Umpires Perspective

Many umpires have heard phrases such as “Don’t have rabbit ears” or “Don’t go picking boogers.” While the intended meanings of these terms may be to help an umpire’s game, they can also help lead to bigger concerns. By overlooking beginning signs of problems, you may also be ignoring bad behavior, harassment and fanning the flames for later innings.

Chirping about your strike zone, sitting on buckets out of the dugout, multiple players out of dugout during live ball play, are all warning signs indicating you are allowing things to degrade unchecked.

These infractions are against the rules, the rules we umpires get paid to enforce. If you do choose to ignore the chirping and infractions, you are telling everyone it is allowed, that you are easy and will take it. You are giving the keys to the zoo to the monkeys, and you are no longer managing the game. They are.

As an umpire it’s easy to get lulled into an everything is wonderful feeling as nothing of alarm has shown itself that day or ten games into the season. Then comes game 15 in the season, and then suddenly, it’s on. Two closely competitive Division I teams, one high octane coaching staff whose attitudes are driving their players and loud, over the top fans.

Then to add to your incoming storm we have the blaring sound system between innings. This is when you since that the game is becoming out of control and the game has all the elements needed to test your metal and sanity as an umpire.

As the game quickly continues going south, you should set boundaries, but this is now easier said than done.  The, fans, coaches and players at this point neither know or respect your boundaries, because you have failed to set them. This takes me back to my original point, it is much easier to prevent and control a problem when small and manageable before it gets out of control.

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Baseball Umpires and Bad Behavior!

High school baseball games usually start out being all smiles and handshakes, by the fifth inning it easily can be nauseating loud, moans, groans, bitching and sniping from the stands or dugout . Unfortunately, games can and do end up here.

The good news is the majority of all games do not go this way. The majority of games for even mediocre umpires are relatively problem free, but at any game in a matter of seconds things can go south quickly. So where does the buck stop?

One option is straight out of the NFHS 2018 Baseball Rules Book, “Coaches Code of Ethics” page 76. The “Code of Ethics” says the buck stops with the coach. Whether it’s fans or his team the coach is ultimately responsible for resolving poor sportsmanship and bad behavior.

Umpires have all heard, do not have rabbit ears. Agreed! On the other hand, when subtle comments end and you are horrible begin, this is when umpires should act. This is where the coach should be made aware of the problem and asked to resolve it. It is the coaches job as stated in the rule book, not the umpires!

The umpires job is to make sure the coach resolves poor sportsmanship and bad behavior, but if the coach fails to do so the umpire must then make him accountable.

Poor sportsmanship and bad behavior has no place at a high school baseball game. None! If you think that letting it slide will help, it does not. Allowing bad behavior is a perfect recipe that will quickly grow an annoyance into a full-blown circus and congratulations, you’re the ring master.

Good coaches know better, but bad coaches allow and promote bad behavior when umpires permit it. Don’t be the umpire that rewards bad behavior and poor sportsmanship, make coaches accountable. The buck stops with the coach, it’s his job!

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Baseball's Misunderstood Forty-Five-Foot Run Lane

The forty-five-foot running lane, the most misunderstood one-hundred-thirty-five square feet in the game of baseball. It begins half way from home plate and ends at first base and is in foul ground the whole way. Even the description of the forty-five-foot running lane is confusing. I consider the official rulings regarding the forty-five-foot running lane as some of the most arbitrary and vaguely  defined rules in baseball.

I witnessed a MLB batter-runner hit a soft bouncer to the first baseman then as the batter-runner close to first base with both of his feet in fair ground, completely out of the forty-five-foot running lane explode full speed into a defensive player who tagged the batter-runner and held the ball, the batter-runner was then awarded first base. Umpires ruled obstruction, the defensive team protested the game.

Referee Magazine - NFHS article Nine Rules You Thought You Knew proclaims the forty-five-foot running lane violation is to protect the defense from being screened while making a play and goes on to state if the ball is not fielded in the plate area and is thrown down the line to first base the forty-five-foot running lane doesn’t matter. Mind you, none of this language is in the official NFHS rule book pertaining to a forty-five-foot running lane violation.

I could be way off base (no pun intended), I always thought the forty-five-foot running

lane was there both as a safety and interference protection. Intended to protect defensive players from interference, but everyone from serious injury as well. You would think that NFHS, safety would be especially important at the high school level.

The one sure thing I can take away from the forty-five-foot running lane violation is that it is the most misunderstood rule in the game of baseball. When the powers to be fail to give a clear and definitive rule language (not just talking umpires) it is beyond problematic, it creates inconsistency. Spell out the purpose and the rules for the forty-five-foot running lane, but don’t keep everyone giving their opinion or no ruling at all!

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