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littleleagueump

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About littleleagueump

  • Birthday 09/03/1967

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  • Types/Levels of Baseball called
    Little League

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  1. You can learn a lot from the guys that are regulars on here. The best part of this site is the situations and the comes the feedbacks from many amature umpires. It's great. I wish you the best of luck. It will be difficult not talking (coaching) to players while officiating a game. I coached a couple of years and it is hard for me. Sometimes I catch myself talking to pitchers telling them how to and what to do in situations where they are struggling. Good luck behind the dish. Take your lumps for the bad calls you will never make, you probably have given a few of them yourself.
  2. Great plate shoe along with the sister field shoe. After a years work with the plate shoe, you will need some shoe goo because the overlapping toe will start to pull of the shoe. They are comfortable and feel great. Biggest problem both the 450 and the 350 have so many sewn in lines where material overlaps each other, that they are hard to clean. It take a good minute to clean them but they are a good shoe.
  3. I saw a display of very poor mechanics yesterday and with my back ground as an instructor in Little League, these umpires that work only for the money just really boiled my brain. I was walking from the parking lot to get ready for a game at the park and I noticed another game that I have no contol over was already being played. What started it for me was I know who these guys work for. They work for an association that trains them in clinics that last maybe 4 hours and them they are told to go call ball. They usually show up just in time to start play and some of them don't check equipment before the game starts. The part about the equipment if any of you know Little League is check for cracked bats, cracked or painted helmets and the catcher has a dangling throat guard on the double ear helmet that the catcher is supposed to use. The firt item as Iwalk from my truck was to see that the game was in progress, the pitcher was throwing pitches with noe runners on and the BU that was in the A position was on a knee! Next, isaw that the PU had his hands behind his back every the entire time. The catcher had a skull helmet on and NO DANGLING THROAT GUARD! I was non-the-less, very upset with these clowns. They just don't understand the liabilities that they are responsible for. They were informed by my DA that they were to correct the problem. What made it even worse is that the safety director of that league was a coach for the other team. Safety is a big issue on the field before you start a game. You are liable for everthing that can happen. Protect yourself or you can cause a lot of problems for youself. Good luck.
  4. Good thing about Little League, all bats must say Little League Approved on them. Those composite bats are not all that great either. Warner Robins, the 2007 Little League World Series Champions played the state tournament in Brooks, Georgia,vVery close to my house. Every player had one of these bats. All new, all donated. They broke two of them. Shattered the composite material in them, aka graphite. Don't be fooled by them either. Ask theeduece, he knows too. I still need to train him.
  5. The seasons aren't the problem too often here, it is when we start district tournaments. Huge thunder storms loom and tornado watches and warnings are all across the state. By the end of the tournament, we are usually a day behind.
  6. You call an iff by the rule book. It dosen't matter if the the baseman bails out on the play. In that case, if the runners reconize it, they can bolt. It is in the rule book as everyone has posted. And iff is an iff, same as a foul is foul forever. Well, you know what I mean. You just better have a good story for the other coach if he comes after you. Good luck.
  7. You need to judge on who you see is the most helpful with answering questions from others and giving advice. Take those who are the best and use them to your advantage. Any problems that need attention, submit them to these helpful people on their email address. I am not on her every day so if I was on thes panel, then you would need to send the problem to me via email.
  8. Give me the specifics on this item you have. Is it a football girdle? Contact me on my email.
