But the advice from MLB players on dealing with the officials is pretty consistent: you need to respect the ump in order to
"When I was younger, I wasn't the best," he said. "But maybe between innings, you can ask them politely where they think the pitch was. For the most part you have to shake it off."
Minnesota Twin reliever
"It's a game of human error," he said. "Making a bad call goes with the game."
When emotions get going it can be tough keeping that in mind, but controlling those emotions is key to succeeding in baseball.
Phillies closer
"I think the only time it can be a problem is if you let it take you out of your game," he said. "The most important thing is to say to yourself, ok, that happened, now I have to move to the next pitch. "
Lidge's teammate, All-Star Second Baseman
"There are always times where you lose your temper, but you learn from those times," he said.
Utley is known for his cool demeanor on the field. He doesn't allow the umpire's actions to change his disposition and he rarely argues. It might have something to do with his experience behind the backstop: in college he did some Little League umpiring himself.
"At that level the umpires are learning. They're trying to improve as well," he said.
Most arguments can be made effectively by your manager which allows you to keep your cool to stay in the game. If he does, Lidge said you have a better chance to handle your frustration in a productive way.
The challenge, of course, is adjusting to an umpire's strike zone. They are not all going to call the same balls and strikes and at times, you may feel they're not staying consistent. That's one of the biggest complaints pitchers usually have. But Lidge was firm in his approach to those moments.
"You have to realize that each pitch is an opportunity to reset things. Start over from where you want to be. Come to terms with your situation and just think of what you need to do next," he said. "If you get really heated, it's something you're not going to be proud of the next day."
And, as he also reminded us, it's not all about you when those times happen. "You might hurt your team," he said.
Additionally, Condrey pointed out that you've got to set an example for the guys you're playing with.
Utley explained that the player/umpire relationship is delicate and comes down to one important factor.
"The more you respect umpires, the more they'll respect you," he said.
In baseball, the calls are made and they don't get overturned. The bottom line is to not allow it to affect your performance or you could hurt your chances of bouncing back. And the team is counting on you to do just that. No matter what umpires do, you have to stay strong mentally.
"Always look forward, never look back. If you keep looking forward, then whatever happened has happened. There's no reason to go back to it in your head," he said. "Just focus on the next thing you need to do with your situation."
This article has been re posted from Junior Baseball
