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H-Day + 4: I thank you all my friends and colleagues for your enduring support. The surgery was remarkably quick. I spent about an hour in prep, (re)met my surgeon, and was greeted by the anesthesiologist. He’s a family friend (my brother’s medical school roommate), so it was a significant relief. I felt nothing. I was wheeled in, asked what kind of music would I like to listen to (I said “Jazz”), and then that was it… I was Out. The surgery took 1 hr 38 minutes. The surgeon confirmed what x-ray 🩻 images indicated previously – the socket was like a cup of gravel, with bone spurs and nodules. They had started to displace what was left of my femur 🦴 head. So he sawed off the femur head and hammered in a new head – said it took some pounding… something about really dense bones. 😬 Then smoothed out the socket, and cemented in a new socket, good for 35 years. 45 minutes later, I was awake. Within an hour after that, I was walking – with a PT leashing me – around the clinic. Once they confirmed I was as expected, they wheelchaired me out, and my Dad – who had had his own left hip replacement 4 weeks earlier – took me home. The first day was relatively “easy” – no real pain, just lethargy and soreness. Most of it is centered around the incision. The surgeon makes a vertical incision on the front of the hip, and then spreads the muscle groups aside like curtains, holding them open for the procedure. That soreness is the result of those fibers being stretched for 1 and a half hours. Day 2 started to get tougher. There was an alternate reason – my niece had brought a stomach flu virus 🦠 into the house, that socked out her, and both my parents. Well, it got me, and overnight was terrible. We made a decision not to use Vicodin. I had taken two doses, but that already set me down the path of constipation and fallout from using it. Day 3 was nearly unbearable. Nausea, splitting headache, extreme lethargy, and zero appetite. This was compounded by being extremely… stopped up. 😫 Morning of Day 4 was an all-out occupation of a bathroom. But I feel much, much better now! I’m now able to walk without a walker or cane. I can do stairs! What I’m noticing is that I walk more upright, and without the hitch I had before. My Dad’s directing all my rehab, based on that A) he is/was a coach, B) he’s already gone through the first 2 weeks of prescribed rehab, and C) he’s been gunning to do this for awhile now. In hindsight, I got three things I would have done sooner or instead: Over-hydrated. Flushing all this thru my system would have been easier, and I likely wouldn’t have been so constipated… which was a major cause of my discomfort. Choose not to use Vicodin… at all. Done more PT work, preemptively, on my legs, especially in terms of flexibility.

Many of you and my colleagues across the land know this story. In my now-14th year of umpiring, in the full gambit of skill and age levels, accounting for 4,000+ games… I myself have only had 4 Coach ejections. 2 of those 4 were the same guy… on successive nights of seeing him as PU… for saying the same “catch phrase” both times. This was summer college wood bat, with a team called the SabreDogs hosting a team named the Trappers. The Dogs started rather auspiciously, giving up 8 runs in the top of the 1st, and dowsing the record-setting capacity crowd’s start-of-game energy. Well, the Dogs started to climb back into it, and in the bottom of the 4th, they had potentially made it an 8-4 ballgame with a long, towering solo HR over the right field fence by their 6’3”, size-14 shoe-wearing Right Fielder… except he stepped right over the plate. Everyone in the stands and in the Trappers dugout saw it. So, it was with a collective bated breath that I put the (next) ball into play, the F1 stepped off, and lobbed the ball to the F2, who promptly stepped on home plate. I made the Out mechanic. The scoreboard immediately changed (back) to 8-3. No sooner had I made the Out mechanic that one superheated Dogs manager was on me. I compare it to George Brett and the Pine Tar Incident, the speed with which CT – the manager – covered the turf from the dugout to the back of the home plate circle. I’m paraphrasing… “How can you make that call?!” ”Real simple. He stepped over the plate.” “You didn’t see that!” “CT, everyone saw it.” “There’s no f**king way! No f**king way you call that! On a home run!” “Sure there is. I just did. He didn’t touch the plate.” “Well you’re the worst f**king umpire in the league to call that sh!t!!” ”You’re done!” CT then proceeded to carry on for a few more choice words, then stomped to the dugout, grabbed every bat within reach, and hurled them all onto the playing field. The sad part of the story, the Dogs rallied and won the game, 9-8, without him. CT received a scolding and suspension from the league for 2 games, along with a copy of the video feed, freeze-framed at the exact moment his Right Fielder steps completely over the plate, supplied by the ever-cheerful Kate, one of the league media specialists. So my crew and I travel to the Trappers’ home park, to do a 2-game series with the visiting HotShots. The day after that wraps, I’m back on the plate for… a visit from the SabreDogs. 🙄 It’s the bottom of the 7th, and the Trappers have managed to get their fastest player, an Altuve-esque 2nd baseman, on 3B. One of their charismatic hitters, their center fielder named Jonathan, is up to bat. Having been a catcher for 16 years of my life, I read hitters and their quirks, and Jonathan had a known habit of working his wrists with the bat, alá Gary Sheffield. We get to a 1-1 count, and Jonathan suddenly stays stock still in the box, no movement whatsoever. Sure enough, I hear it coming, and pick up a white blur from my left peripheral vision – R3 is stealing home. The pitch comes right down the pipe for Strike 2, the F2 receives it, and lunges out to make a late tag on the R3, who has executed a perfect headfirst slide to the plate, slapping it with his right hand under and before the tag upon his shoulder. I come up with a big “Safe!” F2 is understandably upset. He’s stomping around, claiming that he tagged him, he’s out, and I f**ked the call up. He’s not facing me, so I’m withholding dumping him, but on the verge. Well, CT, fresh off his suspension served, comes out and intercedes between his irate F2 and me, and adopts an inquisitorial stance… “What’s this? What did you call?” ”He’s safe. He was tagged after he touched the plate.” “Not possible. Alex tagged him.” ”Yeah, after the runner touched the plate.” “Not possible! That’s just not possible!” “Sure it’s possible, because that’s what happened.” ”Nope. Not possible. You were right the other night, but there’s no way you’re right twice!” “Well, that’s what I’ve got, CT.” “Yeah, worst f**king umpire in the league!” <BOOP!> “You’re done!” Oh, and I nearly forgot to add... the next day, I get a visit from Kate, who has a freeze-frame of the exact moment that speedy 2nd Baseman slaps home plate... and Alex hasn't tagged him yet. 😁

