mstaylor

I got a call from my brother yesterday asking me to do a plate at his LL last night. This is the LL that we both played for and where I started umpiring 36 yrs ago. During the course of the game I notice on the scoreboard that the field was named for a guy that helped start the league, David Delany. I played on the last Delany Eskimo team as a 9 yr old. During the off season Green Giant bought his company and we changed to GG.
We had an excellent game, 4/1, 1:20 game. The first time I had to cover third I broke late so I was really hustling to get down there. I forgot how short 60ft bases were I actually overran the base stopping. The second time I actually had a play which turned out to be a banger with the runner sliding under the tag. I come up with a big,"Safe! He's under the tag, Safe!" All the defensive manager said was to his F5 about he had told him before he needed to get the glove down. After the game I went by the minor field to watch the end of my boss' game. Both managers complimented me on that call. They said rarely does that call get called correctly. The ironic part was in TOP of the first I had a kid try to score and was going to be out by a mile. He tried to gear down but they hit chest to chest. I didn't toss him, didn't feel it rose to that level, but my thought was again? Last Monday an ejection in a MS game, this Monday a LL game. I told the OM that he needs to get down, try to avoid or give up. The DM did come out and ask my criteria and explained I was on it, but I felt his gearing down was enough to avoid a big hit. He said thanks and went to the dugout.
It was an interesting night, a good game, worked with my brother in a league both played in and I started umping in.

Monday I had my first ejection in 2012. TOP of the first, runner gets hung out between third and home, rundown ensues. The runner commits to home, the ball beats him by several steps, catcher is waiting for him, the runner drops his shoulder and levels the catcher. As the catcher is going down he yells," What's that all about ump?" I come up, call the runner out and eject him. I turn to the catcher and tell him to settle down and let me do my job. Now the OM gets to the plate insisting he was in the baseline. I forcefully say," He's out and gone!" He starts to repeat himself and I repeated my call and sent him to his coaching box. I then turned on the catcher and told him he needed to keep his mouth shut and I will take care of the calls. A couple of batters later, ball to center, R2 is rounding third, I hear,"Make sure you don't hit the catcher." Play gets done and I call time, take five steps up the line and tell the manager," I will give you one warning and one warning only, I will not hear that again!"
We get out of the inning, I walk up the first baseline, pull out my line-up card and ask the manager on his way by, who's in for the ejection? He says he will get back to me and goes to the dugout. I hear," OK who catch catch?" Dear god, I threw his catcher. The problem, this is all in a flipping middle school game! I'm thinking I am getting a load of crap from my guys for getting an ejection in a MS game.

I got my first call from a LL park today and the question? ........ This is going to be a shocker.
My brother called, his son is playing 10/11 LL. Ball is bunted down the third base line, rolls foul and stops. My nephew goes over and picks it up, the umpires points fair. My brother goes out and the PU says the fielder was in fair so it is fair. Of course my brother correctly explained it was determined by the ball's position not the fielder's. The umpire said the fielder should gone around the ball to the foul side and picked it. As I have said many times," Did that sound as stupid to you when you said it as it did when I heard it?"

I had the plate on a 16-2 varsity game tonight. It actually wasn't bad to work, both catchers were good to work with, both managers had good attitudes, all in all not bad. I am having my post game with my partner and he said he heard some chirping from fans about me going to the mound a couple of times. My catcher got wacked twice so I went to the mound to give him a minute. Evidently the fans don't understand common courtesy.

There have been several guys come in the chat room and never posted. I assume it was because they couldn't. If you use the chrome view, the black background, you can't post. You must be in 3.2 which is the white. To switch scroll to the bottom left and click on change theme. Click on 3.2 and you will be able to post. If you prefer the chrome, you can switch back after you leave chat.