This is a lot of rationalization in this narrative which cannot overcome the fact that arguing with an umpire at the youth level is a bad idea and sets a terrible example. That type of "trying to get in his/her head" gamesmanship is MAYBE justified at college or pro level. At this level, coaches should be teaching kids "don't count on the ump to win the game for you" and "don't look for excuses." In this case, accept the conservative strike zone, which is stated was the same for both teams, and work towards victory within those parameters. I like almost all videos from this contributor but this one is off the mark.
I always say there is a right way and a wrong way to argue with an umpire. Although this is the right way, I wouldn’t have waited so long and between innings I would have maybe tried to talk to him instead you know be civil but have a discussion. Sometimes something as easy as after the first inning you can get an ump to expand his zone being that he can still have a point to be consistent from. It’s hard to change where you’ve been calling it all game in the 4th or 5th inning
Baseball is such a strange sport... The umpires have so much control over how the game plays But yeah, there was definitely a better way of achieving the same ends... If it takes a hollering match infront of spectators and players, then just don't
This is a horseshit comment. This umpire is forcing kids to throw more pitches than they otherwise should have to. The umpire literally admitted in this video that he doesn't not know what the strike zone is. This also tells the batter there is no reason to swing unless you get one right down the middle.
@@NittanyNation22 The umpire DOES know what the strike zone is. It is 17" - the plate. And yes, if any part of the ball (not the entire ball or the middle of the ball) is over the PLATE it is a strike. And the PLATE is 17" - not 23" or 24" like this guy is trying to argue. This idea that if a sliver of the ball is over plate that means you have to add the width of the ball to the strike zone is ridiculous. The strike zone is still 17" and if ANY PART of the ball crosses over the plate - which is 17 inches wide - and it is not too high or too low, it's a strike. But that doesn't mean the strike zone is suddenly 24" wide.
To be fair he has a mega point and a fair one at that what is his strike zone if he called almost all of those pitches balls? (90% of them where 100% strikes)
Had this exact situation happen in our last tournament in December before our winter break. 12U ball and less experienced umpire was calling extremely tight zone. Cool part was that the more experienced base umpire approached him between innings and said the exact same thing, unless you make the strike zone a little bigger all we are going to have is walks and batting practice. The zone got expanded and it was a great, competitive game.
@@ToadHallPub You seem like a troll, just spouting crap to get a reaction. But I'll respond a bit. #1 It was the fall so umpires were not in as much demand. The umpire himself told me he had been umpiring for over 20 years in Ohio and now Texas, and that he umpired high school and juco games, as well as tournaments. #2 The umpire told both teams' coaches to expect a wider zone. So, actually I DO have an idea of what was said. Conversely, you were NOT there and have no idea what was said.
@@redtruck7070 No doubt that guy is a troll. I too umpire HS, college, and showcase ball and have done so for 30 years. Last Friday I was blessed to do 3 games at 11U which I find to be a great deal of fun. I know there are some umps who get to a certain level and don't want to do the younger guys but there are plenty of us who love working all levels. I think it would be a terrible thing if the only guys who did 12U and below were new and inexperienced. It means just as much for the younger kids to have good umps as it does to the older ones.
@@ToadHallPub Although careful making assumptions about Umpire experience and ability just because they are doing 12u tourneys. Some of us Umpire more for fun than anything and have zero interest in the travel necessary to do higher level ball. After all the LLWS Umps are pretty experienced folks.
@@kirkluther1222 I'm with you brother. I have been officiating baseball for way longer than I like to admit (let's put it this way I Umpired games when Reagan was President). I have turned down offers to Ump Juco, NCAA, and LLWS games. I have no interest in travel and I have never seen officiating as a 'primary income source'. Heck all the Little League and USABL tournaments in my area contact me asking me to do their playoffs and tourneys.
lol... unless you've been a player, coach, and Ump for decades... then we just relish the chance to watch a game without having any stress about the outcome. *wink*
Also, speaking as a former Umpire.....the BIGGEST mistake in this video..... You do NOT try to get the Umpire to change the strikezone. You get your players to ADJUST to the strike zone, and make better pitches.
Oh my. THIS is why we have a shortage of officials in youth sports. Let's flip this around: In a loud voice I yell from the stands: You are TERRIBLE MJH! You had ONE Job! (choose one) -To record the game. -Coach the team -Cheer positively for your child and team. (yelling louder) "HORRIBLE example you set for those players!" "You call that a proper camera?!! Cheap &%$#!! go pro" "Made an ass out of yourself in public." (takes a breath) "AWFUL camera angle and editing!!" "You are PATHETIC!" "The players know it And you KNOW it!" "What an insult to your subscribers!" See? Now you will be a better parent/coach/RUclipsr because I just reamed you out on the ball diamond. You're Welcome. P.S. Love your channel.
Only problem with your analogy is that this coach just says, "we need some kind of strike ZONE." That's it. The rest was all the umpire. So the coach wasn't berating the umpire. Even when he answers the questions, none of it is attacking the umpire. Maybe we have a shortage of officials because they are not being trained and sent out to officiate without proper skills?
If a thread of the ball touches a fraction of the 17 inches then yes, it’s a strike. That NOT giving a ball on either side. No one thinks the entire ball has to be over the plate. Nobody. It’s unfair to the batter to have anything that doesn’t, even by the tiniest margin touch the plate, called a strike. The pitcher already has all of the advantages…throwing downhill, 8 other players helping him get outs, element of surprise with speed location and movement, and so on. And you also want him to get balls called strikes??? No sale! If you want a bigger plate, invent your own game with your own rules, but leave the great game alone.
The zone is the zone. Read the rules. The plate is 17 inches wide. If by “tight”, you mean only over the plate and off the plate is a ball, then that’s what is right and fair.
It's Little League. Kids don't pitch as well as pros do so you need to call pitches differently. I knew a minor league umpire and he told me that even in the minor leagues umpires call balls and strike differently then they do in the major leagues because the pitchers in the minors are not as good as those in the majors obviously and the games would take too long to play.
You were out of line..I agree with the ump..teach the pitchers to throw strikes.. So in your world, the pitcher gets the advantage over a batter with a good eye...
As an umpire with hundreds of games under my belt in the last few years alone, and certainly coaching before 2014, lol. This type of coaching behavior would never be condoned anywhere within 50 mi of where I umpire. I have a suggestion to the author, instead of conspiring against the umpire with the other team, request a managers meeting with the umpire in question and have both managers discuss the strike zone with the umpire to see if it can be expanded a bit. This shows respect for the umpire and doesn't cause unwanted attention, and certainly horrible sportsmen optics to all of the spectators, including children who are watching.
If your pitchers can locate in that zone, then have them. There's no need to get into a pissing match with the umpire. You guys should have figured out it was a tight strike zone by the 3rd batter. Adjust. Don't complain about walks when you know that it will be. Learn how to pitch to contact. Control what you can control, you can't control the strike zone, so don't try. Let your defense make some plays. Let your pitchers learn how to lead the dance. If your pitcher can control the corners, he can be pretty unbeatable.
Being the field umpire with a plate umpire like this is the most excruciating thing ever. No one is going to be upset at an umpire if their zone is slightly bigger and consistent. Awful.
So not true, as both a player all my life and an umpire for 5 years parents and coaches will complain about every call you make. Many Coaches and parents will complain regardless of your strikezone size, umpiring experience, and skill. These people are usually ones who have never umpired before and think that they can do better (they cannot). A bigger strikezone will result in the team hitting to bitch and a smaller strikezone will cause complaints from the fielding team. The key is to stay consistent and set the tone at the beginning of the game
Problem is then you're not teaching the kids the game, if the pitcher get's a wide zone, when and if he makes the bigs he's going to be shocked that the plate is really only 17" wide and that's all he gets. I had a game one time where both teams we so bad it was just a walk fest and it was a tournament so no time limit and it was 90+ degrees out. A gentleman came up to me and told me that I should widen the strike zone, I told him that is was so broad now that I was embarrassed.
@@johnchildress7594 The truth of the matter is the strike zone is called tighter in every higher level of the game. Major is tighter than the minor leagues and college is tighter than high school and so forth. Pitchers can still learn the game if the umpire is consistent and you force the batters to swing which makes the flow of the game tolerable.
Maybe in little league no, but as you get higher and higher, and your eye gets better and better, as a hitter, i disagree that a ball of is a strike, it needs to catch plate, a ball is a ball and a strike is a strike. In middle or hs sure ill take it, but w harder and better pitchers, a batter ahould be rewarded for having a good eye
I’m shocked you weren’t thrown out. Usually when umpires remove their mask and look into the dugout, especially if they proceed to approach the dugout, they’re looking to eject someone.
As an ex umpire, my strike zone was 24 inches. With that said, as I got older I started doing high school and junior college games. One game I will never forget is my very first college game. I actually knew a lot of the players and coaches in this particular game. Me, trying to be impressive in my first college game, was unintentionally calling the strike zone a little tighter than normal. After a the third inning, both coaches came out to me, pulling me away from the fans where nobody could hear what we were saying. They asked me nicely to loosen up the strike zone a little if possible. I said sure and the rest of the game went on without a hitch. I actually appreciated what they did and told them so after the game. Im curious to know how this umpire would have reacted to the these coaches doing the same thing?
Buster, I too am an umpire and this umpire is so unprofessional to argue with a coach out loud. At the high school level you must give the pitchers a balls width off the plate. He is letting his ego get the best of him. Have a conversation with the coach in between innings in a respectable tone. Let the kids decide the game. Never address the fans because once you do, you have just opened up a can of worms . This guy is horrible! I am one of the most respected umpires in our area because I can communicate with the kids and coaches in a professional manner. I let the coaches know that I will give their pitchers a little bit of the corner to keep the game moving along. Nobody came to watch the kids walk around the bases!
@@rickromero1143 Exactly, and one point you just made is being respected. I was respected as well, I would get calls from teams I have never heard of because I was the one others would recommend to ump their games. They always would ask if I could be behind the plate. My point is, once you get that respect amongst the coaches, you would rarely hear a peep out of them during games. I have a feeling this ump did not have the respect of anyone in this league. Come to think of it, in my 10 years of coaching I never had to throw out a coach. I threw out on fan and that is it for me.
@@busterellis7188 Buster, it would be an honor and pleasure to work with you. We hold the same ideas and approach on how to manage a game! Maybe we can get that poor excuse of an umpire to come watch and learn on how to improve his game.!😉
@@rickromero1143 At a certain point though if a coach is just constantly giving you grief, you may have to yell a public warning. I agree though that he should not have argued with the coach so loudly. If that's going on for more than 1-2 comebacks, eject him and move on.