Gentlemen, @Rich Ives may have served as an umpire at some point, but what he was known and respected primarily for was Coach. Each of us here (on U-E at least) has our forté, our niche, our role. Rich’s was as Coach. The other side of the argument. Not only was he always presenting the coach’s perspective, but he could frequently – and would – tag you if were MSU or being unduly harsh on fellow coaches (especially when you’d brag in your Ejection stories). Not every coach is/was a rat, despite Rich embracing it as his avatar. Yes, we’ll remember him, but let’s not forget him and his perspective when we interact with coaches in the future.

Please. We are humans and its an amateur game. Go ahead and say hi and acknowledge them.

I've now completed my 2 weeks post-op, and cleared infection protocols after my hip replacement surgery back on August 24th. I feel fantastic, all things considered. I'm incredibly grateful at how effective and efficient the surgical team has been. And yes, I should have had this sooner. I'm not quite up to "running speed", and I have to retrain my footwork to do drop steps and shuffles routinely and stable-y, but I no longer have the shooting pains in my left rump, nor the restrictive pain in my left groin. The hitch in my stride is gone. With that said... with me lumbering around for the past 2-3 years, my right knee has been overworked in trying to compensate. Over this past year, it has been exhibiting a burning sensation at the top of the knee – not behind the kneecap, this is important – but just above... at the base of the thigh muscle. This begins and intensifies as my knee is bent while sitting, especially when I'm driving, ie. working the gas pedal and brakes on my vehicle. These past two summers, I've had to do extensive driving in my umpiring role, and I chalked up this irritation to my knee, again, compensating for the degenerate left hip. I couldn't take much in the way of painkillers for the past year because I was on a prescription-only anti-inflammatory, allowing me to actually move around (somewhat) and officiate prior to this hip replacement. Well, now with the hip replaced, and being imaged, I finally piped up and inquired about the surgical team examining this nagging knee... My brother (he's my "interface" surgeon; I interact with him the most, it's his practice that I consult, but he cannot perform surgeries on me) bet it was tendonitis. My direct surgeon, who also does knee work, was a bit more skeptical, and had the imaging team run a full set of images... and I awaited... Turns out my knee is structurally fine. No damage to bones, no loss of cartilage, no displaced or partially torn tendons, and from physical examination, nothing to indicate any damaged ligaments. However... ... a cluster of calcifications, like peanuts in a chocolate-peanut cluster, showed up on X-rays, floating around at the top of my knee / base of the thigh muscle. Huh! The team was wondering how I might have got those... trauma, perhaps? Oh, something like this? -> That's 2020. I've had, maybe, 2-3 equally nasty ones on that right thigh – one in 2021 that nearly put me on the shelf for a few weeks – in the time since. My surgeon surmised it simply, "That'll do it. That bruising never went beyond your knee, did it? Not down into your calf?" "No, it never got that far." "And how long on each impact would you wait to go back to umpiring?" "'Wait'? There's no waiting. I would likely have a game on the bases the next day. No rest or days off for us in season." "And how is your typical stance again?", as I show him the manual-prescribed, school-taught hands-on-knees stance. "See where your hands are? Is that where you typically place them?" "Yup. Haven't been able to vary it much. Just habit." "And that's where you'd say the burning pain is, right?" I look down at my hands upon my knee-tops, "You're telling me that that bruising drained down to my knees, and calcified because I put hand pressure on it so often?" "That would explain it, yes. You've taken deep tissue trauma on par with getting shot, or being in a car accident. The muscle fibers are traumatized and saturated with fluid that holds platelets and calcium in it. So you've got a cluster of calcified tissue there that is pressing against nerves. There's not much we can do about it surgically or medically. It's going to come down to either building up the tissues so that there isn't so much pressure on the nerves, or through therapy, massaging or pressing out those calcium deposits, like mashing up corn flakes over time." So yes!... don't think those thigh and forearm shots you take, unprotected, aren't going to cause you any long-term effects. They most certainly do! As such, I am done with taking shots off my thighs, and am now invested into @concertman1971's ThighPro venture. I won't be secretive about it – I'll be pressing colleagues to develop forearm protectors as well. In the amateur, un-televised game, I don't care anymore about "the look". If you feel safer and more protected by wearing a set of sleeves with armor/padding inserts on them, and that's going to be the difference between a broken forearm and your arm in a cast for 6 weeks versus just a welt that could use some ice post-game... I'll take the derisive comments. Hey, you're not the one standing back there with an erratic pitcher, a haphazard batter, and a guessing catcher. I am! And, I've got 2 other employments that I need my legs/arms for! Take care of, and try to lessen those impacts, guys!

