Teaching the GAME or NOT? or "UMPIRES R NOT US"

This guy graduated from the "UMPIRES R NOT US" school of umpiring. Seven year old called out on strikes in "kid pitch" by an umpire uninformed of the actual strike zone. I've been an umpire and it's a job at times dealing with unruly parents and coaches and even though they're going to make mistakes this guy DOES NEED to learn the strike zone. Quite a few of his partners need to learn the basic rules of baseball as well.

McDonough, Ga.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Little
• League
• baseball
• sports
• littleleaguebaseball
• littlelegaue
• leaguebaseball
• entertainment
• news
• Georgia
• McDonough
• Umpires
• Umpiring

[buckinkc]

i understand the zone needs to be bigger for little guys who dont have command yet and the ball does travel on an arc. but you also cannot teach kids proper batting if they have to swing at that crap. you are getting paid to ump so do it right or dont do it at all And to thebigapple3 have you ever swung a bat in your life?

[randobo60]

Thanks for the post. LOL, I'm not picking on umps everywhere. It was posted in fun. The kids that are taught the zone early learn it early. The ones that are taught to keep the ball down in the zone and work at it can also do that.

If the ump calls the game right both the pitcher and batter will benefit as long as the coach takes the proper action and teaches his kids correctly.

These kids today are well ahead of us old guys at the same age or at least the ones that are coached are.

[BgGav2020]

Thats me in that video. The ball was pitched over my head and no I wasn't going to swing at it then or now. Our team and a lot of others in our area already knew how to make contact with the baseball. Inside or outside a few inches I would have swung but over my head no way.

[kalelane]

happens all the time, hard to watch, depends on who is on and how many outs, sometimes you call for agressive hitting

[nikesharper]

im 15 and umpire these games and the pitching is not the greatest i am forced to enlarge the strike zone a little bit. For instance if it is hitable then you its a strike. but this umpire realy sucked. if they come in over his head then its a ball. some one like this should not be aloud to ump

[Bagel601]

A retort on my post a bit. Randob you have a valid point about "hurting" the kids in the long run. Baseball is a "finese" sports that can be dumbed down for the sake of action (or impatient parents who have to move day to day at light speed). This youngster looks to be very sure of what he is and\or is not looking for in a pitch. I will stand behind this however,game to game is different. Along with teaching the "zone" the coach needs to teach adjustment, every ump is different as is every game.

[critter2]

@randobo60 go find him and tell him to stop watching the catchers glove. lol don't worry you run into another like him.

[critter2]

@randobo60 i know some local leauges here have 2 hr and 15 minute limit or till it gets to dark.

i can understand why but also what about there ages? and do you guys got to get to a certain innings?

[randobo60]

We don't play 2 hour games unless it's a tie after the time limit runs out.

[randobo60]

thebigapple3 posted this a year ago and I replied but I have to reply again.

It's not teaching a kid the game if it's called nose to toes and you as a coach or umpire expect the kids to swing over their heads.

I have no problem with swinging at lower strikes or making contact with 2 strikes on inside, outside or low a few inches but over the head! I'd never teach it.

Finally! THE COACH WASN'T ARGUING THE CALL. HE WAS TALKING TO THE BATTER.

[randobo60]

Thanks critter2.

I honestly am not trying to offend anyone with the video clip or the caption. I posted it in fun. The balls were not close to being strikes and the kid at the plate knew it.

It all goes back to being competitive or just playing the game to be playing it. You can be very competitive, excel at a very young age and still have a great deal of fun doing it.

btw, the ump isn't at that park any longer. It wasn't his "cup of tea" so to speak.