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So I handle a lot of the gear for our little league and every season I'm overwhelmed by the stench of the gear. A couple days ago I was talking to one of the guys at our local sporting goods store about catcher's masks. I'm a huge fan of Schutt, mostly due to the fact that they seem to be one of the few companies actually making advancements. Last year, I got my son a Schutt Air Max batting helmet. No soft foam pads to block air and collect sweat. It actually allows air flow. This year for the league I picked up some Schutt hockey style catcher's masks because I'm sick of trying to fix a one year old helmet where the foam has been shredded. Same Air Max padding. But we still have a bunch of Rawlings and Easton gear that needs minor repairs to get working, but they stink. But I digress. After mentioning the smell from the gear, he mentioned a product called Scenturion. I guess the local hockey team buys it by the case. But it kills odor causing germs. Well I just tried it on a bunch of smelly gear and bags and it works. It didn't remove all the musty smell, but you really have to sniff to smell it, where as being in the vicinity was usually enough to know that it was around. Anyway, I'll be adding a small bottle to my own bag this season. It is odorless, so it's not masking the smell and I won't smell like fake citrus any more. Just thought you guys might be interested.

All-Star FM4000MAG is the mask. That was a direct pitch, MLB speeds. The ball impacted at the upper 1/4 to 1/5 of the mask, likely at the topmost bar itself. Not a lot of padding there, unfortunately. Why? Because that mask is designed to be used for catchers. All-Star is a catcher's company, first and foremost. The FM4000MAG is a magnesium alloy, die-cast, weld-less mask representing the very cutting edge of design and construction methodology. It's designed to be as A) deflective, B) lightweight, C) resistant to bends, and D) resistant to breaks as scientifically possible. It is incredibly strong, and dare-I-say unbreakable. But it's only as protective as its pads. And the chin/jaw pad is enormous. Easily double the volume of its steel sibling, the FM4000. But why is the forehead pad unchanged or unaltered in size? Why does it matter that this mask is designed for a catcher, and not an umpire? What is it that catchers wear that umpires don't (and seemingly refuse to)? Oh yeah, an actual hard shell hardhat (the "skullcap", if you will). Macho, tough-guy traditionalism must start to take a back seat to safety and wellbeing.

Opening day is tomorrow for NJ HS. Here is part of an email from our association interpreter, a very opinionated individual... We do not go to our partner on a check swing because the coach has requested it. We can go to our partner IMMEDIATELY if needed. We all must be consistent in this mechanic all the time. Coaches have told me and umpires that some umpires still go when requested by coach. Please stop that and be consistent and the coaches will understand better and not ask. While I know that we are not required to in HS, but I have always done it as long as the coach hasn't been a d!ck about it.

I started umpiring in July 2016 when I had just turned 20. I worked a lot of D2 baseball that summer, during the season I busted my butt and worked my up to being a consistent JV umpire. The following summer I got bumped up to Legion, and worked that all summer with a couple Legion 3A games even. This season I’ve made the jump to being a consistent Varsity umpire and even working in to a few 3-man games on our 5 and 6A schools (Oregon’s classification system, 5A and 6A at the top 2 and 3 at the bottom). Im incredibly excited to be given these games at this point in my career. I so look forward to mastering the 3-man system and working hard towards it. I just had my first 5A Varsity 3-man game last night, and have a few more on my schedule already. Just wanted to share that!

Had the old strike em out throw em out inning ending double play this past week. Love these. Anything to get an out or outs.

Talk about needing pace of play rules...

I did have one coach whinning about F2 not having both feet in the catcher's box on an 0-2 outside pitch. So I did have that going for me....guess who was losing?

If "we" start calling more of these, then the players will stop and we'll have to call fewer of these.

Wha... what fun is that?!

Update: Opening day plate in the books. 4 requests on check swings, 4 times I went to my partner.. Result, 2 quiet HC's and a nice morning on the ball field in the sun.

OBR Official Interpretation: 2014 PBUC (p. 84): In situations where the batter-runner gets into a rundown between first and home, if the batter-runner retreats and reaches home plate, he shall be declared out. When the batter is retreating toward the plate, the umpire rules obstruction only when he judges it is intentional. 2018 FED Case Book play 8.1.1 Situation A: With R1, B2 bunts to F3 who fields the ball on the first bounce near the foul line. B2 stops and reverses toward home to avoid being tagged out by F3, who then throws to F6 for a force-out on R1, and the relay throw fails to retire B2 at first base. RULING: As long as B2 did not touch or run beyond home nor leave the base path to avoid a tag, the action is legal. Official Interpretation: Rumble: When a batter retreats toward the plate, it is always obstruction if BR “collides” with the catcher who neither has the ball nor is making a play.

If you can't tell which it hit first - choose hand.