  9. I got a call from one of my umpires (Buddy) and he called to discuss a situation that had happened on the field one night. He was calling the bases that night and his partner (Ted) at the plate had a play that mythed me. Runner on second, no outs. Count on the batter is 2-2. Batter swings a a terrible pitch, the catcher makes no catch. The batter was aware of the situation and begins to run to first seeing he was quickly aware that he swung at a really bad pitch. (This to me is the dumbest rule in the rule book, if you strike out, go to the dugout) The missed ball then hits the catchers shin guards and careens off him an hits the batter in the foot as he attempts to advance to first. The ball goes toward the on-deck circle and then is fielded by the catcher where he makes no attempt to throw out the BR because his coaches kept yelling that the batter is out. WRONG! Ted did not signal that the BR was out and when an explanation was given, that the BR was not out because it was not a batted ball. I had never seen this before and I had to give him my opinion of what happened. My opinion to Buddy was that it is a live ball, the BR is out. Three nights later while watching the humble Braves play, that same thing occured in the game. What are the odds this would happen, like seeing bigfoot in my yard. The BR swung at a bad pitch, the pitch was in the dirt, it came of the catchers glove and hit the BR as he attempted to advance to first. The PU immediately signaled a non-verbal safe call and the catcher got to the ball and threw the BR out at first. New on on me. :WTF
  10. I have been the UIC for 12 years for Senoia Area Little League and Griffin Little League for two years now. I recruit and train along with schedule for these leagues and Big League as well. I like to pick out my partners, it aint right but I don't like to work with umpires that are hard headed and don't listen to what I have instructed as a Little League Instructor. I have those who are more experienced, some just too damn old, that I do try to watch to see if they can change their mechanics and those that I have taken under my wing to shape into a mold that I like to see and then watch then become on ofthe better umpires in the district. I have one, he is one of the just too damn old ones that is an embarassment to see him on the field, or just know that he is making bad calls while I am on a different field or at a different park. Finally, after he umpired for 20 years at Senoia, last year I just quit calling him. He wasn't happy either but I and the league were. Don't get me wrong, he was reliable. His name is Richard. He came to the state umpie clinic and I was happy to see him there. He said he couldn't stay the entire clinic. I told him to stay here long enough to learn something. He approached my DA and told her that he just came to get his certification. He was told if he wanted to get certified, he would have to attend the clinic. He left. That is one of several reasons why I quit calling him. Another reason is the league and I were tired of all the bad calls and I was tired of him chasing me around the park yelling, "WHERE'S MY MONEY!" Money was the most important issue for him at the park, not the kids. He couldn't get around well either. I worked with him on game and the runner on first was attepting to steal second. Richard was sliding over into position to watch for the throw from the catcher. He got in too tight and was hit in the back of the leg by the thrown ball. Coaches were furious. He was in the line of fire and made no attempt to avoid the throw down. I was non-the-less, "PISSED!" I let him know about it after the game and he told me that is why he hates calling with me, I try to correct him all the time. Well, DUH!!!! Others think that because of a play like at the plate, the coaches or maybe parents thought the call was a bad call, the plate umpire feels the need to talk to the parents or coaches during each half inning to explain why he made such a call. If the runner is out, so be it. If the parents are just mythed and disturbed at the decision of the umpire, we can't make everyone happy. I called the state big league tournament in West Point Georgia in mid July 2008, and we were to start with 3 teams. The Saturday when we was to start the games, one team never showed. It was then between district 4 and district 7, best of three. I am a district 4 umpire. District 7 lost the Saturday game 20-6. I was not there for that game. Sunday's game was rained out so we had to plat Monday. I could only get myself and one of my other district 4 umpires to call the game. After the 4th inning, in between innings, I saw two district 7 coaches looking at the rule book at their dugout. I approached then just to be helpful and asked what was they looking for that I might be able to help. They said "nothing." Then on of them came to me and asked me if I was a district 4 umpire. "Yes I am but in this case, I am a Little League umpire. The cause for me being an umpire in district 4 should have no judgemnet on the outcome of the game." I called to my DA and informed her of it so that there would be no problems with this game. This team was trying to pass over the thought that I was trying to call the game for the district 4 team. "IT IS 19-0!" (NINETEEN TO NOTHING!!!!!) O M G !!!!!!!! The game ended with a score of 21-6. You talk about being pissed. My DA had to calm me down after the game. I had five people, in the score box directly behind me, their eyes are maybe 10' off the ground and then they are 35' behind me. That is a very good angle to see balls and strikes. They said that my strike zone was the best they had seen. It wasn't until the 5th inning before I called strike three on any batter in the game. On top of it all, after the coaches started to assume that I was trying to cheat them, they had a kid in the stands take his camera and try to get an angle with his camera to film my strike zone. What a joke! I have one umpire that is an air marshall. He rides commercial airliners all around the world with his gun. He is a cop in the ski. In 2007. I took a group of five, that includes me, 800+ miles to St. Petersburg Florida to the regional umpire clinic. Well, sure enough, he brought his gun. I told him he had better leave it in the van when we arrive. Little League will not tolerate a gun on the property. Sure enough, he had the gun hanging on the bed post. He loves his gun. He talks of his gun. If anyone gets out of line no matter where it is, he brags that he will get his gun and shoot em. