Newer umpires sometimes think if they master the rules and mechanics and have good judgment their careers will take a steady upward trajectory. There’s more to successful umpiring. Little things I call intangibles can help or ruin us in others’ eyes.
“Image is everything.”
Years ago, a famous athlete made a TV commercial with this line: “Image is everything.” In effect, he said the reality of our proficiency doesn’t matter if people don’t perceive us in a positive light. How true. I’ve known umpires with solid skill sets who never got anywhere because they didn’t come across well. Conversely, others were weak in some areas but managed to create a positive image and got plum assignments and promotions that the first group wanted badly.
A longtime pro/college coach once told me he felt he knew whether an umpire could work by the time he got to the plate for the conference. Such things as physical appearance, body language, eye contact and demeanor told him whether the person was competent or in over their head. Was he wrong on occasion? No doubt. But that didn’t matter because he thought what he thought. Perception.
I think there’s a presumption for or against us based on intangibles, meaning we will or won’t be assumed to be correct on close pitches or plays. Solid work can, of course, overcome a bad first impression, just as poor work can negate a good one, but I’d rather start on a positive note.
Show up ready
Do you show up at the site at the last minute? There can be circumstances beyond our control, but this sends the message the game is unimportant. Late arrivals also cause coaches consternation because they may be reluctant to let their pitcher begin their pregame routine until they know we’re there. When I had a role that let me poll college coaches about their pet peeves, umpires who arrived late was second behind those who talked too much with their players.
Look the part
Are you overweight? Is your uniform dirty? Are your pants so tight they get caught on your shinguards when you rise out of your crouch? Does your shirt stick out after two innings? Does your cap have sweat stains? Such things tell the world you can’t get in position or survive on a hot day or are lazy or don’t care.
First impressions on the field
Do you visit with players and coaches, especially on the home team, when you walk on the field? Walk to the plate stiffly, perhaps with a scowl on your face? During the conference, do you tell off-color jokes or toss your mask on the ground while reviewing the ground rules? Recite the rulebook chapter and verse? If so, you may be viewed as biased, condescending, disinterested, crude, a raw rookie or a rules technician, any one of which may cause you to start the game with two strikes against you.
Don’t be hyper-technical
Do you apply all the rules literally? The game was meant to be played a certain way, and if we don’t learn the advantage-disadvantage philosophy and apply the rules in light of it instead of in a hyper-technical manner, we’ll find ourselves in a world of grief.
Four umpires, four lessons
Let me briefly mention four umpires who illustrate the importance of perception:
Joe had a wiry physique, movie-star looks and good judgment, mechanics and rules knowledge. But he looked so uptight that he seemed scared. Coaches, like sharks that smelled blood, gave him so much guff that he eventually quit umpiring.
Tom was the best ball-strike umpire I ever saw but was 100 pounds overweight. Once coaches got to know him they accepted him, but he lost a lot of opportunities because of people’s negative assumptions about him.
Dick had a solid skill set but a Don Rickles-like sense of humor that could be stunning but also off-putting. Verbal jabs that he’d throw at peers, coaches, etc., to be funny, could come across as cruel and cutting, especially if you didn’t know him. Once, he said something during an NCAA tournament that an administrator took the wrong way and that was the last one he worked.
Harry did everything wrong mechanically on the bases and behind the plate and wasn’t swift with the rules, but he had excellent judgment and communication skills and looked like he’d worn a jock (which he had). In the eyes of coaches and people who could help him to advance, the latter outweighed the former so much that he ended up having a stellar college career.
Voice and signals matter
I’m not sure newer umpires always recognize the importance of voice and signals in making calls. Do you raise your fist when an outfielder catches a ball chest-high, go through gyrations when a runner is out by a step or give the big “strike three” on a swinging strike? If so, you might as well have “Not Ready for Prime Time” stamped on you. Are your signals smooth and fluid or jerky? Is your voice suited to the situation or so loud they can hear you in the next county? You don’t see MLB umpires throwing fits and screaming at the top of their lungs, even on eyelash plays. Everything they do is firm, crisp, but controlled, which projects a “not my first rodeo” image. One can sell a call without being flamboyant; in fact, I think the louder and flashier you are, the less likely you are to be convincing because you can come across as going overboard to mask your uncertainty.
Package your skill
In sum, you need a solid skill set but you must learn how to package it, for perception is more important than reality. Watch how successful umpires look, comport themselves, signal and the like. Experiment; some things you try will look good on you, but others won’t. With careful, objective analysis of yourself and perhaps help from your peers, you’ll hopefully be able to discard the chaff and keep the wheat, which could boost your career.
