| First and foremost, don't ever put an umpire on | | | | politely made your point to the umpire that you |
| display by letting everybody in attendance at the | | | | think he may have "missed one" and you're |
| ball park know that you think he may have | | | | getting that message across to him. You are |
| missed a strike call. Don't glare at them for | | | | letting only him know and not letting everyone in |
| several seconds or stomp around the mound | | | | attendance know that you think he missed the |
| between pitches. Umpires are regular people like | | | | strike call. |
| we are and none of us like to be shown up. You | | | | Another way to let the umpire know that you |
| will not get any close calls during the rest of the | | | | think he missed the strike call is to politely ask |
| game if you show them up and put them on | | | | him, "Where did you have that one blue?" You |
| display. Even worse yet, you may not get the | | | | have to walk a very fine line here and your tone |
| calls that you should be getting! | | | | of voice is critical. If you ask him where the pitch |
| As a baseball pitcher, showing up an umpire is not | | | | missed in a nasty tone of voice, you have blown |
| in your best interest. There are going to be | | | | it and made a huge mistake. When he lets you |
| several pitches that can be called "either way" and | | | | know where the pitch missed, give him what at |
| you increase your chances of getting those close | | | | least appears to be a sincere thank you. |
| calls if you don't get the umpire annoyed at you. | | | | Remember, baseball umpires have a very tough |
| If you truly feel you are being "squeezed" by an | | | | job to do and every close call they make is going |
| umpire on several pitches, a quick glance that | | | | to make one team happy and the other team |
| lasts only about a half second may be in order | | | | upset. Don't hesitate to compliment an umpire |
| and then quickly look the other way. And by a | | | | about his knowledge on a certain baseball ruling or |
| half second, I mean exactly a half second and not | | | | for his hustle on a certain play. |
| one second, one and a half seconds or two | | | | It is clearly in your best interest to stay on their |
| seconds. By glancing for a half second, you have | | | | "good side" at all times! |