In honor of Angel Hernandez...

[ajsas]

...I would love to see an umpire mode added to MLB the show.

Picture this: the camera is parked over the catchers shoulder, and you have to call balls and strikes without any strike zone indicator, feedback, or replay. Perhaps the commentators could note a bad call, or talk about how your strike zone is or isn't shifting throughout the course of the game. Uh-oh, the batter was pretty upset with the called strike 3...was that ball low, or is he just a hot-head?

When the ball is put in play, the camera shifts over to the relevant ump on the base paths. How often are your calls overturned when there is a bang-bang play at first? Did you correctly see the base-stealer sneak under the tag? Here comes a play at the plate...can you make the right call?

There would also be a postgame report card showing how well you did compared to the roboump, and maybe even track your tendencies over the course of season(s) behind the dish.

I might be the only player interested in this, and the odds of the developers putting time and effort into this mode are non-existent, but it seems to me a novel way to enjoy the game.

[DarthRambo]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

I'd definitely play this! I've always wanted a 1st person view to play Catcher having to move the LS or RS to catch the pitch thrown. Call the game and all of that. When RTTS first came out my initial thought was how cool playing Catcher would be. Unfortunately it's nothing like I imagined.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[PVarck31]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

I've been wanting this in a baseball game forever. I used to umpire high school games and I really enjoyed it when parents weren't threatening my life and coaches telling me how they played minor league ball and they know the strike zone better than me by screaming in my face then threatening to beat me up.

Yes that really happened and the coach got fired from his teaching job and coaching. It was a pattern of behavior for him and that was the schools last straw. But most of the time I didn't have to deal with that crap. But it's sad it actually happens. And no, I wasn't Angel Hernandez. I was umping varsity games my first year. Some of these people at that level just can't handle calls not going their way even if they are the right calls. Every parent thinks their mediocre kid is going pro.

At least I wouldn't make MLB Tonight for my bad calls.

[ajsas]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

I've been wanting this in a baseball game forever. I used to umpire high school games and I really enjoyed it when parents weren't threatening my life and coaches telling me how they played minor league ball and they know the strike zone better than me by screaming in my face then threatening to beat me up.

Yes that really happened and the coach got fired from his teaching job and coaching. It was a pattern of behavior for him and that was the schools last straw. But most of the time I didn't have to deal with that crap. But it's sad it actually happens. And no, I wasn't Angel Hernandez. I was umping varsity games my first year. Some of these people at that level just can't handle calls not going their way even if they are the right calls. Every parent thinks their mediocre kid is going pro.

At least I wouldn't make MLB Tonight for my bad calls.

That sounds awful! Glad those morons didn't back up their talk, geez.

[PVarck31]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

That sounds awful! Glad those morons didn't back up their talk, geez.

Yeah it was pretty bad. There were some really nice coaches, but even the fans would get behind the plate and up to the backstop and scream profanities at me on almost every pitch. And this is high school we are talking about.

But I'm sure my time umping isn't typical. It wasn't all horrible, I just wish I had a better experience.

But being able to umpire in The Show would be awesome!

[Instant C1a55ic]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

Parents are horrible!

I have 4 kids that play slow pitch softball, and you would think its just slow pitch...no big dea? Wrong

There are career slow pitch parents that absolutely destroy the umps every single game. Its run by my city, so there isnt a whole lot the ump can do except throw out the parents. Issue is, many of the parents that do cuss, complain and argue strike/balls play in the adult leagues that generate the most revenue. The adult players fork over the big bucks for beer, food and bring in the outside fan base at night. So you guessed it, the umps just take the heat.

And if you think this is just a baseball thing, its not sadly. One of my boys that plays slow pitch, plays hockey as well. His first year as a mite I got to witness an all out brawl at a tournament because one team celebrated winning the championship for their age level by throwing their gloves in the air and rushing their game winning goalie in celebration, kind of how the pros do it. A dad from the opposing team didn't like it, and picked a fight with another dad from the winning team.

I cant say much as I am an overbearing father, but I dont yell at any kid from the stands except my own. My dad did it to me to push me, and I only got better. I dont expect my kid to be Bo Bichette or Austin Matthews, but I refuse to have my kid look lost or not know what to do.

Im a terrible Dad lol

[Madden08PCgmr]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

Gotta love Manfred.

Not afraid to p!$$ off fans, does anything he can to ruin the game... but won't stand up to guys that are ACTUALLY ruining the game.

... I'd never be able to play this mode. Too much power. I'd end up ejecting everyone. I'd make the Astros forfeit every game for past sins.

[jolliver21]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

Parents are horrible!