I will say that my proudest rule was the complete re-write of the verbal warning, written warning, ejection rule. The year they first tried to create this rule (2015 rulebook) it was a complete disaster. The summer of 2015 was my first year on the committee. I told them it was a disaster and some at the NFHS appeared a little insulted that I said that. However, all of the state administrators who were on the committee at that time quickly spoke up and whole-heartedly agreed with me. It was, in my opinion, an example of all the administrators telling the NFHS staff that the rule was not working and was causing them nightmares in their state offices. We literally had some states interpreting the rule as saying a coach could not be ejected unless he had both been verbally warned and restricted. Other states took a different interpretation. It was bad; there was no consistency. I re-wrote the rule (including making sure that it was clear that an umpire can eject without any warnings if the game participant's behavior so warrants.) I know that no constituency today outright loves the rule, and that every constituency (umpires, coaches, administrators) has gripes. However, the fact is that the number of complaints about this rule went from "too many to count" in 2015 to zero in 2016. It was the best case of putting out a fire I have ever done in my life. Now, eight years later, pretty much everyone has bought in to the verbal warning, written warning, ejection process as it exists in the NFHS rulebook and casebook and how it is to be applied. It took a long time to re-write the rule and case plays on that one. And while it may not be universally loved...at this point its been there for eight years and no one is clamoring for it to be changed or modified. (There hasn't been a proposal since I re-wrote the rule to modify, amend, or change it.) So, it has stood the test of time. And, I'm proud of that.

For the record I am a coach who's always been very cool with the officials... First 12U scrimmage yesterday to warm up for my first 12U game on Saturday. Open rec ball where teams may have AA level players as well as total beginners. I had some nerves. My foul calls were too quiet. Strike calls were too quiet. Strike zone was too tight but consistent. I didn't have my head in the game on a couple plays. I didn't move around enough to get a good look at plays. I think one of the big challenges is staying engaged and aware after seeing 8 balls in a row. The infielders AND the ump were snoozing at times. I am excited to start umpiring but it is much harder than I thought it would be. I know I have a firm grasp of the NFHS rules but seeing the plays and enforcing everything real time is a whole other story. It's insane for a coach to complain about a couple tough calls over the course of a game with ONE umpire. Tom

Hey guys just got through it. For context, this was my first time ever umpiring and I was behind the plate with a nice more experienced guy on the bases. I’m not working with my assigned mentor until next week on a varsity scrimmage. This was a high school freshman scrimmage, teams were decent. I also never got any work behind the plate in a batting cage or any other official training, but I managed through it. Hardest ball for me was a breaking ball at the knees. I set up in the slot and kept my head still, but I feel I could have been more consistent. Although I didn’t hear the coaches complain much. I’m unsure how much leeway to give these pitchers on the zone. I have another scrimmage tomorrow and will be on the bases so a little less stress and a chance for me to work more on positioning and rotations. I definitely hustled, covered 3rd when I needed to, etc. today. I did forget to signal infield fly once and a couple of other things. If one wants to get “good”, I can already see the need to go to a professionally run clinic or pro school where they hammer you behind the plate. I only was able to read online or watch videos on YouTube, but one needs to be in the slot to really “get it”. Overall it was stressful, I thought it was somewhat fun lol. Here’s to tomorrow’s game 👍

I'm actually down roughly 105lbs since I got back into umpiring in 2016. From this to this

I may be in the minority, but I prefer a paper copy for my rule books. I can't stand trying to read a rule book on my phone. Give me a paper copy any day. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sit on my porch in my coveralls, with my glass of lemonade, and yell at the kids to stay the F*#K off my lawn.