In the entire video, I never saw a true strike thrown by the pitcher. I once umped a game like this. The pitcher never came close to the strike zone. Finally, I told the opposing coach that their batters needed to start swinging the bat if it was at all close. After calling a couple pitches a strike, they got the message and started swinging the bat. They ended up killing the time with the bad pitcher, and it made the game much more enjoyable to watch.
This is the only reason I'm here commenting. Those pitches looked terrible. And then to make a video about it while pretending to somehow have a strategy. No, just get a better pitcher.
This is NOT how you are supposed to interact with coaches, players, fans, or anyone. Questioning balls and strikes is grounds for ejection. All any umpire can do is work hard to maintain a consistency. Be it behind the plate, or on the bases.
As a parent I must admit to embarrassing myself on occasion during my kids softball games. That being said I thank goodness it didn't make RUclips and am double thankful that I was not arrogant enough to "know" I was right and post it myself.
i quit umpiring years ago for all the above/below reasons. i still believe the parents/coaches should take turns- they seem to always know more anyway.
@@MJHBaseball And maybe you're just one of those incredibly irritating know-it-alls who live vicariously through their kids and actually ruin amateur athletics for everyone? Not everyone should make RUclips videos....
Honesty, what you did was wrong. The coaches taking time between innings to have a polite discussion with the umpire is what should happen. Someone watching the game yelling at the umpire is a disruption and sets a horrible example for the youth playing. Reading the comments you see a mix of responses, some saying he called it to tight others saying he was fine. You are going to get refs/umpires no matter what sport you play that will call the game a bit different. Acting like a entitled spoiled child is NOT the way to address a problem with an official during a game. All I see here is you trying to make excuses for your behavior, please don't pull this kind of crap again. There are shortages of refs/umpires/officials across sports in general, and this kind of behavior is not helping that situation at all.
@@nicholasriveness3202 I really don't get it, if the ump has a consistent, tight strike-zone, shouldn't the coaches get the pitchers to adjust? And if you want shorter/faster games then get the league to make some changes.
In my experience, a polite discussion with the umpire results in nothing. They just ignore what you say and keep on doing what they want. You need to publicly call them out.
I have done 9U all the way up to HS Varsity... when I give a ball inside and 1.5 outside, I never get any chirping on either side (even from the parents... )
I’ve been an umpire for over 30 years. There’s a way to talk to an umpire that will get your point across but not be demeaning. You should never conspire to get an umpire. A simple meeting with both umps would have handled the situation perfectly. “Hey you’re very consistent behind there and I appreciate that but we’ll be here all day if we don’t get a little bigger of a zone man. I’m not arguing as you’ve called everything great but this is HS not collect pros. We want everyone to swing.” Especially if both team mangers are in the conversation and are on the same page. This was a bad “teaching” moment.
BWWWAAHAHAHAHA.... a Coach thinks getting himself tossed is going to change an Umpire's calls in HIS team's favor?! *snort*.... *giggle*... been officiating youth sports since the mid-1980s including Ump for baseball. I basically ignore a Coach's complaints. If you have a QUESTION regarding the technical aspects of a non-judgement call you may ask politely and I will respond politely. Other than that... shut your mouth coach you ain't doing your team any good chewing on an Ump.
Wow! A coach yelling like that to an umpire who had a good strike zone. Maybe coaches should stop thinking their pitchers can “paint” corners every pitch. I’ve been umpiring a long time this umpire had a lot of patience.
Anytime a spectator gets in the way of the game they lose. I don’t condone taking it that far if you’re a spectator. I think it’s wrong to say the coach sold you out. This coach probably has to see that ump again in the season and you want him to tear him a new one, doesn’t make sense to put your team in that position. The fact is you did extra, you said it yourself. If you had a kid on that team I’m sure he was embarrassed by you. No justification for that kind of behavior. Parents are the worst, especially the ones that think because they played little league and watch MLB that they are qualified pro’s.
Wow. You got almost everything wrong here. LOL. 1) taking it that far....Who took it too far? Yes, the umpire kept it going. "Some kind of strike zone." That's starting it. The rest was continued on and on and on by the umpire. 2) The coach selling me out was tongue-in-cheek as I had already said the coach approved of the action taken. (So did the other team coach BTW who actually complained first.) 3) I asked my "kid on the team....the catcher. He found it funny." The pitcher and center fielder were less approving. 4) There actually WAS justification for that behavior. First, his zone was terrible. Second, he kept asking me questions so I answered them. 5) Parents "can be the worst" yes. I agree. But I didn't play baseball and haven't watched MLB since they went on strike in 1994 to cancel the world series that year. I only coached and now umpire because my son fell in love with the game and so therefore I did too.
@@mikeymclucky I see brutal umps every week. I can’t get umps to understand we all want larger zone in kids games. I’ve won games by 9 runs and my team has been hitless (10 u). I typically just say woo good pitch that looked great when my pitcher is getting badly squeezed. I don’t get why we expect kids to throw it in a 17 inch square
Really when umpires literally half the time don't pay attention throw people out of game for drawing a line to help them actually look I mean umpires abused their power too much so your comment has no validation
That's literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It's a ball if no part of the baseball passes through the 3d plane (8.5 inches on the y-axis, 17 inches on the x-axis, and from the bottom of the kneecaps to the mid-point between the top of the shoulders and top of the pants on the z-axis). It is a strike if it does pass through. What do you mean _prove_ it's a ball and not a strike? It's the same thing.
@@sawmill035 The point I am making is that no matter how you type it, print it, describe it…the strike zone is a figment of your imagination. Just because it is defined doesn’t make it a reality. The box on the screen or in the computer can show it, but no matter how hard you try to be consistent and call it “by the book,” it’s still what the umpires eyes are trying to determine is that location. It’s not as easy as it looks, trust me on that.
As an umpire with over 20 years in the bank. I’d hate to work with this umpire. His zones tight as a pop can. I’ve never seen a zone THAT TIGHT! I like to give corners and be more generous the younger it goes but even in high school and college, the corners the corner. That’s a strike. Those balls at the belt. Those were easy and some beginner calls. Rookies would have that as a strike. This umpire needs coached up by other umpires. I hope he watched this film. Also it was hilarious how you say, “that’s when I let him know, it’s about to go down.” 🧐💁🏻♂️😂
i may disagree with some my umpires on some calls but than again i have diffrent angel, that doesn't mean i wouldn't work for them. I am sure they feel same with me. there just some umpires i wouldn't work with. i wouldn't either
I was a ref for USA Hockey for 15 years and I worked with guys like where there is absolutely no subject to interpretation and literally 30 penalties are called. Games with refs/umps like this turn into shit shows every......single......time. As an official, you must know how to MANAGE a game, not police it. That technique has worked for me very well for over 5000 games worked.
Widening a strike zone is not as easy as it sounds. I pictured the zone in front of me, laser locked on the zone, and if the ball came into it, it was a strike. If it seemed to go outside of it, it was a ball. In practice, it took about half a ball on the outside corner for me to call it. Was that way for 15 years, and while I worked a few walk-a-thons, for the most part walks weren't that much higher in my games than others. But when I consciously tried to widen my zone, my consistency went right out the window. I started thinking too much. "That pitch was three inches outside. Is that now a strike or not?" A pitch that's close gets called a ball, a pitch the catcher has to reach for is a strike, and nobody was happy, least of all me, as I took my umpiring very seriously. I did have a game like this once when I was on the bases. The plate umpire that game was a guy who had a reputation for a tight zone and a hair-trigger temper. His problem wasn't wide/tight, it was up and down. He basically called belly button to mid-thigh. We had an incident like this and he screamed at the coaches far worse than this without tossing anyone. In the next game, I had the plate and there was a double play ball hit to short. From the B position, he called the runner on second out, pivoted too slowly so he blew the call at first (the runner clearly beat the throw), and in the same motion pivoted back and ejected the third base coach for saying "What?" That was the last game he worked for that league. I called the assigner to ask not to be assigned with him again (I had worked other games previously with him and they were always bad. He was one of only two I ever did this with in 15 years and in multiple states and associations), and both the previous game's coaches had already called.
I guess this is a rare situation in that I dislike everyone involved. The umpire might have been tight but the plate is the plate. You want the plate to be three feet, then change the rules. But he handled the interaction poorly. He should have told you to stop and then removed you from the game. Never get into a shouting match with anyone on the field. I like the channel but you acted like a jackass yelling at an official. Dig the plate up and make it however big you want. Yelling fifty feet at another human being because you think a kids game is not being officiated properly is ridiculous. This just teaches people to scream and yell until they get what they want. There’s a reason why there is a lack of people who want to officiate sports. Here’s a prime example.
Sounds like the tight strike zone bothers the parents more than the players. Let's be honest, most of these kids aren't going pro, it's just a way to keep them kids productive and off the street away from drugs.
Ok, we all agree that including the ball the zone is 23 inches wide. Problem is how much wider people want it. The reason pitchers CANT throw strikes is they've been use to 30 inches or more wide. 24 inches is FINE for Varsity ball. Grow up!!!!
Thank you clarifying how to properly talk with an umpire towards the end. I have watched your videos for little league for years and really appreciate your explanation and analysis. Though I was concerned with how you got involved as a spectator, I understand why and your end goal as just a step to allow the coach to use you as you said but I still think the coaches could do that properly without your assist. Great video and thank you for your umpire support.
If this umpire did this several games in a row you just don't pay him before the game starts. Tell him why and use the other umpire. play with one short. Much better for your team and it sends a message to those in charge. TAH-DAH
From what I am seeing in this video the pitchers are missing their spots. Blue looks pretty good. Seems like you are composing about a whole lot of nothing. Typical blame the umpire when the pitcher is just plain off.
As an umpire this is a pretty stressful game to watch it literally looks like this dudes strike zone is about an inch wide. He also can toss you for asking questions about his strike zone which is the one thing that is usually an automatic ejection is arguing balls and strikes
Actually any judgement calls i.e. safe/out, fair/foul, etc. are not up for debate from a coach. 'Technical' calls like a balk I'll allow a coach to respectfully ask what in the pitcher's motion triggered the balk call.
I agree. Where this umpire screwed up is engaging with the coach, time after time. The Umpire should have called time. Looked directly at the coach, I've heard enough on judgment calls, that's a warning. I hear it again, you're gone from the game.
So here's my deal...we've all had these games. The pitchers are struggling and they are throwing 50-50 pitches and nothing grooved down the heart of the plate. Are they strikes? Maybe yes, maybe no. 50-50. What i've found, especially in summer ball is that if you call one early in a count (and NEVER ring a kid up on one of those) it will get the pitcher and the batters in a groove and the game will start moving along. Is it outside your comfort zone as an official, absolutely. But does it get the game moving and progressing? You bet. For school/season/college ball? They need to find the zone. But for summer ball when it's 10000 degrees and they are likely playing their 2nd or 3rd game of the day....let's get 1 or 2 of those borderline pitches and see what it does.
