All Activity

Shrug and move on with my day?

OOOOORRRRRR, if easier, take all of the numbers of players left on the bench and DON'T eject them... YMMV.

Mr. JonnyCat, the only thing I can find is a short discussion about infield fly and players in a shift in the 2013 Wendelstedt manual (section 8.4, footnote 361, p. 155). ...Had the first baseman been playing in his normal position, he could have easily caught this ball. But on this particular play, he could not have gotten to it with ordinary effort.

My thoughts exactly. Take numbers if they're outside the dugout and dump them all. Probably not enough players to finish the game for either team. If not, we're done.

Did they: "p. leave their positions or bench area during a fight or physical confrontation"?

I think this is a perfect example of why big field games--regardless of ruleset, but especially FED--should be two-man crews. BU in C would have heard the trash talk between F6 and R2 and told them to knock it off--and I've done that very thing. On the other hand, I thank you for posting this @Mudisfun--it's good to see how things can go south and how others have handled the situation.

Freshman level game. R1/R2 and I am working solo. As I turned towards the plate to sweep it, I hear a commotion coming from the 2nd base area, turn around and see R2 and the SS finishing a shove and squaring up. Immediately I'm running towards the scuffle, shouting to knock it off, break it up, etc. Both HC's (3rd base coach) and HTHC (on the 3rd base side) come running out on to the field as well to break it up. Eject both players for engaging in a fight 3-3-1 p&q. Turning towards the plate, I see players from the VT out of the dugout, which a loud get back in there or you are all ejected culls the sheep and they all immediately get back inside (no one was running out on to the field, they had just exited the dugout). I get the replacement player info from the VT (R2) and then head over to the HTHC to get the replacement for his SS when I then observe several adult males outside the fence on the home team side yelling at and attempting to engage/instigate with the VT side of the fence. Tell the HTHC to call an admin now, which he does. Spoke to the AD via phone who was off site, explained the situation and he quickly got someone from admin out to the field to quell the crowds. I may have also told them all that if they did not immediately stop the behavior that I would clear the stands and they would all be going to the parking lot. By the time the EJ paperwork was done, there was an admin on site and we resumed the game with no further issues. Did I mention freshman level? Ugg.

That context of the justice tagline makes sense. Thanks. I was making a general statement about the self-flagellation mindset some umpires fall into and how this site is a resource (direct and honest, so not always easy to hear, but it's here to help). Where do I sign up for this is "Rule a Day" email? Daily means I might get the rulebook figured out in a year or two.

Not to jump the tracks too far, but this brought back a not so fond memory. MANY years ago, I had a fall ball game where 8 y/o were playing up for LL Minors (next year). R3, batter didn't move on a passed ball. I scooped up little Johnny (a la football carry) with my left arm, before Little Johnny became the sandwich makings between a pretty big R3, and an F2 that was wearing his gear. The only thing the batter did at that point, was interfere with my ability to make a safe call with both arms. 😁

I hope so! I'm really looking for something written somewhere so I can reference for a colleague. I now understand positioning does matter, not sure why I farted on that one!

So during the eclipse, when the flat earth flipped were you in the over easy, over medium or over hard zone of coverage?

I seem to remember a lengthy discussion last year, or 2, on this. It began with defining outfielders vs infielders at the TOP which led to this topic. Maybe if you rub the lamp @Senor Azul may grant your wish

I actually removed those two pads years ago on my old Platinum. Another umpire who did that recommended it to me. It's an even lower profile and less of a "robo-ump" look. With the pads, they were so bulky that I'd actually have trouble raising my hands over my head. So, it did make the protector much more comfortable for me. As far as protection goes, with the way that the protector fits me it's not much of a sacrifice. The points of my shoulders are fully covered by the plating that curls over the clavicle. The plates that the two shoulder pads attach to actually touch my upper arm, just below the shoulder joint. The joint and bones of the shoulder are completely protected. I've had balls hit the shoulder plate and it just feels like a slight slap between the bicep and tricep.

I emphatically concur with you, @Thatsnotyou. Exactly. A well-regarded colleague disclosed, “There are two types of coaches, those that know (how to approach an umpire), and those that don’t. Those that do, you just insulted. Those that don’t, they’re not going to listen and change their ways anyway.”