It’s happening. August 24th. The left hip – beaten and destroyed by four decades of intense athletics, manual labor (including Amazon, those jerks), and having to “drop-step and pivot to the midpoint!” (what the hell is the midpoint? ) – is finally getting replaced! This has to happen. It’s the only way to continue my umpiring and trades careers. What makes this so ironic, is if I was to abandon the umpiring and trades-work, and focus on what I got a college degree in (graphic design), it wouldn’t get any better, since I’d be (back to) a desk job, sitting down… which is the worst thing for ya!! So! Guard your health and fitness, good friends, and wish me luck! Let’s hope the surgeon doesn’t get cute with the stitches! 😁

Sh!t, just print the thing in Braille, and get a discount from the ADA.

Ejectable offenses: Personal Prolonged Profane Personal? No, they were arguing the calls, not you, directly Prolonged? They were getting there. As long as they didn't continue after the warning, that's probably good. Profane? Check - you can't swear at anybody (especially in high school) and expect to stay in the game. Only one quibble... "Shake it off" was right there, and you didn't jump on it???

At least from what I’ve seen, to be fair, they… sidestep plates because: They get pushed to Plate by “veteran” partners who want to dump on the rookie, and use the association-supplied excuse that “rookies need plate time to develop da skillz”. They frequently work solo (JV, Freshman, small-kid league, etc), and really have a yearning to do bases… for once. Their plate gear sucks. Genuinely. Sucks. And that’s frequently because no partner or association member knows how to properly fit gear to/for them, or there are association members who tell them, “This is whatcha need right here!” (Which is my second most-hated piece of gear advice… second to and right behind, “It’s got the MLB logo on it, don’t it? Stop questioning! This is whatcha need!”) We gotta take better care of our rookies. When I’m assigned with one, I will give them a genuine, no-wrong-answer choice – plate or bases. If they want bases, I understand… and I not only guide/coach them thru their base work (between innings or post-game), but I also encourage them to… ahem… watch and analyze the mad maestro work. 😝 If they choose plate, I assure them I’ll take a lot of “the heat” off them. Don’t sweat the small details, don’t worry about (missed) rotations, etc. Sure, we want rotations to be identified, and to happen, but the priorities are Balls & Strikes, Fair / Foul, etc., and if you feel, in the moment, to stay plate and process, then I can adjust accordingly. There are several of us who adopt this approach with rookies (typically Vultures), and these rookies then espouse how *that* game they did with so-and-so was a big building block in their burgeoning career. I just glow about it. If it’s not me they’re talking about, they’ll say who it is, and more-often-than-not, my estimate will be confirmed, “Yup. Vulture. You worked with a Vulture.”

PUT THE BALL BACK IN PLAY after it goes 'dead' every time. It's just good practice, and at the end of the day, it's the proper way/mechanic (at our level). You don't see this every time on the MLB field, but ... that's an MLB field

My perspective is that there is an officiating shortage for a reason and its gotten this way gradually over a long period of time. Its not on individual umpires to "strap the cross to their backs" and be taking on too many games, doing solo varsity games, scrambling all over, and compromising their quality of life at home/with their spouse/with their families etc. This problem has been created by all the players involved (assignors, state associations, leagues, parents, etc.) and its not on us at an individual level to kill ourselves to "help out." Theres going to be crises every day for a very long time. Taking a day or two off a week and enjoying the weather and your time with those you care about is the right approach for most of us.

Decided to don the new rig last weekend. Felt great. Looks good.

