Hurry it Up…Blue
By Chris Kamler
It is the most answered reason why people are turning off to Baseball. It is the single reason why people are tuning in to football and hockey. It is also the greatest challenge we as umpires face in the amateur leagues. Speed of games is killing baseball.
I hear umpires complain all the time that their games just seem to drag along. "This guy called time after every pitch," or "we started 15 minutes late because the guy wouldn’t stop hitting infield". So, I go and watch the umpires work. I see some of their routines. I understand why their 2:00 hour game lasts 2:35. Or their 2:00 hour game ends in the bottom of the third inning. Those are all things umpires have control over, but don’t realize it.
Don’t get me wrong, I see the things players do—first in the major leagues, then about a week later, in the little leagues. Adjusting your Velcro. Adjusting your cup. Walking off the mound. Walking out to centerfield between innings. Four minute breaks between innings so Krylon can sell another can of spray paint. A pitcher standing on the mound waiting for his catcher to warm him up. These are things we see when we pay our $8.00 to see a ball game. No wonder kids pick up on these things.
There are little things you can do which will speed up your game. I’m not trying to start a campaign to get the average time of an American League game under 3:00 hours, I’m just trying to ensure that some kid gets that extra at bat, or that third baseman sees an extra 5 plays.
I will guarantee you, however, that if you try these tips, your games will get over faster, or if your league uses time limits, your games will get further in that amount of time. They work. Period. This list was created for my league, so not all of the rules apply, but most do.
Before the Game:
Start the game on time! If your game time is 6:00, there is no reason that official game time should be 6:05. If you are at the field and ready to play, tell the coach that the game starts at 6 whether or not he’s hitting it around one more time.
Have the home team take infield last and stay on the field. Saves a few seconds.
Report to the field 5 minutes or more, in uniform, together, ready to work. That is the point that coaches should be wrapping up their infield.
Have a positive comment for the inevitable comment, "Got a date, Blue?" Tell the coach, "I’m just trying to get you the full amount of baseball that you paid for." Stick that in his pipe and smoke it.
Between Games:
Notify incoming teams that game time is in 15 minutes. The NKCA has no rule requiring a team to take infield. As soon as you’re back at the field and ready, play ball.
You don’t need a hotdog between games, do you? That hotdog isn’t going to keep you from starving, it’s not that good anyway, plus you don’t look professional with a mustard stain on your shirt.
Eliminate the necessity to chat. Umpires in the changing room have the tendency to get into high "war story" mode when standing in their jock straps and shin guards. Get in, change, and get out. Chat after the game over a beer in the parking lot. Don’t waste the next game’s time.
During the Game:
The biggest thing I can say here is hustle. Hustle, hustle, hustle. No reason not to. A team on the verge of mailing it in may see an energetic umpiring crew and suddenly turn it back on. (It could happen).
With no one on, after a passed ball, throw another one from your bag to the pitcher, or hand it to the catcher. Let the on-deck batter or catcher retrieve the ball. Better yet, run for it yourself. Might just wake you up. It takes about an inning for the pitcher to figure out the rhythm, but it really speeds things up.
Enforce the mandatory courtesy-runner for the catcher rule with two outs. Hustle the exchange of players and see that the catcher is taking that time to gear up, not to have a cold one and chat with the girls in the front row.
Know your catchers. They have as much to do with the rhythm of the game as you do. Hustle for them and they’ll hustle for you.
Limit the "fashion breaks." These aren’t as bad in the little leagues, but in the NKCA we have the foot in the box rule. Keep them in the box--plain and simple. If they have to adjust, they can do it without taking 3 steps back to the bench. You always have the ability to call a strike on the batter if, after repeated warnings, he still goes roaming.
Limit conferences. Your baseball instincts should govern how much time is too much, but be firm when you do go out to the mound. Limit excessive signals by the third base coach, too. (How many ways can you say hit away with 2 outs and nobody on?)
Between Innings:
I think this is the best time to speed up the game. We don’t have the restrictions professional baseball people do about TV time, etc. Five – Seven pitches and send it.
Don’t meet your partner between innings. You should only come in to talk to your partner at times where you need to talk about rules, or notify your partner of something. Otherwise, base umpires, take your position in short right field. Plate umpires, find the team that hates you least and stand near the foul line on that side, a few feet up from home.
Never meet your partner between innings following an ejection or argument.
If you feel comfortable doing it, clap your hands, speed the players to their positions, "hustle in, hustle out" between innings. Hustling can be fun.
Limit warm-up pitches to 5 unless: it’s a new pitcher, it’s cold, pitcher requests the full 7 for some reason. Be reasonable, but if it’s warm, and they don’t put up a stink, give them 5. 12 out of 14 times a game, you can cut that much off the delay.
Call for a coach to warm up a pitcher if the catcher is not ready.
Have another ball ready if there is a passed ball. This is a great way to keep warm, and your catchers will appreciate it too—especially if their pitcher stinks.
These are things that if done with common sense, and done without ulterior motive, can significantly speed up your game. Which in turn gets the kids more experience, makes the games better, and makes you a better umpire because of it. Simple, huh?