I umpired many years ago in the youth leagues in town. Most of the time I was the only ump. Two of the things I learned is 1: it's not easy and 2: you have to have a feel for the game you are umpiring. I agree that every pitch is a strike unless it is clearly a ball. If you are walking batter after batter and don't adjust that's just being stubborn. Maybe this ump was trying to force or "teach" the pitchers to throw the ball fully over the plate (which is wrong) but you also have to get the batters to start swinging. Hopefully after this the ump reflected on what went on and reevaluates how he calls pitches. I loved the comments from the spectators. Umping is easy until you do it.
Exactly. I umpired mainly Little League for 33 years. In its discussion on the strike zone, the Little League Case Book even uses the exhortation, "Think strikes." The batter has a stick in his hand; he's supposed to use it. Having a feel for the level of play is important, too. As one of my fellow umpires, who I highly respected, would put it regarding the youngest age group, "If one stitch of the ball even thinks about entering the strike zone, I've got a strike."
@@Famijoly When the pitch was over the plate at the knees I always called it a strike even though the batter was at the back of the box and may be below the knees when the catcher caught it. One of the nicest off-hand compliments I received was after calling such a pitch a strike the batter gave the typical moan. His coach said to him, "You know he calls that pitch every time". Being consistent in the balls and strike calls was very important to me.
Have your pitcher throw strikes and he will call them. I have never had a problem with an umpire actually calling strikes. Calling strikes when they are in the other batters box is not baseball.
I think we can all agree that the zone was on the tight side and 100%, no one wants to come watch a game of walks. That being said, as a game management tool, the umpire was baited, responded and handled the entire encounter incorrectly. Per your admission, you were not the manager or head coach for that game, so other than hello's and good afternoon's, we are not having a conversation/argument regarding calls, ever. The conversation should have been the umpire calling time, directing his comment to the team manager/head coach that this is the team warning for arguing balls and strikes and that further comments will result in an ejection; nothing else. When you opined again, you should have been immediately ejected. The head coach, assuming this was played under FED rules should have then been restricted to the dugout for the remainder of the game, or ejected depending on the circumstances. All the other non-sense about the size of the plate or do you want to get the gear on was unprofessional and makes all of us who don the gear look petty. I had a game where my zone was not ideal... the HC for one of the teams, being well respected and known to be very civil to officials approached me between innings with his line up card out. To everyone in the stands it looked like he was making a change, but in reality, he was relaying to me that his hitter and even his catcher was saying my zone was really outside. Was he arguing balls and strikes? Technically, yes. But the way he went about it was about the only way that he was going to have a civil conversation and not show me up. And yes, I checked later with my partner and he agreed I was calling pretty wide in this game. Had the coach been yelling at me, the whole encounter would have been very different as would have been the result he was trying to accomplish.
Yes, exactly what I was thinking! I am disappointed with your behavior in this clip, especially as an umpire (you claim) and RUclipsr who had been putting out such good videos for years. I misunderstood what your channel is about. I will now be moving on.
So when an umpire completely messes up how to deal with a coach I should just ignore it? Not use it as a teaching lesson on how not to react to a coach. "At some point we need a strike zone." That's pretty tame. Everything that follows is the umpire's reaction. "That's enough coach." Maybe just saying that and going back to the game would have been correct. And yes, I think the coach/spectator here, who was me, should not deal with this in this manner, which is also covered in this video if you watch the whole thing. But if shelving this situation rather than using it on the channel because an umpire doesn't look so great does not help anyone. This is very poor game management and we need to do better than this.
@@MJHBaseball , It seems to me that the further away from city living, the less training and guidance these young umpires receive! I played the game and started umpiring when my boys started playing. I was doing younger districts and regional games in two years, I was being watched and taught how to handle situations and make calls by the state head umpire! Although he handled this wrong, I dobt that he learned from it. I personally would have told you, as a fan, to stop an I would have gone back the game. Fans and coaches have a right to complain but don't bring up a previous call that was made When I did a 9 - 10 yrs old game, ground rules included my strike zone! " Theres a book rule on the strike zone and I use every inch of it". One time only did a coach go immediately to his bench and tell his players to get the bats going " he has a big strike zone". The zone was adjusted accordingly. Theres so many things about baseball that most people don't know or understand that it takes years to learn.
I am an umpire and based solely on this video it appears the umpire has a tight zone. However, as long as he is consistent for both sides then you need to have your pitchers and hitters adjust. Yelling across the diamond is NOT the way to handle it. Approach the umpire calmly between innings and have a conversation, not an argument. This is probably a younger, less experienced umpire.
My guess is he's an experienced umpire used to higher levels. Maybe a guy used to working community college ball doing a high school or even high school JV game. I found it difficult dropping down a level or two, as did others in associations I worked in, as we weren't used to pitchers who had less control or catchers who didn't frame effectively.
Parents get on my nerves. When I am up to bat, I don't need every parent yelling, "Hit the ball!" or "You gotta swing!". Parents ruin youth sports. Also, it is not the parents job to yell at the umpire. Let the coach talk to him if it was a bad call.
umpire here. if you are bad at your job it doesnt matter if its the coach or a bystander, if im really that bad, im not gonna be suprised if im heckled by anyone. ive learned my harshest lessons by bystanders
It's obvious you've never had to deal with this. Umpiring is a tough gaig especially when you're not getting paid a whole heck of a lot so don't make it harder than it has to be the goal is to have fun not to be a jackass the coaches and players and for them not to be a jackass back to you.
@@slaymyface1357 if you’re an umpire, you know better than to allow anyone just walk out there, pretending to be a coach, for the purpose of stirring up emotion and getting ejected in a flippin travel baseball game.
So here is my question: under the rules the game was being played how wide should the strike zone be? Yeah, he quoted the major league rule, but they are probably using a different rule book. I say the ump should call the game by the rules under which the game is played. If the strike zone in the rule book is too narrow, that is something to take up with whomever is in charge of making/changing the rules, not the ump.
MY first Coaching experience was right outta college, I was recruited to coach a Little League team. MY son hadn't even been born yet. Normally what you got for umpires were high school boys who played themselves. In my personal opinion, they were the best. They gave the kids what they themselves would have wanted if they were the ones playing. Later, I coached a couple of travel teams, then the local high school squad which had a tradition of winning. This is just my personal observation, and I THINK I see it in this video. The ABSOLUTE worst umpires were guys who had EITHER never played the game OR their egos had far outpaced their abilities on the field. Fathers are to blame for a lot of this behavior. Umpies are human too, they have personal problems, etc. My Dad used to say, "I can go out and find you a good Coach today...try to go out and find a good Ump!"
My experience with high school kids has been exactly the opposite. They usually think they know everything but actually know nothing, and they cannot handle criticism or arguments.
I think I'll come over there next summer, call a game with my dad (gehrig's pap) and just dump you at the plate meeting. 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Joking of course. Your content makes me a better umpire.
I'm always interested to hear the rationalizations of people who post videos of themselves acting immaturely, particularly when the behavior sets an example for youth.
I'm a former baseball/softball umpire. I did so for about 8 years. Mainly highschool level fastpitch softball games, with the occasional baseball game. My strikezone was considered "small" "knees" to "letters" as far as height. And, as far as width, it was literally the width of the plate. If any part of the ball crossed over the plate, it was a strike. If it didn't, it wasn't. I did NOT give any leeway either way. If the ball was off the plate by even a centimeter, it was called a ball. The strike zone was small, but it was consistent. And it took about 2 games, and 2 ejections, for the players and coaches to figure out that it wasn't going to change, no matter the situation, the score, the length of the game, etc. My strike zone was the same no matter what. The players adjusted.
He called the only strike that was pitched correctly, most of the pitches are clearly off the plate or above the letters on the uniform. The plate is 17" as you show and the baseball is 2 3/4" so technically 22.5" if the ball actually hits the edges, which MOST of those pitches did NOT. A 1-1 ballgame and you want the zone expanded because your kid can't hit the plate is absurd.
Perfectly stated! If a stitch of the ball touches the 17”, it’s a strike. Thats NOT a “ball on either side”. His logic is dumb. He made a fool of himself and he made a mockery of the game.
@@ToddThomas I rarely comment on videos, but this one was so bad I can't help myself. That kid couldn't pitch. And the guy that makes the video sounds like a damn fool.
@@MopedJones I agree completely. My first thought was how he shouldn’t be near a baseball field. His argument is senseless and motive for making it bad for the game.
I’ve coached a long time and I used to be the guy that would argue with umps & I finally figured out that 90% it doesn’t help. Don’t get me wrong, if something needs addressed I’ll go out there and if I need to get tossed to stand up for my boys, I will. But EVERYONE knows you can’t argue balls and strikes. You’re literally just wasting your time and making yourself look stupid: As long as the zone is consistent, who cares? Tell your boys to attack pitches they can drive and move on!
This umpire tottally unprofessional and horrible! He thinks the mlb is gonna call him up!! Coach you were calmer then tame!! Horrible blue. The game belongs to the players not the "refs"Also whover the loud mouth parents were shuddyuppppahhhhhhh let the coach "coach"...Unreal
It’s difficult to tell just how the umpire is doing from an off-angle view from behind the plate. You ARE correct about the width of the strike zone, but the “conversation” might have been more effective if coaches from both teams met quietly with the umpires between innings. Again, it’s difficult to say, without seeing the entire game. And while it’s been awhile, I used to umpire at this level. If anything, I tended to be a pitcher’s umpire, though obviously, the zone does change depending on the level of each league, and even with a generous strike zone, there WILL be games that turn into walkfests. It happens. Umpires can also have bad days, just as pitchers do. I found I had my best games when the pitcher was able to hit those edges of the strike zone. If a quiet word doesn’t work, then I suggest that both team head coaches get together after the game, and have the league commissioner or Athletic Directors have a phone call with the umpire who assigns the games. Assigners aren’t usually at the game in question, as they are usually officiating in their own games. I would just have the assigner speak with the umpire about opening up the zone a bit, but this feedback will only work if the criticism comes from BOTH teams, or from several games. I would also point out to the assigner, as mentioned in this video, “Hey, he’s consistent, which is a good thing. He’s just a little too tight for this level of ball.” That at least doesn’t sound like a coach with sour grapes blaming a loss on an umpire. I know this might not help in this game, but it may help improve the quality of the umpiring down the road, as I can tell you that we always strove to improve our skills as umpires. And don’t forget, umpiring is a small world, especially nowadays, when it’s difficult to find umpires. That means you will likely be seeing this guy again. Hopefully, he’ll have a better game (like players, umpires can have “off days” behind the plate). If he DOES call a good game in future, then let him know after the game. If he has another game like this, wait until after the game, and quietly say to him something like, “Your strike zone is consistent, but it’s a little too tight for these pitchers.” Pad the criticism with some praise, in a non controversial manner. He looks young, and is likely still learning. But in all fairness, if I were his partner, I’d have to tell him during the game that he shouldn’t start changing the zone. It only leads to trouble. It’s something to work on for the next game. Consistency is very important in umpiring. One thing I learned very quickly is that every decision an umpire makes is going to make someone unhappy. We aren’t going to win popularity contests, no matter how well we do our job. And we’re not THERE to win popularity contests. The best games are the ones in which we are not noticed. And I was fortunate; I rarely had to eject anyone.