Here’s the thing, SH0 (and everyone else reading this thread). I know you/we are right in using the proper position on any Outs with R3 only – C. I’ve attended MLBU Day Camps. I’ve moved (from Wisconsin) to Arizona, and attended umpire development sessions here. I’ve worked alongside multiple disciplines (levels) of umpires. I’ve worked in multiple states and regions, in a wide variety of leagues and events. I’ve worked dozens-to-hundreds of games in all systems beyond solo – 2-, 3-, 4-, and 6-. I’ve become expert-level at all roles/positions in them (U2 is still the most challenging & dynamic, and why I love it so). In preparation for those leagues and events, I’ve attended camps, clinics, and training sessions; some, wherein “special” mechanics / rotations are discussed (the one we’re talking about hasn’t been, FYI). I’ve attended HWUS. I work alongside Professional (Big P) Umpires. I work alongside, and am considered a professional umpire (those who make umpiring / officiating a profession, and do extensive college ball). In none of those places is the advisement or directive of “you shall… “ or “you should… “ move to B with R3 only and 2 Outs. Yes, I’ve witnessed that position being used. The user is always one of two types – a “newer” (I can’t say younger, per se, but it usually is) impressionable umpire, and an “older”, “crustier”, more “self-authoritative”, more stubborn umpire, who not only is physically deficient on moving about the ballfield (that can certainly be forgiven), but also goes to great effort to justify why he does it, and impress on others – especially “newer” umpires – that this is the way it should be done!!! These guys frequently find friends and allies in local associations. My advice to you ( @RBIbaseball, others… )? Screw “them”, and do it right. Position yourself in C so that you can be present and observe a potential play upon R3, and when you have a batted ball, read where it’s going, and get your ass outta your stance and across the centerline towards 1B. Show it to ‘em, prove it to ‘em. When I move back to Wisconsin, I know this is one of “feral” mechanics (it’s not advanced; “advanced” implies refinement. This is feral. It’s been improvised, makeshift, ad-hoc, and allowed to fester and rot in little local associations across the amateur baseball landscape) I’m likely going to encounter and have to remove to bring Wisconsin (back) up to modern times. R2 only? C. R2-R3? C. R3 only? C. R1-2-3? C. Number of Outs is inconsequential. This is the way.

Lou, you must not know many umpires at all. … … … or you live in a “Navy’s all ya need!” state.

I’ve been working on something for a while. I have a 1/2” thick prototype that I have worn all season, at the high school, and college levels, taking numerous hits just fine. It is very lightweight and breathable on hot days, differing greatly (in my opinion) from the Team Wendy padding, of which I own 3 chest protectors. My pads will be compatible with the Riddell Power and West Vest Gold, with the West Vest Platinum to follow. I am working on 100 units right now. I’ll update with pictures soon.

gotta give some love to the catcher backing you up!...so many times in youth baseball, they are the sharpest baseball mind on the team

For pro ball, I guess I'm OK with switching to OBS for this. The expectation is clearly that F5 could have gotten a glove on this, and when he didn't, he lost his protection. So, fine. But for amateur ball, I dunno. At the levels I work, with a big kid running at F5 as he's approaching a batted ball, I think I'd have INT every time. Who wouldn't be hindered by footsteps coming fast? I also regard with suspicion the policy of using slow motion on this kind of play. As with pass interference in football, if you slow play down enough things look completely different. Yes, here the ball was past F5 when the contact occurred. In slo-mo, that looks like a long time, but in real time it was a tiny fraction of a second. The pro ruling drops the protection on F5 the instant the ball gets through: he can't even land a step. Perhaps that's the price to pay for having 25 HD camera views. For amateur ball, with no slo-mo replay, I'd have had exactly what Gooch (U3) had in the video, I'd be content with the call, and I'd hope nobody was hurt.

@MarsOmega, I'm glad you're ok. I have not had this "pleasure" yet, but I know my turn will come... Yeah, we don't work games with spectators disrespecting us like that. Nice work getting the coach involved and keep putting it on them. If they can't get the person to stay away from the field for the remainder of the game, tell the coaches you are suspending the game, make a note of the score, the count and the baserunners if you can...and then get off the field. Maybe it's a fan of one of the teams, maybe it's not. Maybe the coach or coaches can deal with it, maybe they can't...doesn't matter, that's not what we signed up for. Once you are in a safe location (which may not be the parking lot!), contact the police, call your UIC, assignor and or league leadership and give them a full report. Since you got a picture, get that over to them, too. Many states and local jurisdictions have specific laws on the books regarding citizen conduct and actions towards sports officials. If the game was played at a public park or public school, I would recommend having your superiors contact the park authority or school authority or whomever has operational authority of that field so they know they had a disruptive person on their grounds. This whole thing smells like it could escalate if the person goes unchecked. There's only so much you can do of course...so, make sure you do it. As for engaging your father in this situation? Sons and daughters never stop being sons and daughters and mothers and fathers never stop being mothers and fathers. There is always safety in numbers. You were correct to alert your father and he was correct to engage. Anyone who says otherwise is misinformed and wrong. ~Dawg

"It was a $60 call coach. $60 puts another pair of eyes and a second opinion on the field when I am out of position." There is NO reason for a coach to touch an umpire. There is no reason in this day and age for anybody to be touching a stranger. Tangent rant, but I feel that goes back to this "first name basis" thing. NO. I am not there to be your friend or your buddy. I am your adjudicator for the day, and you are my client. I like the new guy!

