How cold is too cold?

[VolUmp 229]

I have never started a FED game below 40 degrees F.  Tonight I have a game at 6pm that calls for 39 degrees and dry at game time.

Considering all things — bats, balls, arms, knees, how cold is too cold to play?  I realize I'm from a semi-warm area of the country and this may be a daily occurrence for many of you in the month of March.

[maven 4,264]

3 minutes ago, VolUmp said:

Considering all things — bats, balls, arms, knees, how cold is too cold to play?

If whalers can play, why not Volunteers?

Do shaggy ball shaggers have to wear helmets?

[VolUmp 229]

OK ... let me re-state ... is there anything unsafe toward the players or the equipment at a specified temp?

[noumpere 2,692]

We generally don't start a HS game if the temp is below freezing OR the windchill is below 10.

[VolUmp 229]

3 minutes ago, noumpere said:

We generally don't start a HS game if the temp is below freezing OR the windchill is below 10.

Wow ... what state (or regions) may I ask?

[VolUmp 229]

And just ilke that ... the game was canceled (rescheduled to April).

[Umpire in Chief 1,475]

I've been in some pretty frigid games. My first ever D-II game ever the high was below freezing and it was windy. After the second 9 inning game I felt I was going to die. 

This past Saturday was in the lower 40's and breezy. I had the plate and was okay temp wise.

Sunday was a high of 37, less breezy and I had the bases. I was layered up, by the 7th I was still a Popsicle, just waiting for the game to end.

[grayhawk 3,353]

Cue the asshole from California to talk about his game today where it's supposed to be 83. 

[maven 4,264]

6 minutes ago, grayhawk said:

Cue the asshole from California to talk about his game today where it's supposed to be 83. 

Sure, it's all fun and games until somebody's half-continent ends up in the Pacific Ocean.

[Stk004 692]

30 minutes ago, grayhawk said:

Cue the asshole from California to talk about his game today where it's supposed to be 83. 

In other news, I became acquainted with the "rainout" color on my Arbiter schedule.... 

[Umpire_ar 37]

In other news, I became acquainted with the "rainout" color on my Arbiter schedule.... 

Is arbiter a good schedule system?


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[Stk004 692]

4 minutes ago, Umpire_ar said:

 

Is arbiter a good schedule system?


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Yeah. Pretty simple. I think most guys here use it. 

[noumpere 2,692]

16 minutes ago, Umpire_ar said:

 

Is arbiter a good schedule system?


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It's better for the assigner than it is for the umpire..  IMO, of course.

[MadMax 1,590]

11 minutes ago, Umpire_ar said:

Is arbiter a good schedule system?

 

It is until you have multiple assignors using it to extend their "domain wars" and treating you, the umpire, like a pawn in some twisted, petty version of chess. The blocking system is _not_ intuitive, and if you decline an assignment _offer_, it locks you out of that time span so as to accept other offers should your availability free up. So, if you happen to work a particularly physical job, and _need sleep_ after a shift, you may not be too accepting of an offer to go across the Valley some 40 miles to do a sub-16 game, planned 3 weeks out. But, you might feel okay to do a MSBL or NABA or MiLB Training game 3 miles away the next morning if you get yourself psyched up to do it and clear it with your employer to depart early.

That first assignor will accuse you of cherry-picking and being disloyal. 

14 minutes ago, Stk004 said:

In other news, I became acquainted with the "rainout" color on my Arbiter schedule.... 

Wow, they're good at forecasting. We had times back in Wisconsin where rain in one corner of the county may have cancelled a game while we were enroute, only for us to check the board (ah, the glories of self-assigning, gosh I miss those days), turn the car around, and zip on over to the other end of the county and get onto a game that was struggling to find or book umpires.

This very thing was very fortuitous to me... while it was only a 12-year old baseball game I ended up taking at the last minute, I ended up working with a guy – who did the same thing – who is very experienced and highly placed in MSBL and JuCo ball. We're now very very good friends, and I'm a better umpire doing much better baseball because of it.

He said he knew I was bound for better baseball after watching a single, well-timed strike call.

46 minutes ago, grayhawk said:

Cue the asshole from California to talk about his game today where it's supposed to be 83. 

Gotcha beat. Hit 95° today. We may not see rain or 70° again here in Phoenix until "monsoon" season.

1 hour ago, VolUmp said:

I have never started a FED game below 40 degrees F.  Tonight I have a game at 6pm that calls for 39 degrees and dry at game time.

Considering all things — bats, balls, arms, knees, how cold is too cold to play?  I realize I'm from a semi-warm area of the country and this may be a daily occurrence for many of you in the month of March.

March 31st, 2015, game time start of 4:00pm, with a temperature of 37°. Wind was calm at first pitch, but by the 4th inning, a biting wind had kicked up. I was so eager to call baseball, I did it in short sleeves (2010 Sky Blue). When asked by the Eskimo Costume Party behind the backstop as to if I was cold, I replied, "Nah, I'm a farm kid, I've had to chase cows in this." Next inning, I took a foul ball on the forearm and had to ask the nearest Eskimo if my arm was still there. I thought for sure it had shattered.

[ricka56 1,121]

If the field is playable, I will be out there suitably outfitted.

 

[beerguy55 291]

2 hours ago, VolUmp said:

OK ... let me re-state ... is there anything unsafe toward the players or the equipment at a specified temp?

Being Canadian, and more specifically, Albertan, I've been in some dicey situations, including playing in the snow.  In fact, played in the snow in August once.

It is not recommended to use composite bats when below 10 degrees C  (50 F).

The typical rule I run across is 5 degrees C (40 F), but aside from the bats shattering, I don't think there's a health issue/risk until a little below freezing.

The one I rarely see anyone care about is when it's too HOT.   I've played/coached in tournaments at 110 F, and I think those pose a bigger risk.   I've had players go down with heat stroke, I've never lost a player to frostbite.

[grayhawk 3,353]

2 hours ago, MadMax said:

 

Gotcha beat. Hit 95° today. We may not see rain or 70° again here in Phoenix until "monsoon" season.

You may be surprised to hear that most people wouldn't consider 95 "beating" 83.

[udbrky 270]

55 is too cold  Still not sure why I still live in the northeastern midwest.

[Richvee 1,976]

I don't want to hear about 35 degrees, wind, or rainouts...I'm not going to be on a field for God knows how long.

[Matt 1,262]

I had a 27-degree game last year.

[Mudisfun 513]

I work the same are as @grayhawk so I'll just say "Thank God for A/C today".

[catsbackr 443]

I'm in the same part of the country as you, @VolUmp.

 

First HS game last night, 36 degrees, 10-15 MPH wind.  Yes, it was snowing.

[stevis 104]

There is no bad weather; there is only insufficient clothing.

[zm1283 388]

My coldest was February of 2015. D2 game where it was around 24 with a wind chill of 12. This was partly due to the fact that we started our doubleheader at 10 a.m. because we had to be off the field at a certain time for another team to practice. It was at a neutral site because it had snowed at the home team's field. 

Coldest HS game was around the freezing mark and it was spitting ice/snow the entire game with the wind blowing. Equally as miserable as the game above but I didn't have a Thermabase type jacket at this point. I had all kind of layers on under the old windbreaker type jacket. Thankfully they decided beforehand to forego the JV game that was scheduled after the varsity game. 

[MUAump2 68]

My coldest was a few years ago, probably March 2014 in Northeastern Missouri.  NAIA DH, 27 degrees at first pitch, a balmy 31 by the time we were done.  No snow or ice, just cold.