Seems like his zone is spot on. Just because this isn't the pros doesn't change the strike zone. It is the only definitive rule in baseball but every umpire has "their own zone."
@Allen Clanton Yes the strike zone is defined and is not up for interpretation. Also, this off camber view doesn't show you exactly where the pitches are. The catcher has a lazy mitt and could be losing calls as well. This video doesn't tell the entire story. Maybe he missed some, but most of the calls seemed correct.
My favorite part of the video is the him acting like this was some sort of strategy. I have a better strategy. Have your pitcher throw strikes. None of those looked like good pitches.
@@mptr1783 If a team knows a ump is not going to call strikes why would you not just stand there and take walks instead of swinging the bat and potentially going down swinging or hit into outs ?
I’m an ump been for 18 years and sorry to say that is an extremely tight strike zone. Plus his stance is incorrect. He’s standing above the catcher and not in the slot and his feet are even as opposed to having his outside foot forward. He needs to evaluate his game and readjust. It’s hard to do I know because I had to do that myself recently. The way he’s calling only benefits the offense and cheating the defense team. Don’t make the game about yourself a good umpire will not be felt in the game.
There is nothing wrong with his positioning. He's more in the slot than I ever was. The one problem with where he is is that it is difficult to accurately judge the outside corner. Working more behind the catcher as I did, I could see the outside corner very well but occasionally got blocked out by the catcher on low pitches.
@@kelsoe_ what video are you watching? The one I just watched he’s standing slightly above the catchers head and feet are almost even. The slot must have the front foot in a 45 degree angle. Can’t do that when you’re hiding behind the catcher.
My son is pitcher. He doesn't throw super hard, but has very good at location. I know that he gets very frustrated when the Ump won't give him the corners or edges. After the game I talked to him and he gave the same 17" response. I told him it was actually 23" when you consider the ball clipping the corners or edge of the plate. Next time we had that Ump he had less tight strike zone.
9:00 Coach comes onto the field... IMMEDIATE AND AUTOMATIC EJECTION... no warning... no questions... no responding to the Coach. Leave now... If you aren't off the field by a 10 count headed to the parking lot by a 30 count... forfeit.... simple as that.
My warning is "Coach, what did you say?" If he answers with anything at all, after clearly yelling, he's tossed. If he doesn't, we play ball till he does it again and then call time and eject him
@@mac100percent Yeah I'll go with that if it is shouts from the sidelines or dugout... you come on the field of play Coach without invitation you're gone.
You trusted a woman that knows nothing about baseball and asked her about the zone. I bet she couldn’t explain the definition of the strike zone in the rule book. If you’re not a part of the game, be quiet or else you won’t have officials
I watched the first minute and a half, and didn't see a single strike. So why would I watch the rest of the video? To see people used to getting their way complain about a sports official doing his job?
Ok, Im going to give my 2 cents. I think this umpire is possibly a college umpire doing a high school game, and sometimes, its harder to go down and change your zone. He looks the part. Right or wrong, sometimes it happens....you get a tight zone or sometimes you get a wide zone. MJH makes it seem that the wide zone is acceptabel.........but, I've seen tons of videos(his included) that ridicule the huge zone also. I think the best thing that came out of this video was the coach who got together with both umpires between innings and in friendly way, seemed to get the point across. Do you really think ANY umpire wants to be on the field longer?
I don't recall any mjh videos that complained about the strike zone at all. Correct me if I'm wrong. And yes, even in the video the guy said it was better to be the "nice" coach and talk calmly outside of spectators hearing like at the end.
As a High School umpire and below, this umpire needs basic training. I've done hundreds of games and never got into a detailed argument. It's pretty simple, I just say, "In my judgement, XYZ happened". Coaches know they can't argue judgement calls. So two things going on here... the umpire is having a really, really, bad day, and he doesn't know how to set expectations so these 'arguments' never happen in the first place. Training will help.
MP, there is no way in hell this guy is a college umpire. First of all, you do not get into shouting matches with coaches and ask if they want to put the gear on. That is so unprofessional and reeks of lack of confidence. Second of all ,his positioning behind the plate is incorrect. He should be in the slot between the batter and the catcher. He is limiting his view on low pitches. I wouldn't hire this guy to do a pinto game!
Those were all balls. Who ever said the dirt on the side of the plate is strike. You hit the plate or it's a ball. Why do you want to take the bat out of the batters hands.
Im sorry, i might be the only one who supports this umpire. But this guy is obviously professionally trained. I can tell just by seeing his mechanics, that he has been to professional umpire school. IS he tight? Yes, but it is what it is. Play on or go home.
Very likely you are correct, but his game management and handling of a simple "we need some kind of strike zone." I mean, what professional umpire responds like he does? What umpire keeps arguing in the middle of the game with an assistant coach? This went on for 60 seconds. I get he needed to do something, but my god, he just kept going and going.
@@MJHBaseball this is what happens whena professionally trained umpire gets assigned a travel ball game. This is why i stopped working high school and below, bc coaches dont appreciate good quality umpiring. And he probably has some Minor league experience, where what he did is the norm. I have no problem with this at all.
Sounds like the strike zone was consistent and the same for both teams. Let the ump do his job. Calling balls and strikes is NOT your job. Players need to adjust. If you don't have umps, you will have no games. "Don't be that coach that yells across the diamond like an idiot" but it's okay for me to do it as a parent.
2 coaches should have found his car in lot and then parked their cars on either side of blues car so close he cant get in. Just to remind him of what a "tight zone" might look like.
The real problem is that bad umpires call a sloppy zone and players/coaches get used to it and expect balls to be called strikes. Then when you get an umpire that knows the strike zone and calls it, you don’t like it. This would all be solved if umpires know the strike zone and call it.
Just another "coach" adding to the shortage of umpires. Pretty soon they will be out there yelling at themselves because we won't have any games anymore. Good job!
No but you dont call every pitch a ball like this umpire who tf wants to sit through a game where nobody will swing the bat and you know as a player you dont have to because ump is calling it a ball? I mean from watching video i can say 100% i would have called about 85% of the pitches in this video a strike
How dare an umpire not use whatever a fan decides the strike zone is
This is a lot of rationalization in this narrative which cannot overcome the fact that arguing with an umpire at the youth level is a bad idea and sets a terrible example. That type of "trying to get in his/her head" gamesmanship is MAYBE justified at college or pro level. At this level, coaches should be teaching kids "don't count on the ump to win the game for you" and "don't look for excuses." In this case, accept the conservative strike zone, which is stated was the same for both teams, and work towards victory within those parameters. I like almost all videos from this contributor but this one is off the mark.
I always say there is a right way and a wrong way to argue with an umpire. Although this is the right way, I wouldn’t have waited so long and between innings I would have maybe tried to talk to him instead you know be civil but have a discussion. Sometimes something as easy as after the first inning you can get an ump to expand his zone being that he can still have a point to be consistent from. It’s hard to change where you’ve been calling it all game in the 4th or 5th inning
So just take the bad umpires bullshit? He's got to hear it if he sucks balls.
Baseball is such a strange sport...
The umpires have so much control over how the game plays
But yeah, there was definitely a better way of achieving the same ends...
If it takes a hollering match infront of spectators and players, then just don't
This is a horseshit comment. This umpire is forcing kids to throw more pitches than they otherwise should have to. The umpire literally admitted in this video that he doesn't not know what the strike zone is. This also tells the batter there is no reason to swing unless you get one right down the middle.
@@NittanyNation22 The umpire DOES know what the strike zone is. It is 17" - the plate. And yes, if any part of the ball (not the entire ball or the middle of the ball) is over the PLATE it is a strike. And the PLATE is 17" - not 23" or 24" like this guy is trying to argue. This idea that if a sliver of the ball is over plate that means you have to add the width of the ball to the strike zone is ridiculous. The strike zone is still 17" and if ANY PART of the ball crosses over the plate - which is 17 inches wide - and it is not too high or too low, it's a strike. But that doesn't mean the strike zone is suddenly 24" wide.
(rolling my eyes) yea, you are a hero
*you're
😂 straight. Thank you Mr hero. Thank God he was there.
To be fair he has a mega point and a fair one at that what is his strike zone if he called almost all of those pitches balls? (90% of them where 100% strikes)
Had this exact situation happen in our last tournament in December before our winter break. 12U ball and less experienced umpire was calling extremely tight zone. Cool part was that the more experienced base umpire approached him between innings and said the exact same thing, unless you make the strike zone a little bigger all we are going to have is walks and batting practice. The zone got expanded and it was a great, competitive game.
@@ToadHallPub You seem like a troll, just spouting crap to get a reaction. But I'll respond a bit. #1 It was the fall so umpires were not in as much demand. The umpire himself told me he had been umpiring for over 20 years in Ohio and now Texas, and that he umpired high school and juco games, as well as tournaments. #2 The umpire told both teams' coaches to expect a wider zone. So, actually I DO have an idea of what was said. Conversely, you were NOT there and have no idea what was said.
@@redtruck7070 No doubt that guy is a troll. I too umpire HS, college, and showcase ball and have done so for 30 years. Last Friday I was blessed to do 3 games at 11U which I find to be a great deal of fun. I know there are some umps who get to a certain level and don't want to do the younger guys but there are plenty of us who love working all levels. I think it would be a terrible thing if the only guys who did 12U and below were new and inexperienced. It means just as much for the younger kids to have good umps as it does to the older ones.
@@ToadHallPub Although careful making assumptions about Umpire experience and ability just because they are doing 12u tourneys. Some of us Umpire more for fun than anything and have zero interest in the travel necessary to do higher level ball. After all the LLWS Umps are pretty experienced folks.