🙄 “This is the type of errant pedantry up with which I will not put.” --Attributed to Winston Churchill Yes, you're right. It's an "indicator", but did you have any question about what he was referring to? (Excuse me... "about the device to which he was referring?") If not, then who cares? If you're going to Pro School, you're absolutely right that it should be called nothing other than an indicator. I call it an ind-clicki-counter, just because I like watching people's heads explode who get up-tight about the silliest things.

No issue with the ejection. Only thing that made my “spine tingle” was you letting them bitch at you all game while working solo. I have ZERO empathy with gripers when working solo. Shut it down fast and early. Warn early, then restrict someone; then dump someone until they get the hint. The ONLY thing I can understand griping about when working solo is professionalism (appearance, effort). NEVER a call. If you’re working and moving from plate to try and make a call, no one should say a peep

🤣 I do, ...I have to .... at Comerica Park for a HS Showcase on Saturday .......

... and a number of cases in LL for that ball being fair - and everyone standing around for a long time as PU blows out their elbow silently pointing fair over and over. 😂

I'm the one that's been testing out these new CP's. The Apex and DX are both very comfortable CPs. I'd say both will stand up to baseball (or softball) impacts without any question. I haven't taken any major impacts yet, but I've had some punches and so forth to try it out and no causes for worry in my opinion. I only work up to Varsity and 18U baseball, so I am only seeing 85-90 top speed, or less, most of the time with rare exceptions. They both look pretty good under your shirt also. The DX looks very looks natural at the shoulders, no linebacker appearance here. I didn't have to size up for either one of these under my regular umpire shirt, they fit fine under my current shirts. The DX is very thin and offers a much lower profile that rivals F3 v3! The Apex is a bit more round in the chest, think more barrel-chested, but still doesn't make you look any larger than most other CP's (Wilson Gold, Platinum, etc.) out there does. While I like both of these, I am a bigger fan of the DX. I love the all black design with minimal logo appearance. The neck, wings and belly extension can be removed. I wear it without those on it and it is very comfortable with enough flexibility to be able to throw a ball back to a pitcher. It is lightweight too. When using my UL harness on it, I forget I have it on sometimes. It's very comfortable to wear. The pad jacket is thin, yet somehow soft and supportive at the same time. It's not hot in Ohio yet, so can't speak to how well it'll do in the heat, but so far it feels like it'll perform every bit as good as any other CP I've had - and I've pretty much had them all except the Power. My recommendation is to pick up one of these models if you're in the market for a new CP. I am not paid to say that either. I sold all of my other CPs and have been using the DX mostly, but I do like the streamlined appearance of the Apex also. Due to a bit more stand-off, the Apex actually provides more security than the DX - but I'm willing to trade the added safety for a lower profile personally. I'll try to upload a pic or two once I get home. If there is anything specific you'd like to see, just let me know.

And it is usually the pitching coach. LOL This is one of the reasons I had to learn to stop listening or taking offense when I heard it. The coaches feel a constant need to try to encourage F1 to keep him from falling apart when he isn't given free strike calls when he wants them. I've noted that F1's are getting rattled easier than they used to, and I blame society with it's 'everyone gets a trophy' mentality. If you don't give these kids every close pitch, in their mind, then they fall apart and get wild quickly. You have to learn to just call your game and ignore the comments (unless they're definitely directed at you and argumentative). It probably took me about three seasons of HS baseball before I realized that they're not questioning me every time a statement is made. Some encourage the batter, some do the pitcher - and some are just saying what they've heard others say - and most have no clue at all where the pitch was, so don't let them get in your head and keep calling your game. Remember, it's nothing until you call it, so don't rush. Focus, keep your head still, see it all the way, call it in your head and then you're ready to call it out loud. It is amazing how much proper timing and positioning will do to improve your game and then you'll normally hear less as a result, but no guarantees. But don't let them live in your head, forget what you can and ignore what you can - but if it crosses a line (coach, not fan) you need to address it and stop it using the tools you're given (Identify - Acknowledge - Warn - Restrict - Eject). If you try to be the nice guy or let them intimidate you, you're in for a long day. Stop it early on and set the tone and it'll be an easier day for you and hopefully with less chirping you'll be able to zero in and call a great game. Have fun out there!

One tip an MiLB ump gave me that may help: roll your indicator before making your call. That extra beat helped slow me down to the point I no longer have to do it.

