Knowing Baseball
by Matthew Hordyk
Often, the plays in baseball that confuse an umpire are the ones that he least expects. These include the hidden-ball trick, snap-throw pickoffs, and all sorts of gimmicks that managers employ to get an advantage. Indeed, the reason they are so difficult to anticipate is the very reason they are done in the first place: to surprise the other team. Unfortunately, often the umpire is surprised as well, and is out of position to make the call, or, even worse, misses the play entirely.
Another sticky area for umpires is "the spirit of the rules." Yes, the rulebook says that the runner should be out, but tell that to the irate offensive manager, the defensive manager scratching his head, and everyone else other than your partner. This is where an umpire appears overbearing, arrogant, and out of control.
What hope can an umpire possibly have in situations like these? If those plays are so tricky, then he might as well guess, right? The answer is found in experience, but not as just an umpire. The best way to deal with these situations is to be a student of baseball itself. In this way an umpire best has a feel for the various situations that may arise when he is on the field. Running through them in his head, he can develop a course of action before the trick play or t®MD+IT¯echnicality occurs. When a situation presents itself, he can better anticipate what may happen.
Of course, this means that the umpire must have his head in the game, just as much if not more so than the player. If there is the possibility of a hit-and-run, for example, the base umpire must recognize it and be on the lookout for a collision between the runner and a fielder, or for the ball hitting the runner. If it looks like there is going to be a hidden-ball trick, he must keep his eye on the runner and the fielder while, out of the corner of his eye, ensuring that the pitcher doesn't get on the rubber.
Alertness in recognizing situations and knowledge of what could happen in those situations are some of what an umpire must have to avoid looking incompetent. However, they don't deal with the thorniest issues of all: understanding baseball and those who take part in it.
As an umpire, I am often thankful for my years that I played, because I find myself dealing with players and coaches that are feeling the same emotions that I felt in those same circumstances. Thinking back to what I was going through allows me to decide on what would work best for defusing the situation, and more importantly, what to avoid.
In general, the best tool an umpire can have is a thorough understanding of baseball: its concepts, its strategy, and of course, its rules. From that understanding an umpire can look at the larger picture surrounding any given situation and take a solid course of action that is acceptable by both the rules and the people involved.
Matthew Hordyk is a political science/prelaw major on an ROTC scholarship at St. John's University in Collegeville, MN. This will be my fifth season umpiring. He has worked LL baseball/softball, Babe Ruth baseball, and up to U16 AAU baseball including the 1997 LL Major and Senior League state softball tournaments, the 1998 LL Major state softball tournament, and the 1998 LL Central Region Major Softball Tournament. His hobbies are baseball, watching the Green Bay Packers, and his girlfriend, Angie.
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