@@kirkluther1222 I'm with you brother. I have been officiating baseball for way longer than I like to admit (let's put it this way I Umpired games when Reagan was President). I have turned down offers to Ump Juco, NCAA, and LLWS games. I have no interest in travel and I have never seen officiating as a 'primary income source'. Heck all the Little League and USABL tournaments in my area contact me asking me to do their playoffs and tourneys.
It’s 12U…calm down. MLB isn’t important and 12U is far less important.
Any time you say, “I never say anything to umpires” you’re lying
lol... unless you've been a player, coach, and Ump for decades... then we just relish the chance to watch a game without having any stress about the outcome. *wink*
He even favorited this. Bud you're not a coach or the pitchers dad you sit down and watch the game.
And you wonder why their a nationwide shortage of umpires for high school and youth.
Also, speaking as a former Umpire.....the BIGGEST mistake in this video.....
You do NOT try to get the Umpire to change the strikezone.
You get your players to ADJUST to the strike zone, and make better pitches.
Oh my.
THIS is why we have a shortage of officials in youth sports.
Let's flip this around:
In a loud voice I yell from the stands:
You are TERRIBLE MJH! You had ONE Job!
(choose one) -To record the game.
-Coach the team
-Cheer positively for your child and team.
(yelling louder) "HORRIBLE example you set for those players!"
"You call that a proper camera?!! Cheap &%$#!! go pro"
"Made an ass out of yourself in public."
(takes a breath)
"AWFUL camera angle and editing!!"
"You are PATHETIC!"
"The players know it And you KNOW it!"
"What an insult to your subscribers!"
See? Now you will be a better parent/coach/RUclipsr because I just reamed you out on the ball diamond.
You're Welcome.
P.S. Love your channel.
Only problem with your analogy is that this coach just says, "we need some kind of strike ZONE." That's it. The rest was all the umpire. So the coach wasn't berating the umpire. Even when he answers the questions, none of it is attacking the umpire.
Maybe we have a shortage of officials because they are not being trained and sent out to officiate without proper skills?
@@MH-Tesla I blame the pitcher. If he could throw a strike none of this would have happened.
If a thread of the ball touches a fraction of the 17 inches then yes, it’s a strike. That NOT giving a ball on either side. No one thinks the entire ball has to be over the plate. Nobody. It’s unfair to the batter to have anything that doesn’t, even by the tiniest margin touch the plate, called a strike. The pitcher already has all of the advantages…throwing downhill, 8 other players helping him get outs, element of surprise with speed location and movement, and so on. And you also want him to get balls called strikes??? No sale! If you want a bigger plate, invent your own game with your own rules, but leave the great game alone.
The zone is the zone. Read the rules. The plate is 17 inches wide. If by “tight”, you mean only over the plate and off the plate is a ball, then that’s what is right and fair.
Most of the pitches in the video looked like they were out of the zone. Not really sure how that's the ump's fault.
It's Little League. Kids don't pitch as well as pros do so you need to call pitches differently. I knew a minor league umpire and he told me that even in the minor leagues umpires call balls and strike differently then they do in the major leagues because the pitchers in the minors are not as good as those in the majors obviously and the games would take too long to play.
Horrible example set by a spectator, his own words "I'm not even a coach".
You were out of line..I agree with the ump..teach the pitchers to throw strikes.. So in your world, the pitcher gets the advantage over a batter with a good eye...
So the coaching staff of both teams decided the passive aggressive route to harass a little league ump was acceptable. Solid teaching there.
Glad you see the bigger picture.
It was a high school game.
number 42 is not a little leaguer lmao
As an umpire with hundreds of games under my belt in the last few years alone, and certainly coaching before 2014, lol. This type of coaching behavior would never be condoned anywhere within 50 mi of where I umpire.
I have a suggestion to the author, instead of conspiring against the umpire with the other team, request a managers meeting with the umpire in question and have both managers discuss the strike zone with the umpire to see if it can be expanded a bit. This shows respect for the umpire and doesn't cause unwanted attention, and certainly horrible sportsmen optics to all of the spectators, including children who are watching.
@jonbiedermann79 usually not a bad writer, but you are right.
The umpire shouldn't have allowed you on the field in the first place since you're not in full uniform.
If your pitchers can locate in that zone, then have them. There's no need to get into a pissing match with the umpire. You guys should have figured out it was a tight strike zone by the 3rd batter. Adjust. Don't complain about walks when you know that it will be. Learn how to pitch to contact. Control what you can control, you can't control the strike zone, so don't try. Let your defense make some plays. Let your pitchers learn how to lead the dance. If your pitcher can control the corners, he can be pretty unbeatable.
Exactly!! That's the human element of baseball everyo e just wants to forget and expects everything perfect now
You admitted to having no direct affiliation with the game, you never should have even been on the field
Being the field umpire with a plate umpire like this is the most excruciating thing ever. No one is going to be upset at an umpire if their zone is slightly bigger and consistent. Awful.
So not true, as both a player all my life and an umpire for 5 years parents and coaches will complain about every call you make. Many Coaches and parents will complain regardless of your strikezone size, umpiring experience, and skill. These people are usually ones who have never umpired before and think that they can do better (they cannot). A bigger strikezone will result in the team hitting to bitch and a smaller strikezone will cause complaints from the fielding team. The key is to stay consistent and set the tone at the beginning of the game
Problem is then you're not teaching the kids the game, if the pitcher get's a wide zone, when and if he makes the bigs he's going to be shocked that the plate is really only 17" wide and that's all he gets. I had a game one time where both teams we so bad it was just a walk fest and it was a tournament so no time limit and it was 90+ degrees out. A gentleman came up to me and told me that I should widen the strike zone, I told him that is was so broad now that I was embarrassed.
@@johnchildress7594 I would hate to be your partner. The plate is 17” but the zone is 23”
@@johnchildress7594 The truth of the matter is the strike zone is called tighter in every higher level of the game. Major is tighter than the minor leagues and college is tighter than high school and so forth. Pitchers can still learn the game if the umpire is consistent and you force the batters to swing which makes the flow of the game tolerable.
Maybe in little league no, but as you get higher and higher, and your eye gets better and better, as a hitter, i disagree that a ball of is a strike, it needs to catch plate, a ball is a ball and a strike is a strike. In middle or hs sure ill take it, but w harder and better pitchers, a batter ahould be rewarded for having a good eye
I’m shocked you weren’t thrown out. Usually when umpires remove their mask and look into the dugout, especially if they proceed to approach the dugout, they’re looking to eject someone.
As an ex umpire, my strike zone was 24 inches. With that said, as I got older I started doing high school and junior college games. One game I will never forget is my very first college game. I actually knew a lot of the players and coaches in this particular game. Me, trying to be impressive in my first college game, was unintentionally calling the strike zone a little tighter than normal. After a the third inning, both coaches came out to me, pulling me away from the fans where nobody could hear what we were saying. They asked me nicely to loosen up the strike zone a little if possible. I said sure and the rest of the game went on without a hitch. I actually appreciated what they did and told them so after the game. Im curious to know how this umpire would have reacted to the these coaches doing the same thing?
Thanks for being an awful umpire. That's like giving a child a "B" when a "D" is deserved.
Buster, I too am an umpire and this umpire is so unprofessional to argue with a coach out loud. At the high school level you must give the pitchers a balls width off the plate. He is letting his ego get the best of him. Have a conversation with the coach in between innings in a respectable tone. Let the kids decide the game. Never address the fans because once you do, you have just opened up a can of worms . This guy is horrible! I am one of the most respected umpires in our area because I can communicate with the kids and coaches in a professional manner. I let the coaches know that I will give their pitchers a little bit of the corner to keep the game moving along. Nobody came to watch the kids walk around the bases!
@@rickromero1143 Exactly, and one point you just made is being respected. I was respected as well, I would get calls from teams I have never heard of because I was the one others would recommend to ump their games. They always would ask if I could be behind the plate. My point is, once you get that respect amongst the coaches, you would rarely hear a peep out of them during games. I have a feeling this ump did not have the respect of anyone in this league. Come to think of it, in my 10 years of coaching I never had to throw out a coach. I threw out on fan and that is it for me.
@@busterellis7188 Buster, it would be an honor and pleasure to work with you. We hold the same ideas and approach on how to manage a game! Maybe we can get that poor excuse of an umpire to come watch and learn on how to improve his game.!😉
@@rickromero1143 At a certain point though if a coach is just constantly giving you grief, you may have to yell a public warning. I agree though that he should not have argued with the coach so loudly. If that's going on for more than 1-2 comebacks, eject him and move on.
In the entire video, I never saw a true strike thrown by the pitcher. I once umped a game like this. The pitcher never came close to the strike zone. Finally, I told the opposing coach that their batters needed to start swinging the bat if it was at all close. After calling a couple pitches a strike, they got the message and started swinging the bat. They ended up killing the time with the bad pitcher, and it made the game much more enjoyable to watch.
I agree. Those were all balls
This is the only reason I'm here commenting. Those pitches looked terrible. And then to make a video about it while pretending to somehow have a strategy. No, just get a better pitcher.
This is NOT how you are supposed to interact with coaches, players, fans, or anyone. Questioning balls and strikes is grounds for ejection. All any umpire can do is work hard to maintain a consistency. Be it behind the plate, or on the bases.
True, but I've seen this kind of overly tight strike zone before.... it can completely ruin the game. The ump is the one who caused the situation.
makes it more fun for the players tbh
The Umpire lost the moment he responded to any criticism.
As a parent I must admit to embarrassing myself on occasion during my kids softball games. That being said I thank goodness it didn't make RUclips and am double thankful that I was not arrogant enough to "know" I was right and post it myself.
i quit umpiring years ago for all the above/below reasons. i still believe the parents/coaches should take turns- they seem to always know more anyway.
Maybe you quit because you just sucked? Not everyone should umpire.
@@MJHBaseball And this is why there is an umpire shortage across the nation.
@@MJHBaseball And maybe you're just one of those incredibly irritating know-it-alls who live vicariously through their kids and actually ruin amateur athletics for everyone? Not everyone should make RUclips videos....
Honesty, what you did was wrong. The coaches taking time between innings to have a polite discussion with the umpire is what should happen. Someone watching the game yelling at the umpire is a disruption and sets a horrible example for the youth playing. Reading the comments you see a mix of responses, some saying he called it to tight others saying he was fine. You are going to get refs/umpires no matter what sport you play that will call the game a bit different. Acting like a entitled spoiled child is NOT the way to address a problem with an official during a game. All I see here is you trying to make excuses for your behavior, please don't pull this kind of crap again. There are shortages of refs/umpires/officials across sports in general, and this kind of behavior is not helping that situation at all.
I dont agree, it seems like there is a serious issue with this umps strike zone.
