What is your personal story of the worst call by an ump?

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Permalink Reply by David LeVine on September 21, 2012 at 6:40am

I have a good one.  My runner was stealing 2nd.  This is an adult league.  As you know, in just about all leagues, the player must slide directly to the bag which is what he did.  When he slid, he knocked the ball out of the glove and it rolled away which everyone saw.  The ump called him out.  I went out to ask why and he said my runner interfered with the play so therefore he is out.  The umpire agreed with me the ball getting loose was not intentional.  He also agreed with me the runner slid directly to the bag but he still called him out since he interfered with the fielder making the play.  I asked him isn't that what a runner stealing is suppose to do?  Once again he agreed.  I walked off the field still not understanding the call even to this day.

 

The sad part is he is one of the higher umps in charge of the others.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Richards on September 21, 2012 at 7:32am

Yes that is pretty ridiculous but unfortunately, too common in adult league baseball.  After a call like that I sometimes ask the ump if he has ever seen a baseball game.  They usually go into a long speal about calling division 1 NCAA games and High School state championships etc.  I follow up by saying "There is no doubt why you have been demoted to Sunday adult league".

This "slide rule" or "collision rule" if called correctly 50% of the time would be a 500% improvement.  In other words, they get it wrong 9 times out of 10.  I was at short covering second on an overthrow to first.  When the runner tried to make it to second, the throw beat him so far that I came off the bag to tag him expecting him to stop and get in a rundown.  Instead he dove into the air.  I stepped to the side to apply the tag and avoid contact.  He swung his fist at my glove and punched the ball out.  The umpire called him safe.  Unbelievable.

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Permalink Reply by David LeVine on September 24, 2012 at 6:54am

I have even a better one that happened this summer.  Runners on 1st and 2nd with less than 2 outs.  Ball popped up in the air and my catcher is camped out under it just in front of homeplate.  I am mentioning to the ump it's an infield fly.  He tells me the catcher is not an infielder so no infield fly rule exists.  We got the out anyways.  I mention to him there are only two choices for players.  One is an infielder and the other is an outfielder.  If they catcher is not an infielder what is he?

 

He never did give me my answer. 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Richards on September 24, 2012 at 8:48am

You could have blown his mind by explaining that an outfielder coming in to make a catch is still an infield fly.

 

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Permalink Reply by David LeVine on September 24, 2012 at 10:15am

I didn't think about it at the time but he would have most likely freaked out if I did.

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Permalink Reply by Garry Lee on October 7, 2012 at 1:36pm

When I was a Junior in high school, I had a full count on me during an at-bat. The kid pitching was throwing with decent velocity and threw one up and in and hit me in the hand. I started jogging down to 1st and the umpire started yelling at me to get back in the box because it was a foul ball. I ripped off my batting glove and to show him my already swelling thumb/hand. He glares at me and tells me not to question his authority and to "shut the hell up and get back in the box." The count's still full and I proceed to keep battling. I fouled off probably 5 pitches and after each one I step out for signs and he says after each one, "That's a foul ball, just like the one you complained about." Somehow or another, I manage to hit a double and get knocked in later in the inning. As I cross the plate, he's still trying to like bait me about it. I had to leave the game because I couldn't move my thumb. Turned out that I totally tore the UCL in my thumb and missed 3 months, knocking me out for the rest of our season. I am not so upset that he absolutely blew the call, but more so that he decided to make it a personal feud just because I showed him my hand. I didn't argue, I didn't cuss or do anything besides show him that the ball got me. Sad that a grown man was acting more immature than a bunch of kids in high school. 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Richards on October 7, 2012 at 6:42pm

Do you feel like adrenaline helped you complete the at bat and get the double?  I have been mad at the umpire for a bad call and something in me just changes and I see the ball better and feel stronger.  I have hit bombs right after getting a bad call.  The last time was in a game when I hit two out.  The first one was on a 3-0 count but with a runner on 3rd and 2 outs, I took a big swing and connected for a homer.  The next time up with a runner on 1st and no out and another 3-0 count I was just trying to take a walk to push the runner up.  The pitch was in the dirt inside but the clown called it a strike.  I was so ticked off that on the verry next pitch that was a fast ball over my head, I hit it further than the last.  I think they wanted to walk me but after the bad call, I got fired up an knocked the crap out of it. 

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Permalink Reply by Garry Lee on October 8, 2012 at 12:06am

I would say so. I didn't even feel pain. The only reason I had to leave the game was because the swelling was so bad that I couldn't grip a bat. As far as the adrenaline goes too, I would say I felt it more on the mound than in the box. When I was getting squeezed, I almost felt defiant and was like, "Fine, I will just attack the zone and still make this kid look bad." After I would get jobbed, I always felt back like I could rear back and get some extra zip on it!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Richards on October 8, 2012 at 6:34am

One day this guy kept stepping out of the box on me to upset my rhythm.  I cut loose a fastball that went between the heads of my catcher and the umpire and did not drop all the way to the back stop.  I wish that pitch was on the radar gun.  I top out in the low to mid 80s but I know that one broke 90.  The catcher could not even move his glove 12 inches to catch it and it was not over his head.  The batter said WHOOOO! after that pitch.  It did not hurt to throw it either.  I wish I could tap into that all the time.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Richards on October 8, 2012 at 11:47am

Back on the subject of the umpires; why do they get that attitude and carry it through the whole game or even the entire season?  People say "hey they are just human".  I want that excuse when I argue with an umpire and he throws me out.  I am just human.  If we are expected to excuse these guys, a bad call is one thing but getting an attitude is another, then it should go both ways and they should not be so quick to eject someone.  If "bad calls are part of the game" then arguing a bad call is too.  Look at that horrible call Friday night in the Braves game on the base hit to left that was called an infield fly rule.  That umpire got an earfull from Fredi Gonzalez and he did not get ejected.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Richards on November 19, 2012 at 9:59am

Read my comment about a horrible one two punch of bad calls on one play.  At least the second bad call got it right. 

http://www.checkswing.com/xn/detail/2099111:Photo:269901?xg_source=...

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