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UMPIRE BLUES

UMPIRE BLUES
Posted by: Just1 Mom

Hello! Welcome to your interview! Please come in and take a seat so we can get started. Why don’t you tell me how long have you been an umpire? Wh....uh…um…eh…eh…hmm…so you’ve never been an umpire? But you’ve been to all of your kid’s games and you have watched a LOT of baseball on TV? Your son is 9 you say? Well, that’s good to know! So you think that means you have what it takes to be an umpire? Thanks for coming in, we’ll be in touch.

 
In all sincerity, who would want to become an umpire in today’s world? Picture yourself at your place of business. Think about it! You would have to be fine with showing up to work and having co-workers or customers who think they can do your job better than you - screaming out your shortcomings for all to hear. Sounds great, right? “Really Boss? Get your eyes checked you hack!” You would surely fire that disrespectful punk or turn him/her into your Human Resources Department for bullying. When did it become socially acceptable to bully umpires? These are the daily examples we are showing our players/children. I’m not ok with that. Are you?
 
I’ve been around baseball coming on 10 years now. I have seen some of the worst behavior from parents and coaches towards the umpires. “Just call it the same for both sides Blue!” Basically you are accusing the ump of cheating or favoring a side. Let’s be straight. There are some umpires that may decide to blatantly favor a side or may make terrible calls. But those are far and few between. Does that warrant us turning into a bunch of savages who will attempt to humiliate or pressure our boys in blue to do a better job? Would you do a better job if you had people yelling out their dissatisfaction at your workplace for the entire world to hear? What I find unacceptable is the fact that any given fan yells a disagreement of a ball or strike call when they aren’t anywhere in the direct line of vision the ball takes from the mound to home plate. I don’t care what kind of expert you “think” you are, you cannot tell if a ball was over the plate when you are watching from the side. Just stop!
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In speaking with 30 year veteran Umpire James Nealon, he pointed out there is a nationwide shortage in umpires because there are few younger people wanting to do the job. As a baseball mom, I have personally seen fans and coaches treat the younger umpires worse than they would ever treat a veteran umpire like Mr. Nealon. I’ve seen umpires in their upper teens and twenties reduced to tears because of how coaches and fans treat them. Would you want your son or daughter to be treated like that? My husband, who is also a travel ball assistant coach, has stayed after games just to console these young umpires because he doesn’t want them to hate their job before they have barely started. And he doesn’t want them to think all coaches are heartless knuckleheads.
 
Umpire Nealon is a varsity high school and lower-level college official. I asked if umpires get any kind of training. The answer is yes and no. The higher the level, the more training is required. Most organizations, whether youth league or NCAA baseball, use an officials association which is supposed to recruit, train, and assign officials. They typically pay a membership fee, which Umpire Nealon being a more experienced official belongs to 5-6 different associations for different levels and locations. The higher the level, there are requirements of attending yearly rule meetings and clinics. Umpires can also pay to attend special camps where they can work games and get immediate feedback from professional and college umpires.
 
The problem Umpire Nealon has seen with lower levels is the lack of fundamentals with mechanics, professionalism, and conflict resolution due to poor or no training and little experience. His example is that many newer umpires have not called pitches in a cage during preseason or seek out ways to learn on their own. With that being said, there is never an excuse to abuse any umpire.
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Younger umpires need to have a moment to find their way to hone their craft – just like a player – the more you do something, the better you get. As kids get older and get into the school level of baseball, there is an expectation of how the umpire is treated that schools really emphasize. I asked him what he thinks is the breakdown in the lower age groups and any tips on how they can be improved. One simple rule – respect the game. The umpires are not there to win or lose a game for someone. What would they have to gain in that? The fans and parents should leave it up to their coaching staff to handle any concern they have during a game. He said he is completely fine with coaches questioning calls with respect, having a chat during a timeout or in-between innings. Mr. Nealon said he can handle a coach saying they disagree with a call, as long as they leave it at that. He acknowledges that sometimes umpires make a bad call. Keep in mind things do happen fast and they aren’t dealing with instant replay. In my opinion, that’s part of the game of baseball and life. They are human. If a team feels the umpire is being truly unfair, then they need to report that to their league or tournament supervisors.
 
My 2 cents...I agree with the thought to let the coaches communicate with the umpires in a private way. Why make a spectacle of the whole thing or beat up on a young umpire? It does not make the umpires, fans, or players improve their love of the game. We NEED umpires! So instead of being abusive towards them for a poor call, learn to have a respectful conversation. Maybe a young umpire will learn from it, instead of learning to hate the job. When my kids feel that calls aren’t being made fairly or consistently, we have just one response for them and only one response. Take it out of their hands. Hit the ball. Run fast. Make the plays. Otherwise, be quiet and play the game. Don’t make the best game in the world a hot mess of negativity! Let’s play ball and show mercy to your umpires!
 
By: Just1Mom


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