Guest Editorial by Homer Matheny USSSA Umpire Expressway Park Milford, Ohio

Guest Editorial by Homer Matheny USSSA Umpire Expressway Park Milford, Ohio EDITOR’S NOTE: Homer Matheny, veteran All-City third baseman for Freeze/Arnold/BW3/Easton, became a softball umpire in 2005. Although he originally believed it would not me much of a challenge, he has discovered that it demands more hard work, mental toughness, and people skills than he ever envisioned. Below Matheny shares some valuable insights from his experiences as an umpire, urging players and managers to have more respect for the game and its officials until they’ve tried it themselves. I have been given the opportunity to umpire leagues and tournaments at Expressway Park in Milford, Ohio. I have attended the required classes the past two years and met all the requirements to call balls, strikes, and outs. After years of playing softball, I wanted to look at the game from another angle. Umpiring at Expressway Park has given me that new view of the game. Last year was the first year of being an umpire and I quickly learned it was a difficult job. I love to sit and discuss the game. And it is easy to talk balls and strikes and outs while you are in the bleachers. It is a totally different approach, however, to be in the middle of a game in action. I wanted the opportunity to prove to the umpire nation that this “gig” was not that difficult. I have learned otherwise. Managing players, coaches, and fans can also be a big part of the game. One must be able to explain decisions and situations to all levels of players. This can be challenging when some fans, players and scorekeepers are still unsure of such rulings as the infield fly, batter’s box, and pitching guidelines. Every level of team usually has at least one player that knows very little about the rules. This is usually the player that will always speak up first, too. I know our Freeze team has a couple. Knowing all the rules is not a requirement to play the game, though. An understanding is expected, but in depth knowledge is no requirement. This is why there are coaches or experienced players on each team. What is expected is a level of decorum satisfactory to the social atmosphere. I have always been one to enforce the rules whether in softball, golf, or life. Structure is a good thing. A problem begins when behavior of grown men starts to step outside these lines. An umpire has many responsibilities on the field. They are expected to get EVERY call right. Does this ever happen? Not very much. Can an umpire ever perform to the level of players’ expectations? We can try. Every umpire should hustle. Every umpire should try and complete each game without any confrontations and try to go unnoticed. Every umpire should know the rules. Every umpire should expend all energy necessary to enforce a fair playing field. Many umpires are umpiring because they like the game of softball and want to contribute to the game in some other way than playing. Players wonder why the ump missed a call or how the umpire could make a mistake. Until you have respect for the game and put yourself between the lines as the umpire, you should think twice before acting out of character. Many players are the nicest people you can ever talk to off the field, until they get on the field. Competitive nature takes over and the beast comes out. I know. I have always been vocal but cordial with umpires through the years. I was the first to bring up a point and many times try to get the last words in with an umpire. This umpiring experience has made me realize the work and mental toughness it takes to be an umpire. A competitive instinct seems to always come out in a player after a close call. I am not saying that the initial outburst is wrong, but the player cannot always use the excuse of being “caught up” in the game. Umpires are taught to make quick, forceful decisions after the play has been completed. If a call does not go his way, a player will quickly question the umpire’s decision. Remember, as a player, to pause, take a deep breath, and continue the remarks with the umpire in a normal tone of voice. I am definitely not asking a player to take the competitive edge out of their mindset; but, pause and regroup before going too far. The umpire in question will be much more receptive to your questions once the sharpness of your voice is retired. A quick, snappy, verbal jab could get you a quick, snappy exit. Always feel free to question the umpire’s hustle and make sure you and the umpire discuss a rule, if in question. But make sure you - as a player or coach - have done your homework and everything possible to represent your team well before acting out of character. Too many times after a team has committed four or five errors in the 7th, the team wants to blame the umpire for losing the game. Softball can be played with common sense. Very few, if any, games have ended without a team making errors. The next time you get ready to “act up” at a softball game toward the umpire, make sure you and your team have done what you needed to do to be the winning team. And realize softball is not life. It is only a very small portion of a bigger world. Have fun. If you want the experience of being an umpire, check with your local park for instructions and classes. In My Opnion by Ron Jeffers This is the forth in our series of articles featuring drills umpire groups can use in the instruction of new and veteran umpires. This month’s drill requires the use of a pitcher, catcher, batter and plate umpire. The drill is somewhat different for slow pitch than it is for fast pitch. If the drill is for fast pitch, you will need someone to pitch the ball that has some fast pitch pitching skills and experience, but almost anyone can and will be able to fulfill the pitcher’s role of a slow pitch pitcher for the purposes of this drill. This drill is different for the ASA game than it is for the USSSA game, because in ASA play the umpire is mandated to vocally call “Illegal Pitch” or “Illegal” and extend his left arm straight out to his side as soon as the pitcher does anything that make that pitch illegal. In USSSA play, the pitch is not vocally called “Illegal” until after the ball has passed the batter or hits the ground. For the drill we will discuss here today we will use the ASA mechanics and rules, but you can easily adapt the drill to USSSA play if that is better for your umpires. Select someone to pitch who will take the drill seriously, and someone who will not try to clown around and turn this event into a circus. Instruct the batter to never ever hit the ball, but to occasionally swing at a pitch in a manner where he does not come close to hitting it. Have the batter take a position deep in the batter’s box, and only move up to where he is parallel with the plate, when he gets a count of three balls on him. Now we are ready to start the drill. Prior to the pitcher delivering his first pitch have the umpire hold both hands high above his head until everyone is ready to play. The umpire should then bring his hands down and point at the pitcher with his right hand while saying “Play Ball” or Play.” The pitcher will now deliver the first pitch. Check the umpire’s stance behind the catcher to make certain his feet are at least shoulder width apart and parallel with one another. You will find that many slow pitch umpires have their feet and body facing first base while turning their head toward the pitcher, and this should be corrected immediately. The feet, body and head of the plate umpire should all be facing the pitcher at all times. When a pitch is swung at and missed by the batter the umpire should be taught to give the strike signal, and if desired say “strike” in a soft voice. Do not allow the umpire to make a big vocal call on an obvious swinging strike for this does nothing but bring embarrassment and humiliation to the player. A called strike needs a solid vocal call, with even more voice used when the strike is the third strike on the batter, but no call by the umpire should ever be one that humiliates any player. Learning to sell a call without sticking the call up the players’ rear end is imperative. Many umpires, for some unknown reason, do not vocally say anything when a pitch is out of the strike zone and ruled a “ball,” but this is as wrong as two left feet. A pitch ruled a “ball” is not nothing, and it deserves a call. The call of “ball” should be made with a short burst of the voice much like a dog’s bark, and it should be made while the umpire keeps his head locked straight ahead, and his body remains in the down position. The call of “strike” is only made after the umpire comes to an upright position, and the signal is made by the umpire raising his right hand high in the air, with the palm of the hand facing his right ear.

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