I’ve had my vest in hand for about a week or two now so I wanted to give a review to Mr. @Umpiresrock74. First off, this was my first time interacting with him and can tell he geeks out over everything umpiring. I saw that he was a special guest at one of my assigner’s camps. He texted me probably everyday he had my Power, if not almost everyday. He was very excited to work on it and I appreciated his enthusiasm. He sent me a bunch of progress pictures and I was able to talk with him about any tweeks I wanted or any improvements like the fidlocks, removing the excess wings, etc. The materials used were closed cell foam on the outer most layer, unequal Kevlar in the middle layer, and a thin layer of closed cell foam on the inner most part of the protector. It totals half an inch thick. To compare this, I have a number of chest protectors: Force 3, an original Douglas West Vest (1996), All Star Cobalt (Main vest for last year), and recently started using a Team Wendy West Vest. The feel and responsiveness of the materials reminds me very much of the team wendy. The appearance is also very similar. One of the most important things to me with this project is that the materials would contour to my body and form, Mike really did accomplish that. The profile when I tried it on, was very good and maybe even a little better than the other chest protectors I use. Mike did a good job of putting this all together for me. He used a professional seamstress and cut all the materials himself with love. I am super happy with how this turned out and he gave my Power a new life. Thanks a bunch, Mike!

You can also use the coupon code CHRISNEEDTOPAYHISMORTGAGE Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

And be aware that it takes a lot of time to get a new product off of the ground. Most umpires are not wealthy and will not buy a new piece of gear that's unproven - unless a friend/peer/contact, etc. has personally recommended it to them. I suppose they might splurge if it was endorsed by MLB guys too (see Wilson and MLB logo for example). Umpires are a notoriously hard market to influence and make money in. How many new shoe companies are jumping in to try and take over for Reebok and Nike who don't make plate shoes anymore? None. Even NB has slowed it way down which is why so many are turning to Mizuno in hopes that they'll fill the need that's been created. Why? Because umpires are not paid a lot of money. Some (LL) even work as volunteers. This means if they buy anything, it comes straight out of their own wallet and they're losing money on their hobby... which is why navy is still around for HS ball. Umpires are cheap and will wear a shirt until it's faded purple and worn out. I've seen hats that have so many sweat stains it looks like it's 20 years old - and I've seen umpires wearing gear I wouldn't be caught dead in - all because they won't break down and buy a new CP for $200+ until the one they have falls apart! A lot of umpire gear makers have stepped out, or backed off, from working to innovate and produce better or newer gear. So, we get the left-overs and hand-me-down's from whatever time/gear is left after they get done selling to their truly profitable market (catchers!). Even F3, founded and run by a former professional umpire, is a catchers-first business... and you can't blame them. Catchers spending and buying make it possible for them to create umpire gear too - not the other way around. I sincerely wish you the very best of luck, but I won't be shelling out $150+ on an unproven pad jacket. You can say that it is "top of the line" and "just like Team Wendy" - but until several well-respected and knowledgeable umpires have bought it and their reviews start saying that it's just as good as the sought-after products like TW, AA or Power padding, then unfortunately I won't be investing that kind of cash in hopes of getting a good product. And I truly believe the vast majority of umpires think and believe a lot of what I just stated. In all likelihood, you're going to have to approach this as a labor of love and just hope to make some fun money on the side. Ray Brownlie started small and you will have to also, unless you have deep pockets to fund a startup business. My recommendation is to focus on one thing and excel at it, like Ray did (CP harness and folder were his first items I believe) and build up a following. Once you can do that, then your name is out there and people will trust you more, and then you can start growing the business and truly making some money. But if you're hoping to get rich (or even make a few thousand a year) from this 'CP pad-jacket' opportunity, then I don't think this is the goose that lays the golden nugget for you. Perhaps I'm wrong, and I hope I am for your sake, because I love seeing a young guy take initiative and get-after-it like you've done! I truly wish you the very best reward for your labor and I hope that it takes off and you get rich from your new venture!

Yeah, well, he also has to wear two CPs and three throat guards to get real protection. Plus, he's looking at pitches from 15 feet in the air, so gotta cut him some slack. At least, that's how tall I remember him being.

Oops... never mind... I didn't know... I didn't realize... I was never here...

Can anyone imagine MadMax's and Wolfman's attention right now hearing about new equipment?

Every year prior to the start of Fall Ball our LL District holds a one day clinic for anyone interested in Umpring. Normally we get one or two people per league (12-15 total). This year we had 28! Hopefully most if not all of them will stick with it.

Had my right hip done on 8/15. Almost a week now, moving around with a walker/cane, getting better every day. Pain is gone, range of motion is already much improved. Best of luck to you! After it's done, you'll wonder why you waited so long!

How you see you: How the kids see you:

So what is the requirement for CI to be disregarded? In your scenario did all runners, including the BR advance at least 1 base safely? No? Enforce the CI: BR gets first, all other runners advance a base if forced, or if they were stealing on the pitch. If not, runners return to TOP bases.