@@nicholasriveness3202 I really don't get it, if the ump has a consistent, tight strike-zone, shouldn't the coaches get the pitchers to adjust? And if you want shorter/faster games then get the league to make some changes.
In my experience, a polite discussion with the umpire results in nothing. They just ignore what you say and keep on doing what they want. You need to publicly call them out.
Someone never played sports...
Lighten up Karen.
you cannot even tell if the balls are strikes or balls from this video.
Exactly!
I have done 9U all the way up to HS Varsity... when I give a ball inside and 1.5 outside, I never get any chirping on either side (even from the parents... )
I’ve been an umpire for over 30 years. There’s a way to talk to an umpire that will get your point across but not be demeaning. You should never conspire to get an umpire. A simple meeting with both umps would have handled the situation perfectly. “Hey you’re very consistent behind there and I appreciate that but we’ll be here all day if we don’t get a little bigger of a zone man. I’m not arguing as you’ve called everything great but this is HS not collect pros. We want everyone to swing.” Especially if both team mangers are in the conversation and are on the same page. This was a bad “teaching” moment.
BWWWAAHAHAHAHA.... a Coach thinks getting himself tossed is going to change an Umpire's calls in HIS team's favor?! *snort*.... *giggle*... been officiating youth sports since the mid-1980s including Ump for baseball. I basically ignore a Coach's complaints. If you have a QUESTION regarding the technical aspects of a non-judgement call you may ask politely and I will respond politely. Other than that... shut your mouth coach you ain't doing your team any good chewing on an Ump.
I thought the same thing, toss him and keep doing your thing.
Wow! A coach yelling like that to an umpire who had a good strike zone. Maybe coaches should stop thinking their pitchers can “paint” corners every pitch. I’ve been umpiring a long time this umpire had a lot of patience.
Anytime a spectator gets in the way of the game they lose. I don’t condone taking it that far if you’re a spectator. I think it’s wrong to say the coach sold you out. This coach probably has to see that ump again in the season and you want him to tear him a new one, doesn’t make sense to put your team in that position. The fact is you did extra, you said it yourself. If you had a kid on that team I’m sure he was embarrassed by you. No justification for that kind of behavior. Parents are the worst, especially the ones that think because they played little league and watch MLB that they are qualified pro’s.
Wow. You got almost everything wrong here. LOL. 1) taking it that far....Who took it too far? Yes, the umpire kept it going. "Some kind of strike zone." That's starting it. The rest was continued on and on and on by the umpire. 2) The coach selling me out was tongue-in-cheek as I had already said the coach approved of the action taken. (So did the other team coach BTW who actually complained first.) 3) I asked my "kid on the team....the catcher. He found it funny." The pitcher and center fielder were less approving. 4) There actually WAS justification for that behavior. First, his zone was terrible. Second, he kept asking me questions so I answered them. 5) Parents "can be the worst" yes. I agree. But I didn't play baseball and haven't watched MLB since they went on strike in 1994 to cancel the world series that year. I only coached and now umpire because my son fell in love with the game and so therefore I did too.
@@MJHBaseball
You don’t see my point and I definitely don’t agree with yours. Agree to disagree my friend.
@@MJHBaseball your whole video was wrong, lol. Your pitcher could not throw strikes. And you come off like a fool in the video.
@@MJHBaseball You should have shut your big fat yap and let the kids play and the ACTUAL coaches deal with the ump.
You're arguing balls and strikes. Have a nice afternoon in the parking lot, dude.
Can u blame him. The ump was brutal
Most of those balls looked like strikes. Dude had a major league strike zone for kids.
@@mikeymclucky I see brutal umps every week. I can’t get umps to understand we all want larger zone in kids games. I’ve won games by 9 runs and my team has been hitless (10 u). I typically just say woo good pitch that looked great when my pitcher is getting badly squeezed. I don’t get why we expect kids to throw it in a 17 inch square
@@mikeymclucky for calling balls and strikes?
@@dangomolchak7616 It’s not. Look at OBR. It’s online
great job coach, teach your players to whine and cry about umpires. listening to coaches and parents like you is much more frustrating
Really when umpires literally half the time don't pay attention throw people out of game for drawing a line to help them actually look I mean umpires abused their power too much so your comment has no validation
He wasn't even a coach, just some know it all spectator who makes RUclips videos.
Don’t talk to the umpire if you don’t want to be talked back to… don’t press the gas if you don’t wanna go fast bro
As an umpire you are suppose to be professional this is far from professional
"no more on balls and strikes" end of discussion.
I love your point…and it’s what I’ve always taught my umpires: Prove to me it’s a ball, not that it’s a strike.
They don't need to do that. It's a ball if they say it is.
That's literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It's a ball if no part of the baseball passes through the 3d plane (8.5 inches on the y-axis, 17 inches on the x-axis, and from the bottom of the kneecaps to the mid-point between the top of the shoulders and top of the pants on the z-axis). It is a strike if it does pass through. What do you mean _prove_ it's a ball and not a strike? It's the same thing.
@@sawmill035 The point I am making is that no matter how you type it, print it, describe it…the strike zone is a figment of your imagination. Just because it is defined doesn’t make it a reality. The box on the screen or in the computer can show it, but no matter how hard you try to be consistent and call it “by the book,” it’s still what the umpires eyes are trying to determine is that location. It’s not as easy as it looks, trust me on that.
As an umpire with over 20 years in the bank. I’d hate to work with this umpire. His zones tight as a pop can. I’ve never seen a zone THAT TIGHT! I like to give corners and be more generous the younger it goes but even in high school and college, the corners the corner. That’s a strike. Those balls at the belt. Those were easy and some beginner calls. Rookies would have that as a strike. This umpire needs coached up by other umpires. I hope he watched this film. Also it was hilarious how you say, “that’s when I let him know, it’s about to go down.” 🧐💁🏻♂️😂
i may disagree with some my umpires on some calls but than again i have diffrent angel, that doesn't mean i wouldn't work for them. I am sure they feel same with me. there just some umpires i wouldn't work with. i wouldn't either
those were balls lol
I was a ref for USA Hockey for 15 years and I worked with guys like where there is absolutely no subject to interpretation and literally 30 penalties are called. Games with refs/umps like this turn into shit shows every......single......time. As an official, you must know how to MANAGE a game, not police it. That technique has worked for me very well for over 5000 games worked.
Widening a strike zone is not as easy as it sounds. I pictured the zone in front of me, laser locked on the zone, and if the ball came into it, it was a strike. If it seemed to go outside of it, it was a ball. In practice, it took about half a ball on the outside corner for me to call it. Was that way for 15 years, and while I worked a few walk-a-thons, for the most part walks weren't that much higher in my games than others.
But when I consciously tried to widen my zone, my consistency went right out the window. I started thinking too much. "That pitch was three inches outside. Is that now a strike or not?" A pitch that's close gets called a ball, a pitch the catcher has to reach for is a strike, and nobody was happy, least of all me, as I took my umpiring very seriously.
I did have a game like this once when I was on the bases. The plate umpire that game was a guy who had a reputation for a tight zone and a hair-trigger temper. His problem wasn't wide/tight, it was up and down. He basically called belly button to mid-thigh. We had an incident like this and he screamed at the coaches far worse than this without tossing anyone. In the next game, I had the plate and there was a double play ball hit to short. From the B position, he called the runner on second out, pivoted too slowly so he blew the call at first (the runner clearly beat the throw), and in the same motion pivoted back and ejected the third base coach for saying "What?" That was the last game he worked for that league. I called the assigner to ask not to be assigned with him again (I had worked other games previously with him and they were always bad. He was one of only two I ever did this with in 15 years and in multiple states and associations), and both the previous game's coaches had already called.
I guess this is a rare situation in that I dislike everyone involved. The umpire might have been tight but the plate is the plate. You want the plate to be three feet, then change the rules. But he handled the interaction poorly. He should have told you to stop and then removed you from the game. Never get into a shouting match with anyone on the field. I like the channel but you acted like a jackass yelling at an official. Dig the plate up and make it however big you want. Yelling fifty feet at another human being because you think a kids game is not being officiated properly is ridiculous. This just teaches people to scream and yell until they get what they want. There’s a reason why there is a lack of people who want to officiate sports. Here’s a prime example.
Sounds like the tight strike zone bothers the parents more than the players. Let's be honest, most of these kids aren't going pro, it's just a way to keep them kids productive and off the street away from drugs.
It dont bother them because they will just stand there and draw walks
Ok, we all agree that including the ball the zone is 23 inches wide. Problem is how much wider people want it. The reason pitchers CANT throw strikes is they've been use to 30 inches or more wide. 24 inches is FINE for Varsity ball. Grow up!!!!
When I umped little league I would tell coaches that his players should come up swinging we was not going to have a walk a thon.
Thank you clarifying how to properly talk with an umpire towards the end. I have watched your videos for little league for years and really appreciate your explanation and analysis. Though I was concerned with how you got involved as a spectator, I understand why and your end goal as just a step to allow the coach to use you as you said but I still think the coaches could do that properly without your assist. Great video and thank you for your umpire support.
lol... so you use common sense?
also notice how he said dont yell at them.... after he was yelling at them
If this umpire did this several games in a row you just don't pay him before the game starts. Tell him why and use the other umpire. play with one short. Much better for your team and it sends a message to those in charge. TAH-DAH
From what I am seeing in this video the pitchers are missing their spots. Blue looks pretty good. Seems like you are composing about a whole lot of nothing. Typical blame the umpire when the pitcher is just plain off.
Some definitely could be called. It is a different view from being behind the plate
From what I see they are hitting there spots but not all the time I can see where your coming from
That's things when it's "about to get crazy"? The one thing I found crazy, how was crazy hypocritical the poster is.
As an umpire this is a pretty stressful game to watch it literally looks like this dudes strike zone is about an inch wide. He also can toss you for asking questions about his strike zone which is the one thing that is usually an automatic ejection is arguing balls and strikes
Actually any judgement calls i.e. safe/out, fair/foul, etc. are not up for debate from a coach. 'Technical' calls like a balk I'll allow a coach to respectfully ask what in the pitcher's motion triggered the balk call.
I agree. Where this umpire screwed up is engaging with the coach, time after time. The Umpire should have called time. Looked directly at the coach, I've heard enough on judgment calls, that's a warning. I hear it again, you're gone from the game.
So here's my deal...we've all had these games. The pitchers are struggling and they are throwing 50-50 pitches and nothing grooved down the heart of the plate. Are they strikes? Maybe yes, maybe no. 50-50. What i've found, especially in summer ball is that if you call one early in a count (and NEVER ring a kid up on one of those) it will get the pitcher and the batters in a groove and the game will start moving along. Is it outside your comfort zone as an official, absolutely. But does it get the game moving and progressing? You bet.