When in doubt, remember it's "ordinary effort" not "ordinary positioning". Where they ARE positioned matters infinitely more than where you think they should be positioned. You're an umpire...your opinion on out/safe, fair/foul and other subjects of rules, including ordinary effort, is worth more than all the gold in the universe...your opinion on defensive strategy is worth SH*#. I would also posit it should be their position at time of hit, not TOP*...eg. R1/R2 start a double steal/hit and run...F5 moves to his bag, F6 moves to second - you now have a different level of effort required to catch a fly ball between 2nd and 3rd. *TOP would dictate whether or not they are an infielder...TOH would dictate the measure of ordinary effort

It's very hard to say without seeing condition, but I'd guess somewhere around $300

but what happens when???(just like check swings) that photographer comes out with that picture that shows you were right all along with your original call and your partner missed the call, and not just by a little bit, but also not by a country mile.

Yup 👍🏼 –

I cringe if a partner does the “if you have a question about a call” speech during a high school or decent travel game. They should know it. Assume they do. If they don’t, you’ll figure it out at that time. I think it’s demeaning. They don’t give us a sentence or two on how to umpire while at the plate meeting. It also essentially implies that you’ll have a discussion or two that game. Is that typical for this guy? When you need to argue today, here’s how to do it… Yes, even at the varsity level they’ll mess it up, but it takes a few seconds to fix. As they approach me at the plate…nicely I say something like…”Chris made that call, do you want to ask him about it? Yes, go ahead”

I have a team Wilson team Wendy retro fit cp. I’ve cut the bulky sternum pad off and added the old school all-star harness. Just curious as to what an offer would be for this rig.

Parents want to watch their kids play a sport and some want to envision them making it to the show. It's better to have them on a field getting their butt kicked than doing whatever else, other than homework or reading, that would keep them occupied. It's a chore that I endure but am paid for it. And while it's bad baseball I do see many positive things from either dugouts in my neck of the woods. no bad sportsmanship, no taunting, positive coaching from coaches that have been pressed into sevice, positive encouragement among the players including the kid that could, in some environments, be bullied, and kids that play the game to the best of their ability behind 20 to 0. i get to do the bad and the good and the bad keeps you using your rules knowledge or finding that you lack it.

Varsity softball game, R3 and I am in C. In softball, that is behind F6 (not directly). There is a passed ball and R3 takes a few extra steps but does not break for the plate. I do my usual move in to line up in case there is a play coming back . . . and there is. R3 is diving back to the bag, I make a read step, F5 receives the ball, and . . . F6 steps in front of me "to go back up the play." WTH!? SAFE! Nobody came out, but my partner in postgame says, "She definitely had a tag on her. What did you see on that?" "The shortstop. If the coach would have come out, I would have told him that. You want that play called, coach your player not to run through the umpire's line on the play."

It is. I'll be honest, I've never gone to a partner for that. I'll also be honest and say that I do give a point or a fist, but it is more for my mental queueing than my partner. Here is why I don't like discreet signals . . . USA Softball "state" tournament. I have a good partner who I have worked with before, and he is on the plate. In pregame, he asked me not to go out on anything ("The field is small enough and the lights are good, I can get it"). Nobody on, screaming liner between F8 and F9. I am busting butt into my button-hook but can tell this may be an issue. I steal a look and see F9 diving ... quick hit on the ground and into the glove. I give a discreet point down as I am hooking in. "CATCH! OUT!" I turn my button-hook into a loop back to A. Here comes the screaming from the first base coach as he points at me: "YOU CALLED IT NO CATCH!" "Coach, I didn't call anything, but let me go talk to him." (Yes, this is backwards. 99.9% of the time I would have directed him to the umpire who made the call. However, this is my mess.) My partner vehemently states it is his call and it was a catch. Good enough for me (though I disagree). I even go back to the coach with the talk. "Coach, it is his call. He came out from behind the plate, was looking straight at it, and it was his call. I was moving the opposite direction and took a quick peek while I was running and swiveling toward your runner. It's not my call despite what I thought I had, and I wouldn't say I am 100%. He is sticking with it." "BUT YOU . . . " I managed to keep it from becoming an ejection, but it wasn't pretty. Good times, discreetly.

@MadMax, I still don't like it, but I would suggest that it NEEDED to be done on that particular play. You didn't yell at your partner on your own volition -- you were prompted by a real-time verbal request by the coach. Why it was needed on that play was because it was a difference of a strike out and no action vs. a U3K which means we now have some live ball action as a result of the call. You couldn't call time and get together to make that ruling. Very different than holding the bag or a straight line tag.

When I played in Illinois, that first method was how we worked. I went to a small, rural school though. Nowadays, not many schools are that smart. That also brings up my soapbox point: yes, we have an officials' shortage, but there are also WAY TOO MANY GAMES being played. Needing 4 umpires when you could have done with two illustrates that. I have been asking JV coaches how many games they have on their JV schedules and have been floored by the answers: 25 to 32 (not counting Freshman or Sophomore specific games). THIRTY-TWO JV GAMES?! Plus we having pitch limits!