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! He won't tell anyone directly that he will shoot them but he will tell who he is with about someone else. He is a dependable umpire but he is not the best decision caller. His judgements are not all that good and his mechanics are very unfamiliar. Another umpire I have is a school teacher. He is a great umpire, I mean good. Almost as ggod as I am. We tick together like a Timex watch. His mouth is the problem. If a coach comes out to ask about a call or a rule, he wants to get defensive and it appears he looks to try to toss someone. He likes to go to the winning teams dugout and inform them that if the get blah, blah, blah outs or something that they will win the game. WHO CARES! SHUT UP! Well, it is fall ball time and I have yet to call a game. Side work and hunting has kept me from it. I love it. I hope that any of you have a story as overwhelming as this one. Try to beat it or just share one of our own. Good luck and have a clean safe, fun ball game yall.
  11. Little League is a VOLUNTEER program. The thought of instant replays is crazy. UIC is right, there are 6 umpires there already on a field that is a little more than 200 feet. Let the kids play baseball. My biggest prize it to umpire a world series. I am in line for one now. It is a Senior League World Series that will be in Bangor Maine but the ultimate goal for Little League umpires is to get to Williamsport. How would you like to go to Williamsport, butterflies are swarming, it is like playing in the Super Bowl or racing the Daytona 500 as a rookie and you are on the pole. You get you schedule, your game is next, you call a great game, the home teams wins due to a walk-off homerun............... NO, WAIT! Instant replay show that it was a foul ball, the home teams then loses and you go home a GOAT. The laughing and criticism is endless when you get home. Your yard is rolled and during the games are not watched because everyone is busy watching and talking about you.
  12. I have found that some fire/saftey/police can work the best. I haven't had any work for me in a while but I have worked games with them before. Former and current, not short time but long term military personel are good too. They can often work mechanics like a machine. Most of my umpires are just everyday, working whatever type people. I have tried to get HS coaches and others but have had no success. I have one school teacher. He is one of my best umpires but he likes to talk to coaches and players too much. It is going to get him in trouble. I have a federal agent that works airliners as his job. He is an air-marshall. He has the gun on the plane. He is an average umpire but his gun is his biggest attirbute. He brags about his gun all the time. He loves his gun. He will take it on the field with him if he could. The best umpires are the ones that you pick out. You pick them from the ball fields. They are coaches, former coaches and usually the best are the teenage players. These you can train to what you would like them to do in games and situations. There can be problems with scheduling them later in the season because they would rather party, mess with girls or just maybe football practice has started or that they have a job at McDonalds.
  13. I disagree with a small part of what Stan W says as far as trainning goes. Starting out with a little mechanics and understanding the rules is okay. Let other quailified instructors train him, not yourself. You trainning him is about the same as a coach trying to get his kid to be the best but the kid isn't the best and then the parent/coach just gets frustrated, we have all seen that. Look over the instuctors shoulder a time or two but let your son do it on his own with others in a classroom atmosphere. One on one is not the best way alone but with multiple people in a clinic is better. Here is a mechanics power point presentation from Little League that should help too. Pass this along to everyone. http://eteamz.active.com/tellbaseball/files/LLUmpireTwoManRotation_Rev3[1].0.ppt
  14. I have had two of these. I have had the Wilson MLB Hard Shell Umpire Chest Protector which is about $80 and I now have the Wilson West Vest "Gold" Chest Protector. I upgraded because I had to use my volunteer money. The protect the same so don't feel that one is better than the other.
  15. Is Stockbridge a town somewhere, like in Georgia?

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