Jump to content

Rough day at the office


Welpe
Umpire-Empire locks topics which have not been active in the last year. The thread you are viewing hasn't been active in 2902 days so you will not be able to post. We do recommend you starting a new topic to find out what's new in the world of umpiring.

Recommended Posts

Had a nutty Freshman game this past week that beat the tar out of me. While my partner and I are getting dressed, we both decide on wearing jackets because it is chilly, windy and overcast. I normally don't wear a jacket on the plate but I was cold. Well sure enough just as we start the plate meeting, it starts pouring on us. It's this way through the first batter and just as I'm getting ready to hold us up for a bit, the rain abruptly stops and the clouds go away. Then it gets hot with the direct sun. Just my luck.

Anyways, I have a home team pitcher that keeps missing down and away, the catcher is yanking his glove hard back into the zone after receiving these and I'm not giving them strikes because they aren't. The coach isn't happy but he doesn't say much.

The visiting team catcher can't catch a cold and won't put his body in front of anything. I got hit several times in the first inning but all on my gear thankfully. The next inning I'm not so lucky and a pitch bounces, the catcher bails and it hits me just to the left of my chest protector in the moob. That stung a bit. I finally told the catcher "Hey, let's try and stop some of those ok?" I get a blank stare in return.

Finally around the third inning, the visiting coach comes out with some changes and tells me "I'll be putting my starting catcher in next inning so maybe you won't get so beat up back there." Gee thanks, skip.

Then with the visitors batting, the home catcher sets up outside, the pitcher throws a hard fastball inside and the catcher can't get to it fast enough. I'm lucky enough to catch it untouched right on my left forearm just above my wrist. I haven't been hit that hard in a while and it dropped me to a knee for a minute. Home coach comes out and brings his trainer. Thankfully it's not broken and the trainer brings me some ice between innings. The catcher was profusely apologetic and I could tell he meant it.

In the end, there wasn't a piece of gear that didn't get hit by a pitch that game. Despite all of that, it turned out to be a pretty good ball game. I messed up in the bottom of the 7th with the game tied. Batter hits a low liner to the shortstop which he tries to shoestring catch. I judge it skipped into his glove and just lock up. No signal, nothing. My mind is screaming "Hey it's a groundball...oh SH*#...do something!" Runner is safe and the fans are howling. That runner ends up being driven in to end the game. Not happy with the way I handled it but it's a takeaway for me. I will just blame it on my arm that was killing me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Murphy's Laws of Umpiring:

4.  Sunscreen attracts cowhide.   

Luciano's Corollary: 

Often enough umpires don hundreds of dollars worth of protection only to be hit on a ten-cent application of sunscreen.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recommend these:

 

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

image.gif

 

Just kidding. Unless you've got a broken bone. 

But, a black UmpTrooper suit with heating and air conditioning would definitely come in handy in games like the one you just endured, eh?

 

image.jpeg

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm wearing the McDavid hexpad forearm pad this year under long sleeves or jackets. Not wearing it with short sleeves, but only because of what others say. And i'll probably wear them in low-level summer or rec games, should I do any.

There's no shame in wearing protective gear, or any honor in needless pain. Sooner or later, an MLB umpire will lose a season/career due to a broken wrist and we'll see wrist guards adapted as standard equipment, as common as shin guards, and we'll look back and wonder what took so long.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, scrounge said:

I'm wearing the McDavid hexpad forearm pad this year under long sleeves or jackets. Not wearing it with short sleeves, but only because of what others say. And i'll probably wear them in low-level summer or rec games, should I do any.

There's no shame in wearing protective gear, or any honor in needless pain. Sooner or later, an MLB umpire will lose a season/career due to a broken wrist and we'll see wrist guards adapted as standard equipment, as common as shin guards, and we'll look back and wonder what took so long.

Agree - I didn't see why it seemed so ridiculous to think of. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I had plate,10U fall softball, both the pitcher and catcher were the best on the field and wore the local travel ball logos. Coach's daughter was the pitcher and I've seen her develop into a hard throwing little righty. Well it was good pitching w/ very little catching. After getting drilled for the third or fourth time I remind the catcher that "I'm not wearing a glove" and she has to help me out. A few minutes later I'm dealing with a balling catcher and an angry coach. Some days are better than others.

McDavid makes a hex pad catcher's undergarment that I wear doing lower level ball. The worst bruises come from mostly 10-15 yr. olds.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...