Why are you waiting for handshakes with coaches ? Get off the field, especially after a contentious game. If a coach comes to shake my hand as I’m headed for the exit, I’ll quickly and professionally oblige, but I do not go looking for one.

I just got this mailing too. The “pay to play (umpire)” bullish!t has to end. NASO enrollment, and other similar resources, should be complementary and funded / underwritten by the baseball organizations that need – not “request”, not “could use” – us to officiate their games. NASO admits it right up front! We “don’t get paid enough”… well, it certainly gets exacerbated when we have to pay for NASO representation! And insurance! And training! And resource materials! And uniforms (here’s the rotten, festering source of the navy vs. anything else argument; if you (Ohio, Michigan, etc.) are going to stipulate / require your umpires to wear a particular uniform, then you should provide it. Period!)! Yeah, a substantial number of officials are aging out. Yeah, they’re not being replaced by new recruits. Part of the blame falls on the latest generation’s culture (and aversion to work, ahem), but an equal part falls on the existing officiating structure, and the daunting costs that confront a new official. Perfection only comes through practice; practice is only achieved through participation. We must reduce the price for participation, otherwise it just becomes a prohibitive obstacle.

So story from a few weeks ago I was reminded about, so figured i'd share:) OBR rules tourney (with some various modifications that are unimportant). UIC/TDs have no problem with the coaches at the door on the bucket, so we allow it. I've never seen it come into play, every time it hits the bucket, it was going to go into the dugout anyway... until: Weird shaped dugouts, they have only 1 entrance onto the field on the 'home plate' side, and are cut into the field. You can see them here : ) There are now roofs on the dugouts, but the only opening is the home-side. There is also a concrete 'lip' now thanks to the dirt getting lower over time. As I've said, I've never seen the bucket matter before, but did 2x in 1 game: Top of ~2nd inning, VT in the 3rd base dugout, 1st and 2nd. Batter hits a ball to RF, RF sees R2 going around 3rd, and fires home. AND hits the VT's coach's bucket and goes into the dugout. I kill it, and leave the bases loaded. Coach comes out and asks why there are no base awards, I explain that it hit the bucket, so its a dead ball, and I can't give him benefit for his bucket causing the problem. He says 'well, it would have gone in the dugout anyway!', and I said that I don't really judge it that way, the concrete lip and the angle it came in makes that impossible to judge, so I just killed it. He relents, and goes back onto his bucket. BOTTOM of the same inning. R2, grounder to F5 who throws it over the 1B head. R2 is stopping at 3rd, but F3 gets a little excited and fires home.... and bonks right off the same bucket (though was clearly not going into the dugout). I call time, award two bases to everyone. Coach says from the dugout (not really a yell, since its like 15 feet, but loud enough I can hear): "Award because it is my bucket?" Me: "Yep". Him: "Urgh.... *yells* Sorry guys, that one is on me!" and moves his bucket into the dugout with his head held in shame. He came up to me after the game and said he'd never even heard of it happening before, and had discussed it with UIC during the game, and was amazed I 'got it right' despite being such an obscure rule. I responded, "thats why they pay us the little bucks!", and he chuckled, said "see you later, have a good one!" and walked away.

He brought it out and handed it to the batter who took a bite of it... in the celebration. That is a celebratory prop. We've been hammered on this all year. The NCAA sent out a memo week 3 or 4 as a blanket warning so teams didn't get a "free one". They know that they can't bring ANYTHING out of the dugout and use it in the celebration. The players have to be smarter than what they showed. They know that they can't do that. They know that the umpire's supervisors are in attendance and watching everything during the tournament.

Success is taking something that's so hard to do very few can do it, and making it look so easy that everyone thinks they can do it.

Fresh off my college season concluding this past weekend, I strolled out for my 1st HS game of the year. I knew the pace would be much slower. As an "experiment" I brought my timer out on the bases with me, curious to see how many potential violations of the 20-second protocol from the OP we would have. In one 7-inning game, we had 16 violations that would have met college standards, most of which were going over the 20-second time limit. At the same time, only 1 batter would have been dinged for a violation not being alert at the 10-second mark. I notated all violations with a tally on my visits/conferences card (Yes, I keep one in HS ball, too). Pace of play is a major issue now at the HS level - something needs to be done. I think I will continue to do this a few more games and cross-check data.

"Coach, the game ended before R1 completed his award."

I have to apologize for my assumption on today's partner. He was there when I pulled up 55 minutes before game time, was perfectly competent on the bases, and he did indeed have black. 😁

Conversely, I will say good on the batter. He got a questionable/close strike three call, and didn't huff and puff, didn't turn to argue with Blue, didn't start muttering and make his way to the dug out...he saw the ball in the dirt and ran his ass off.