I posted the other day about a game I worked that was one of those games that we wished we could clone. A bit of backdrop about that game I left out, but had a big reason why this game went so well. I was in my comfort zone.
Why was I in my comfort zone? For starters, I’ve personally known both coaches for decades. One of the coaches, I umpired a high school game while he was an excellent pitcher some twenty-five years earlier. He went on to play college ball and graduate from University of Reno.The other coach was a few years behind me in school. We played recreation league fast pitch softball with and against each other. I’ve umpired dozens of games he has coached, and games his kids played in. His parents knew my parents, a lifelong friendship. So needless to say, I was in my comfort zone.
But yesterday, two days later not so much. I find myself two hours from my home walking on the Solano College baseball field to work three-man rotation, for a game with the Solano Mudcats versus West Coast Kings in the Pacific Empire League. Definitely not in my comfort zone.
And the main reasons this was not my comfort zone, my time away from this level of play, three-man rotation with umpires (who work this level frequently), and the dozens of new faces on the benches and in the crowd. So, what’s the problem? Right?
I’m in the A, for the first time in years. But with what I had retained, and excellent assistance from my partners I felt relatively confident. Game starts, and sure enough in the first inning F5 fields a grounder deep in the hole comes up throwing. F3 had a long stretch for the short throw, I was focusing on the touch as the ball hit the glove, then signaled and called out the runner. One minor detail, what about the catch. Or should I say what about the drop? The good news F3 quickly gloved the ball when it bounced straight back up.
I was so fixed on the touch I only saw the drop out of the corner of my eye. This was not the case for the first base coach. He looked like he swallowed his chewing tobacco, as he yelled “he dropped the ball”. I asked him if he wanted time, he said yes. I called time, and asked if he had a question. After he asked the obvious question, I said I will be right back and my partners and I came together to discuss the play. I came back to the coach and informed him F3 recovered the ball before the runner touched the bag.
Now I know there’s a hundred different things I could or should have done to one prevent this situation, and two to resolve it. None of that really matters as it has already happened, and as it worked out nothing negative came from it. But one thing I can tell you is, I sure saw the catches the rest of the game.
The rest of the game went problem free, but for me not so much. I’m in A 3-man rotation 101 hell class for the first six innings. Trying to digest experienced umpire dozens of directions and suggestions and apply them. The best thing to happen middle innings we had lots of runners on base. I could then see the situation, and understand why I need to be in the B, go home or stay in the A. By the end of the game, it felt like I had a 3-day umpire camp on rotation in one game.
The reality, first six innings I was working so hard to process the rotation component, it made normally what would be routine functions as an umpire, less routine. But by the sixth inning that was no longer the case.
Take aways. At 69 years old, was I out of my comfort zone? Hell yes, I was. Was it a great learning experience? The best. Staying in your comfort zone as an umpire often feels safe, and secure. But it can also prevent us from becoming a better umpire. Never be afraid to try new things. You never know what it will teach you,or where it will take you.
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