I have 4 kids that play slow pitch softball, and you would think its just slow pitch...no big dea? Wrong

There are career slow pitch parents that absolutely destroy the umps every single game. Its run by my city, so there isnt a whole lot the ump can do except throw out the parents. Issue is, many of the parents that do cuss, complain and argue strike/balls play in the adult leagues that generate the most revenue. The adult players fork over the big bucks for beer, food and bring in the outside fan base at night. So you guessed it, the umps just take the heat.

And if you think this is just a baseball thing, its not sadly. One of my boys that plays slow pitch, plays hockey as well. His first year as a mite I got to witness an all out brawl at a tournament because one team celebrated winning the championship for their age level by throwing their gloves in the air and rushing their game winning goalie in celebration, kind of how the pros do it. A dad from the opposing team didn't like it, and picked a fight with another dad from the winning team.

I cant say much as I am an overbearing father, but I dont yell at any kid from the stands except my own. My dad did it to me to push me, and I only got better. I dont expect my kid to be Bo Bichette or Austin Matthews, but I refuse to have my kid look lost or not know what to do.

Im a terrible Dad lol

I dig your self-awareness and the ability to be critical of yourself. It's extremely rare and honorable. But also, maybe let up on your kid then? From the way you write about it -- the fact you are saying you are 'overbearing' and a 'terrible dad' -- then you seem to know it's too much and that you are in fact continuing an unhealthy cycle of behavior. Just my two cents. You can raise your kid however you deem fit, but you are making it sound like it's out of your control.

[jolliver21]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

Gotta love Manfred.

Not afraid to p!$$ off fans, does anything he can to ruin the game... but won't stand up to guys that are ACTUALLY ruining the game.

... I'd never be able to play this mode. Too much power. I'd end up ejecting everyone. I'd make the Astros forfeit every game for past sins.

It's the umpires union, my man. Has nothing to do with Manfred. He fires one, he essentially loses them all lol I hate Manfred as much as you obviously do, but you have to pick your spots

[tessl]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

Don't give them any ideas. They would take the developers away from franchise most likely. :-)

[ajsas]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

Don't give them any ideas. They would take the developers away from franchise most likely. :-)

I think franchise improvements are very much more likely than ump mode

[Herschie]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

This isn't something I'd play for hours on end but it's a cool idea and I could see myself playing this mode every now and then.

[ajsas]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

Gotta love Manfred.

Not afraid to p!$$ off fans, does anything he can to ruin the game... but won't stand up to guys that are ACTUALLY ruining the game.

... I'd never be able to play this mode. Too much power. I'd end up ejecting everyone. I'd make the Astros forfeit every game for past sins.

There would have to be some way remove the player ump from the game if the calls get too wild.

"Looks like the home plate ump is down to one knee...and he's gonna have to call it an early night. Hopefully it's just dehydration, or maybe lunch just isn't sitting right with him. Either way, this would explain some of the frankly terrible calls made throughout this contest!"

[Caulfield]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

I wish 1), we could rename umps, and 2), that this thread would be renamed In Honor of Enrico Pallazzo

[CujoMatty]

Re: In honor of Angel Hernandez...

I've been wanting this in a baseball game forever. I used to umpire high school games and I really enjoyed it when parents weren't threatening my life and coaches telling me how they played minor league ball and they know the strike zone better than me by screaming in my face then threatening to beat me up.

Yes that really happened and the coach got fired from his teaching job and coaching. It was a pattern of behavior for him and that was the schools last straw. But most of the time I didn't have to deal with that crap. But it's sad it actually happens. And no, I wasn't Angel Hernandez. I was umping varsity games my first year. Some of these people at that level just can't handle calls not going their way even if they are the right calls. Every parent thinks their mediocre kid is going pro.

At least I wouldn't make MLB Tonight for my bad calls.

Sort of unrelated but I have to share.

Full disclosure. I think Canadians are wrongfully seen as overly polite and we definitely have our fair share of idiots and ignorance but my first exposure to an American sports crowd blew my mind.

It was Christmas at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in Tampa Bay and I think it was like 2007. I dunno maybe not 2007, Whenever Jeff Garcia was there. They were playing the Panthers and the Bucs had made the playoffs with nothing on the line.

The Bucs had their 3rd string qb in and he was God Awful. They were getting killed. As the game went on it became more unruly. Right before halftime the 3rd string quarterback threw his 20th incomplete pass in a row and missed the receiver by a lot. The guy behind me stands up and yells "(whatever the QBs name was) YOU SUCK!! IM GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!" and the whole crowd around me started cheering. I was like WTF???? That's a little excessive for a 3rd stringer and a team that's already in the playoffs? Lmao

Gotta tell ya i was a little freaked out after that. hahahaha.