For school/season/college ball? They need to find the zone. But for summer ball when it's 10000 degrees and they are likely playing their 2nd or 3rd game of the day....let's get 1 or 2 of those borderline pitches and see what it does.
I umpired many years ago in the youth leagues in town. Most of the time I was the only ump. Two of the things I learned is 1: it's not easy and 2: you have to have a feel for the game you are umpiring. I agree that every pitch is a strike unless it is clearly a ball. If you are walking batter after batter and don't adjust that's just being stubborn. Maybe this ump was trying to force or "teach" the pitchers to throw the ball fully over the plate (which is wrong) but you also have to get the batters to start swinging. Hopefully after this the ump reflected on what went on and reevaluates how he calls pitches. I loved the comments from the spectators. Umping is easy until you do it.
you get the batters swinging by expanding the strike zone!
@@kyleh1919 and stop that nonsense at what age?
Exactly. I umpired mainly Little League for 33 years. In its discussion on the strike zone, the Little League Case Book even uses the exhortation, "Think strikes." The batter has a stick in his hand; he's supposed to use it. Having a feel for the level of play is important, too. As one of my fellow umpires, who I highly respected, would put it regarding the youngest age group, "If one stitch of the ball even thinks about entering the strike zone, I've got a strike."
@@Famijoly When the pitch was over the plate at the knees I always called it a strike even though the batter was at the back of the box and may be below the knees when the catcher caught it. One of the nicest off-hand compliments I received was after calling such a pitch a strike the batter gave the typical moan. His coach said to him, "You know he calls that pitch every time". Being consistent in the balls and strike calls was very important to me.
@@Famijoly yet....dont make the kid swing at something he cannot hit!
Wow that umpire jawing off like that is a bad sign
Have your pitcher throw strikes and he will call them. I have never had a problem with an umpire actually calling strikes. Calling strikes when they are in the other batters box is not baseball.
Those where strikes though half of em where even right down the middle
I’m glad you showed that umpire who was boss.
I think we can all agree that the zone was on the tight side and 100%, no one wants to come watch a game of walks.
That being said, as a game management tool, the umpire was baited, responded and handled the entire encounter incorrectly. Per your admission, you were not the manager or head coach for that game, so other than hello's and good afternoon's, we are not having a conversation/argument regarding calls, ever. The conversation should have been the umpire calling time, directing his comment to the team manager/head coach that this is the team warning for arguing balls and strikes and that further comments will result in an ejection; nothing else. When you opined again, you should have been immediately ejected. The head coach, assuming this was played under FED rules should have then been restricted to the dugout for the remainder of the game, or ejected depending on the circumstances. All the other non-sense about the size of the plate or do you want to get the gear on was unprofessional and makes all of us who don the gear look petty.
I had a game where my zone was not ideal... the HC for one of the teams, being well respected and known to be very civil to officials approached me between innings with his line up card out. To everyone in the stands it looked like he was making a change, but in reality, he was relaying to me that his hitter and even his catcher was saying my zone was really outside. Was he arguing balls and strikes? Technically, yes. But the way he went about it was about the only way that he was going to have a civil conversation and not show me up. And yes, I checked later with my partner and he agreed I was calling pretty wide in this game. Had the coach been yelling at me, the whole encounter would have been very different as would have been the result he was trying to accomplish.
Yes, exactly what I was thinking! I am disappointed with your behavior in this clip, especially as an umpire (you claim) and RUclipsr who had been putting out such good videos for years. I misunderstood what your channel is about. I will now be moving on.
So when an umpire completely messes up how to deal with a coach I should just ignore it? Not use it as a teaching lesson on how not to react to a coach. "At some point we need a strike zone." That's pretty tame. Everything that follows is the umpire's reaction.
"That's enough coach." Maybe just saying that and going back to the game would have been correct.
And yes, I think the coach/spectator here, who was me, should not deal with this in this manner, which is also covered in this video if you watch the whole thing. But if shelving this situation rather than using it on the channel because an umpire doesn't look so great does not help anyone. This is very poor game management and we need to do better than this.
@@MJHBaseball your pitcher sucked. That is not the umpire's fault. Get over yourself, champ.
@@MJHBaseball , It seems to me that the further away from city living, the less training and guidance these young umpires receive! I played the game and started umpiring when my boys started playing. I was doing younger districts and regional games in two years, I was being watched and taught how to handle situations and make calls by the state head umpire! Although he handled this wrong, I dobt that he learned from it. I personally would have told you, as a fan, to stop an I would have gone back the game. Fans and coaches have a right to complain but don't bring up a previous call that was made When I did a 9 - 10 yrs old game, ground rules included my strike zone! " Theres a book rule on the strike zone and I use every inch of it". One time only did a coach go immediately to his bench and tell his players to get the bats going " he has a big strike zone". The zone was adjusted accordingly. Theres so many things about baseball that most people don't know or understand that it takes years to learn.
Umpire must realize the more he crunches the strike zone, the longer the game and the more frustration.
I am an umpire and based solely on this video it appears the umpire has a tight zone. However, as long as he is consistent for both sides then you need to have your pitchers and hitters adjust. Yelling across the diamond is NOT the way to handle it. Approach the umpire calmly between innings and have a conversation, not an argument. This is probably a younger, less experienced umpire.
Agree.
100% all the inside stuff was inside.
Pls.. let players play and umpires ump.. parents are only fans and should enjoy the game ..
My guess is he's an experienced umpire used to higher levels. Maybe a guy used to working community college ball doing a high school or even high school JV game. I found it difficult dropping down a level or two, as did others in associations I worked in, as we weren't used to pitchers who had less control or catchers who didn't frame effectively.
@@eauhomme same here thanks for sharing.
Parents should not get involved with the umpires calls. PERIOD.
Parents get on my nerves. When I am up to bat, I don't need every parent yelling, "Hit the ball!" or "You gotta swing!". Parents ruin youth sports. Also, it is not the parents job to yell at the umpire. Let the coach talk to him if it was a bad call.
lol.... hate to break it to you kid, but if your folks can't come watch the games they won't be forking out the cash for you to play.
@@danielstith5227 My parents dont do this type of thing. They agree it is annoying
YTA that's not the way to make a change. "I never talk to the umpire" ah yeah right
“I wasn’t technically a coach”….so you had no reason to interject yourself…?
umpire here.
if you are bad at your job it doesnt matter if its the coach or a bystander, if im really that bad, im not gonna be suprised if im heckled by anyone. ive learned my harshest lessons by bystanders
It's obvious you've never had to deal with this. Umpiring is a tough gaig especially when you're not getting paid a whole heck of a lot so don't make it harder than it has to be the goal is to have fun not to be a jackass the coaches and players and for them not to be a jackass back to you.
@@slaymyface1357 if you’re an umpire, you know better than to allow anyone just walk out there, pretending to be a coach, for the purpose of stirring up emotion and getting ejected in a flippin travel baseball game.
@@slaymyface1357 umpire here, none of those pitches were strikes.
@@MopedJones then you need to reconsider. Even MLB umps widen the strikezone a little bit.
Yup, wonder why youth sports is having trouble finding officials?
Are they strikes!? Most dont look like it. If he’s dealing balls, THEY ARE CALLED A BALL!
So here is my question: under the rules the game was being played how wide should the strike zone be? Yeah, he quoted the major league rule, but they are probably using a different rule book. I say the ump should call the game by the rules under which the game is played. If the strike zone in the rule book is too narrow, that is something to take up with whomever is in charge of making/changing the rules, not the ump.
MY first Coaching experience was right outta college, I was recruited to coach a Little League team. MY son hadn't even been born yet. Normally what you got for umpires were high school boys who played themselves. In my personal opinion, they were the best. They gave the kids what they themselves would have wanted if they were the ones playing. Later, I coached a couple of travel teams, then the local high school squad which had a tradition of winning. This is just my personal observation, and I THINK I see it in this video. The ABSOLUTE worst umpires were guys who had EITHER never played the game OR their egos had far outpaced their abilities on the field. Fathers are to blame for a lot of this behavior. Umpies are human too, they have personal problems, etc. My Dad used to say, "I can go out and find you a good Coach today...try to go out and find a good Ump!"
My experience with high school kids has been exactly the opposite. They usually think they know everything but actually know nothing, and they cannot handle criticism or arguments.
I think I'll come over there next summer, call a game with my dad (gehrig's pap) and just dump you at the plate meeting. 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Joking of course. Your content makes me a better umpire.
Gehrig's Pap shows up in the next video going out today. It's B-Roll, but he's in there.
I'm always interested to hear the rationalizations of people who post videos of themselves acting immaturely, particularly when the behavior sets an example for youth.
I'm a former baseball/softball umpire. I did so for about 8 years. Mainly highschool level fastpitch softball games, with the occasional baseball game.
My strikezone was considered "small" "knees" to "letters" as far as height. And, as far as width, it was literally the width of the plate. If any part of the ball crossed over the plate, it was a strike. If it didn't, it wasn't. I did NOT give any leeway either way. If the ball was off the plate by even a centimeter, it was called a ball.
The strike zone was small, but it was consistent. And it took about 2 games, and 2 ejections, for the players and coaches to figure out that it wasn't going to change, no matter the situation, the score, the length of the game, etc. My strike zone was the same no matter what.
The players adjusted.
He called the only strike that was pitched correctly, most of the pitches are clearly off the plate or above the letters on the uniform. The plate is 17" as you show and the baseball is 2 3/4" so technically 22.5" if the ball actually hits the edges, which MOST of those pitches did NOT. A 1-1 ballgame and you want the zone expanded because your kid can't hit the plate is absurd.
Perfectly stated! If a stitch of the ball touches the 17”, it’s a strike. Thats NOT a “ball on either side”. His logic is dumb. He made a fool of himself and he made a mockery of the game.
@@ToddThomas I rarely comment on videos, but this one was so bad I can't help myself. That kid couldn't pitch. And the guy that makes the video sounds like a damn fool.
@@MopedJones I agree completely. My first thought was how he shouldn’t be near a baseball field. His argument is senseless and motive for making it bad for the game.
I love umpiring too sir. And u are absolutely correct with your observations
I’ve coached a long time and I used to be the guy that would argue with umps & I finally figured out that 90% it doesn’t help.
Don’t get me wrong, if something needs addressed I’ll go out there and if I need to get tossed to stand up for my boys, I will.
But EVERYONE knows you can’t argue balls and strikes. You’re literally just wasting your time and making yourself look stupid:
As long as the zone is consistent, who cares? Tell your boys to attack pitches they can drive and move on!
Agreed. But, this time his zone did change after this.
