field an umpire's judgement and opinion are final. Umpires are not this way to be pious or hardheaded, but rather because it is the only way to correctly manage a game of baseball. While this is the best way to manage a game, it can be a barrier when it comes to umpires learning and improving.

For the majority of all other umpires with an open mind and a desire to consider other perspectives, your best days of umpiring are ahead of you. The rest of you might consider giving your final judgments and opinions a day off. Who knows you might just learn to manage better without them.

Types of Infield Fly Plays

1. Routine play: An infielder camped directly under an infield fly (a.k.a. ordinary effort) waiting to make a catch.

Called infield flies that are Routine catches are seldom questioned.

2. Not so Routine or Difficult: Infield player(s) under an infield fly that is being affected by the wind or the defense is having to move back onto the outfield grass. 

                             

Called infield flies that are Not so Routine or Difficult plays will be frequently questioned. If the ball is dropped and an (infield fly has not been called) a double or triple play can follow and you will hear great displeasure from someone.

                        Baseball Rules in Black and White 

3. Train Wreck plays: Infielder(s) or outfielder(s) converging in the infield or in the outfield fringe.

If the ball is dropped and an (infield fly has not been called) when there are Train Wrecks double and triple plays can follow and you will hear great displeasure from someone.

Great Website and a Better Resource

In preparation for the release of the second in our series of Baseball Rules in Black and White the “2018 College Edition”, we have given our web site a makeover. We are quite proud of the new look of our Baseball Rules in Black and White web site and believe the site is easier to navigate while being more informative and enjoyable to view.

Our goal is to provide the optimum in learning resources pertaining to the rules of baseball for each specific level of play while focusing on the most frequently called rules in the game. Many would agree that the world of dated baseball rule book formats hinders the ability of the reader to hold and apply accurate and reliable rule information.

Baseball Rules in Black and White’s enhanced format strengthens the reader’s ability to not only retain accurate and reliable rule knowledge, but it also builds confidence to apply those rules when needed. We hope everyone not only enjoys the new look of our Black and White web site, but also gets a chance to preview our soon to  be released “2018 College Edition”. 

One other note our Black and White 2017 High School Edition is now on a limited time hot summer sale for only $9.74 a copy and purchasing is easy from our web site.

When Profiling Goes Bad!

Just read an interesting article from a national official’s magazine. The article begins by defining in detail how these three types of officials apply the rules. 1. The Rulebook Attorney official. 2. The Freelance official. 3. The Combination of Both. Who knew? Article

The remainder of the article (which is very good) discusses how being balanced is actually the key to good game management and how to best apply the rules of the game.   

What is not good is when a national official’s magazine begins an article by lumping all officials into three types, very similar to a Goldie Locks and the Three Bears story line. Too hard, too soft and just right!

Stating that officials fit into three types is not only an oversimplification of who we are as sports officials, but it also demeans who we are as professionals.

My personal opinion is that there are many more than three types of sports officials. To name a few: rookies, experienced, veterans, young, old, healthy, unhealthy, slow, fast, conscientious, and not so conscientious. What we sports officials do have in common, but is under recognized is our desire to get better and a commitment to always do the best job possible.

Therefore, the article would have been better served by placing the oversimplified projections somewhere else blended (lower) into the story or even better, not at all.

Let's Play by the Rules?

For the record there is no one set of rules for baseball. A rule at every level of play is either the same, similar, different or non-existent. There are some very good reasons for this, safety being one and some not so good reasons. 

The primary not so good reason is an obvious one, confusion.  It creates hysteria as fans, coaches, players and even umpires merge MLB with Little League or NFHS with NCAA rulings and this issue hurts the game. 

In an effort to address this problematic issue Baseball Rules in Black in White is developing a series of books that only address one specific level of play in baseball. We released our High School Edition in the fall of 2016 and will be releasing our College Edition in the fall of 2017, with more soon to follow.

Our books collect frequently called related rulings and organizes them under a principal chapter. We convert rule book language into basic language along with many other beneficial features, but the most beneficial feature is Baseball Rules in Black in White books target only one specific level of play.

The specific level of play should be established before discussing a baseball rule, otherwise you can have multiple answers and only one can be correct. Define the level of play first!

New Look, New Book

2018 College Edition

Coming Soon: Baseball Rules in Black and White 2018 College Edition

Coming Soon

Baseball Rules in Black and White

2018 College Edition

Welcome to the 2018 College Edition of Baseball Rules in Black and White.  This College Edition has been created through a collaboration of dedicated, knowledgeable and highly skilled umpires. 

Our College Edition is the second in our series of  rule books with enhanced rulings for frequently called confusing baseball rules, for each specific level of play. By enhancing official baseball rules we are improving the value (knowledge) to the reader, while complementing the actual source of those rulings.  NCAA, Division I, and College World Series umpire Mr. Billy Haze has defined Baseball Rules in Black and White as the “Cliffs Notes for the official rule book”.

Baseball Rules in Black and White accomplishes this in several ways. First by collecting and organizing related rulings then placing them under individual chapters. Black and White also converts official rule book grammar into an easy to read and understandable format. Baseball Rules in Black and White College Edition complements the NCAA baseball rule book by providing official rule and page numbers with every converted ruling. This allows the reader to quickly find and reference (via official rule book or internet) the official ruling.

An enhanced baseball rules resource should take you directly to a rule, use straightforward language to convey a clear and decisive interpretation, all while retaining accuracy. We are positive you will find Baseball Rules in Black and White’s College Edition to be that resource!

This book is dedicated to thousands of the incredibly committed and hard working men and women umpires who are always striving to improve their craft in order to make the game of baseball even better.