You and the manager are likely to get mad at the umpire, but keep your cool
It’s been a while since I have posted, but there’s been something on my mind lately. I am up here in Northern California playing at a high-A level of professional baseball. And the minor leagues come with its own umpires. Yes, they are professional umpires. But these umps are also minor league umps, as in: they are not Major League umps.
Now, I do not envy the umpires job one bit. Every close call is going to make you an enemy on one side of the call or the other. The fans yell at you. You get called “Blue” even when you are wearing black. And all umpires make mistakes. It’s just that minor league umpires make more mistakes.
There are going to be days when you notice that the ump isn’t making the right calls. Perhaps you are fooling the ump too much because your knuckleball is moving too much. Maybe the ump sets up inside and doesn’t call a good outside corner. And, the most common mistake of all, the ump won’t give you the call when the catcher moves his glove too much to catch the pitch.
Now, the movement of the glove, or even if the catcher misses the pitch cause your knuck is nasty, shouldn’t influence the call of balls and strikes. But it does. And you have to accept that. You have to expect that as a knuckleball pitcher.
When this happens, do not show up the umpire. Do not sulk, lower your shoulders or say anything out loud. Get back on the rubber, put your head down and focus on the next pitch. Let your manager talk to the ump in his own way. Let him plead your case.
Your job, whether you like it or not, is to focus on the next pitch. Period. Do that and no calls will get to you. You’ll be untouchable.
Although, it is easier said than done. That’s what I struggled with last game.