Sure it did…..
@@KylesDaddy100 It did you can tell from the actual video
This umpire tottally unprofessional and horrible! He thinks the mlb is gonna call him up!! Coach you were calmer then tame!! Horrible blue. The game belongs to the players not the "refs"Also whover the loud mouth parents were shuddyuppppahhhhhhh let the coach "coach"...Unreal
It’s difficult to tell just how the umpire is doing from an off-angle view from behind the plate. You ARE correct about the width of the strike zone, but the “conversation” might have been more effective if coaches from both teams met quietly with the umpires between innings. Again, it’s difficult to say, without seeing the entire game. And while it’s been awhile, I used to umpire at this level. If anything, I tended to be a pitcher’s umpire, though obviously, the zone does change depending on the level of each league, and even with a generous strike zone, there WILL be games that turn into walkfests. It happens.
Umpires can also have bad days, just as pitchers do. I found I had my best games when the pitcher was able to hit those edges of the strike zone.
If a quiet word doesn’t work, then I suggest that both team head coaches get together after the game, and have the league commissioner or Athletic Directors have a phone call with the umpire who assigns the games. Assigners aren’t usually at the game in question, as they are usually officiating in their own games. I would just have the assigner speak with the umpire about opening up the zone a bit, but this feedback will only work if the criticism comes from BOTH teams, or from several games.
I would also point out to the assigner, as mentioned in this video, “Hey, he’s consistent, which is a good thing. He’s just a little too tight for this level of ball.” That at least doesn’t sound like a coach with sour grapes blaming a loss on an umpire. I know this might not help in this game, but it may help improve the quality of the umpiring down the road, as I can tell you that we always strove to improve our skills as umpires.
And don’t forget, umpiring is a small world, especially nowadays, when it’s difficult to find umpires. That means you will likely be seeing this guy again. Hopefully, he’ll have a better game (like players, umpires can have “off days” behind the plate). If he DOES call a good game in future, then let him know after the game. If he has another game like this, wait until after the game, and quietly say to him something like, “Your strike zone is consistent, but it’s a little too tight for these pitchers.” Pad the criticism with some praise, in a non controversial manner. He looks young, and is likely still learning.
But in all fairness, if I were his partner, I’d have to tell him during the game that he shouldn’t start changing the zone. It only leads to trouble. It’s something to work on for the next game. Consistency is very important in umpiring. One thing I learned very quickly is that every decision an umpire makes is going to make someone unhappy. We aren’t going to win popularity contests, no matter how well we do our job. And we’re not THERE to win popularity contests. The best games are the ones in which we are not noticed. And I was fortunate; I rarely had to eject anyone.
Gotta laugh at all the “Soccer Moms”…..😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Seems like his zone is spot on. Just because this isn't the pros doesn't change the strike zone. It is the only definitive rule in baseball but every umpire has "their own zone."
No its not not when almost all of those pitches where 100% strikes
@Allen Clanton Yes the strike zone is defined and is not up for interpretation. Also, this off camber view doesn't show you exactly where the pitches are. The catcher has a lazy mitt and could be losing calls as well. This video doesn't tell the entire story. Maybe he missed some, but most of the calls seemed correct.
@@matthewdiaz6478 Dude those are strikes no way around it my man.
@@matthewdiaz6478 He missed all of them you gotta be blind to think majority of those where balls
@@allenclanton9444 Or you have to be a bad umpire to think they were strikes.
I would LOVE to have an umpire ask me "do you want to get the gear on?" ....yup, be right back. :)
so instead of taking your opportunity away from spectators, your team decided to yell across the field......... you handled it poorly.
My favorite part of the video is the him acting like this was some sort of strategy. I have a better strategy. Have your pitcher throw strikes. None of those looked like good pitches.
@@MopedJones You are crazy af if you dont think any of those where good pitchers half of those where 100% strikes
@@allenclanton9444 and yet not one batter swung at any of them.....
@@mptr1783 No need to when ump is not gonna call them strikes lol .... like come on man not sure what you are hinting at by your comment
@@mptr1783 If a team knows a ump is not going to call strikes why would you not just stand there and take walks instead of swinging the bat and potentially going down swinging or hit into outs
?
i had an empire like this, I know how the pitcher feels. When I was pitching he called nothing.
I’m an ump been for 18 years and sorry to say that is an extremely tight strike zone. Plus his stance is incorrect. He’s standing above the catcher and not in the slot and his feet are even as opposed to having his outside foot forward. He needs to evaluate his game and readjust. It’s hard to do I know because I had to do that myself recently. The way he’s calling only benefits the offense and cheating the defense team. Don’t make the game about yourself a good umpire will not be felt in the game.
Hes absolutely in the slot.
There is nothing wrong with his positioning. He's more in the slot than I ever was. The one problem with where he is is that it is difficult to accurately judge the outside corner. Working more behind the catcher as I did, I could see the outside corner very well but occasionally got blocked out by the catcher on low pitches.
@@eauhomme if you worked the slot properly you don’t miss that outside pitch regardless if the catcher gets up or not.
@@kelsoe_ what video are you watching? The one I just watched he’s standing slightly above the catchers head and feet are almost even. The slot must have the front foot in a 45 degree angle. Can’t do that when you’re hiding behind the catcher.
@@harshtimes23 Funny how many major league umpires have trouble with the outside pitch.
Best youth baseball breakdowns on RUclips. So educational!
My son is pitcher. He doesn't throw super hard, but has very good at location. I know that he gets very frustrated when the Ump won't give him the corners or edges. After the game I talked to him and he gave the same 17" response. I told him it was actually 23" when you consider the ball clipping the corners or edge of the plate. Next time we had that Ump he had less tight strike zone.
Wow you are a hero
You're in the wrong here. He's absolutely right when he talks about the 17 inches. There's a plate for a reason. Good umpire
if he is consistent on both sides then you have nothing to complain anout
9:00 Coach comes onto the field... IMMEDIATE AND AUTOMATIC EJECTION... no warning... no questions... no responding to the Coach. Leave now... If you aren't off the field by a 10 count headed to the parking lot by a 30 count... forfeit.... simple as that.
My warning is "Coach, what did you say?" If he answers with anything at all, after clearly yelling, he's tossed. If he doesn't, we play ball till he does it again and then call time and eject him
@@mac100percent Yeah I'll go with that if it is shouts from the sidelines or dugout... you come on the field of play Coach without invitation you're gone.
...narrated by kevin during the Wonder Years
You trusted a woman that knows nothing about baseball and asked her about the zone. I bet she couldn’t explain the definition of the strike zone in the rule book. If you’re not a part of the game, be quiet or else you won’t have officials
I watched the first minute and a half, and didn't see a single strike. So why would I watch the rest of the video? To see people used to getting their way complain about a sports official doing his job?
lol, same here.
Ok, Im going to give my 2 cents. I think this umpire is possibly a college umpire doing a high school game, and sometimes, its harder to go down and change your zone. He looks the part. Right or wrong, sometimes it happens....you get a tight zone or sometimes you get a wide zone. MJH makes it seem that the wide zone is acceptabel.........but, I've seen tons of videos(his included) that ridicule the huge zone also. I think the best thing that came out of this video was the coach who got together with both umpires between innings and in friendly way, seemed to get the point across. Do you really think ANY umpire wants to be on the field longer?
I don't recall any mjh videos that complained about the strike zone at all. Correct me if I'm wrong. And yes, even in the video the guy said it was better to be the "nice" coach and talk calmly outside of spectators hearing like at the end.
As a High School umpire and below, this umpire needs basic training. I've done hundreds of games and never got into a detailed argument. It's pretty simple, I just say, "In my judgement, XYZ happened". Coaches know they can't argue judgement calls. So two things going on here... the umpire is having a really, really, bad day, and he doesn't know how to set expectations so these 'arguments' never happen in the first place. Training will help.
@@jonbiedermann79 Agreed. There's no way that guy is a college ump, he'd get himself in all sorts of trouble with that demeanor.
MP, there is no way in hell this guy is a college umpire. First of all, you do not get into shouting matches with coaches and ask if they want to put the gear on. That is so unprofessional and reeks of lack of confidence. Second of all ,his positioning behind the plate is incorrect. He should be in the slot between the batter and the catcher. He is limiting his view on low pitches. I wouldn't hire this guy to do a pinto game!
Those were all balls. Who ever said the dirt on the side of the plate is strike. You hit the plate or it's a ball. Why do you want to take the bat out of the batters hands.
This umpire has an excellent strike zone
No he dont lmao
@MJH-Baseball what Elite team is this? Might run into you this season as I’m also in West Michigan. Enjoy your videos!
Im sorry, i might be the only one who supports this umpire. But this guy is obviously professionally trained. I can tell just by seeing his mechanics, that he has been to professional umpire school. IS he tight? Yes, but it is what it is. Play on or go home.
Very likely you are correct, but his game management and handling of a simple "we need some kind of strike zone." I mean, what professional umpire responds like he does? What umpire keeps arguing in the middle of the game with an assistant coach? This went on for 60 seconds. I get he needed to do something, but my god, he just kept going and going.
@@MJHBaseball this is what happens whena professionally trained umpire gets assigned a travel ball game. This is why i stopped working high school and below, bc coaches dont appreciate good quality umpiring. And he probably has some Minor league experience, where what he did is the norm. I have no problem with this at all.
@@MJHBaseball Have you ever thought about having your pitcher throw actual strikes? Most of those pitches looked awful.
Sounds like the strike zone was consistent and the same for both teams. Let the ump do his job. Calling balls and strikes is NOT your job. Players need to adjust. If you don't have umps, you will have no games. "Don't be that coach that yells across the diamond like an idiot" but it's okay for me to do it as a parent.
2 coaches should have found his car in lot and then parked their cars on either side of blues car so close he cant get in. Just to remind him of what a "tight zone" might look like.
The real problem is that bad umpires call a sloppy zone and players/coaches get used to it and expect balls to be called strikes. Then when you get an umpire that knows the strike zone and calls it, you don’t like it. This would all be solved if umpires know the strike zone and call it.
Took the words right out of my mouth! Welcome to my world behind home plate.
Just another "coach" adding to the shortage of umpires. Pretty soon they will be out there yelling at themselves because we won't have any games anymore. Good job!
His zone was his zone. Both teams are dealing with the zone. You don't reward almost a strike because you want the game to go faster
No but you dont call every pitch a ball like this umpire who tf wants to sit through a game where nobody will swing the bat and you know as a player you dont have to because ump is calling it a ball?
I mean from watching video i can say 100% i would have called about 85% of the pitches in this video a strike
Can't you just talk to him without having to orchestrate anything?
I think they are both dorks