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My go-tos are below. Keep strengthening the entire chain (lower back all the way down to your ankles). Even without a right ACL and after meniscus surgery on that knee last year, strengthening has enabled me to no longer wear them. Lighter duty that can be worn as much as you like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055QNLR8?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_15&th=1 Heavier for activity (including games) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00598YBJY?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

I suffered a knee injury in May. My PT is going well and the doctor does not want to do surgery at this time. I was using crutches right after memorial day but moved to a cane within a week or so. I am off the cane now and I've been weaned off of the hinged brace as of last week. I've been told I can return to the field this summer/fall (on the bases or doing slow pitch softball) while I continue to work on strength and mobility. Yes, I am primarily a softball umpire. Don't hate me lol Do any of you other old fellas use/wear a knee support while working? I know there are a number of different style compression sleeves out there, but I suspect most of them just function as a wallet flush. I'd appreciate the benefit of anyone's experience here. Thanks!

Legal. You can feint to 2B from the rubber on any type of move. The feint requires a step toward 2B. No throw or arm motion is required. Once the step happened and the pivot foot came of the rubber the pitcher is considered disengaged and can run at the runner or throw anywhere.

Since @Biscuit was reading the rule I didn't address NCAA because it's in their rule.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some clarification on a play that occurred during our game this past weekend. We had a situation where our pitcher performed an "inside move" to second base with a runner on. As you can see in the video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zhvyO50Nbe6GoQ9ZqneKyZ4M-t5h3vIk/view?usp=sharing, the umpire initially called the runner out. However, after the play, the umpire mentioned he felt he might have missed it because, in his view, the pitcher's first step was toward second base, and he believed the pitcher was required to actually throw to the base if he stepped toward it. My understanding has always been that, with the inside move, the pitcher is not required to throw to second base. I’d love to get your thoughts on this play. Based on the video, do you consider this a balk, or is this a legal move? Tahnks Sven pickoff2.mov

It has to be caught by the catcher in all rule sets.

how quickly we forget former Navy veteran Emmett Ashford at 51 years of age in his rookie debut, after starting in the Southwest International League in 1951, then to the Arizona Texas League and then to the AAA Pacific Coast League where he toiled for 12 years, working with Cece Carlucci as his crew chief for 922 games. in 1963 Ashford was named PCL umpire in Chief until his MLB debut in 1966 per wikipedia and per sporting news umpire cards. Worked in commissioners Kuhn's office upon retirement. and dutch rennert was 43 which is a lot older than Voltaggio going full time. will look for others that beat Voltaggio in age. think one of the fill ins was 40 when they made it full time. could be Drake, but will have to check. Voltaggio did not have to ever work as a fill in. Believe Layne was the last to never have to work as a fill in (right to full time), other than some of the guys who might have come up full time in 99, maybe Fletcher and Marquez?? with no call up fill in service time.

If she makes it she gets promoted she will be by far the oldest rookie umpire in MLB. I might be wrong but i think the oldest ever was Vic Voltaggio when made the AL staff at 36 years old

As long as I have a partner or partners and no one is on 3rd, sure, because I’m not calling time. What I’m getting at with the announce part is it’s very…little league to do the big, loud “TIME” announce and mechanic, everyone look here I’m going to clean the plate with a guy standing on 1st after a run scoring single. What would I be calling time for, exactly? Myself? I can be out of commission for 2-3 seconds. We don’t call time to get back to the plate on a caught fly ball with a runner on 1st. Why do I have to call time if I’m going to stop and clean the plate on said way back?

I agree. They do have a lot invested in her, mostly from a PR standpoint, IMO. Almost a no win for MLB. I think that MLB may have painted themselves in a corner. If they release her, outrage will most assuredly erupt from the media. If they hire her and she doesn't develop/perform well, then that's some backlash MLB probably doesn't want either.

Curses

One of the interesting things is her age - she is 49 per Google. If she got hired full time she would be starting at 50. For all of us who follow this, we know that is unheard of. Some have retired in their early 50s (ie Jim Reynolds). It’s also hard to see them releasing Jen after they have “invested” so much in her story.

I'm not denying any of that. I'm merely stating that Pawol will almost definitely be one of the 7 new hires next year. What ever the reasoning is, or however people feel about why it will happen, is irrelevant to me. All I said that it's probably a good bet that she will be hired. However people want to interpret that is out of my hands. I never injected politics, nor did I state why I think she will be hired. I speak for myself, and until I do, people should not make assumptions about my positions. Not saying you made assumptions about me, I'm just generalizing and providing clarity.

I am using the AS UMP with a FM4000 MAG and a Nike TI Icon with TW pads. Both have standard harnesses on them. I have used this set up now for about 8-10 games. I actually like it more than I thought I would. I feel it’s better vented than a hat, the mask seems to sit better on the helmet, I like the short visor and I really don’t notice it once the game starts. I think I am sold. YMMV

To clarify given the above part of your post: in your mind is the ball live and runners can advance/be put out?

Runner on third yes. Anywhere else, not necessary. I can clean the plate in five seconds, maybe not even. No need to announce to everyone that I’m doing it. Just grab your brush and quickly do it. I don’t need players going OK cool we have time on the field, let’s chat. We call time way too often in general. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t. Encourage a lack of time.

1: MLB is testing this in AA and AAA. 99% of the time, the clock starts immediately. As Max said, if a batter gets thrown up and in, we can hold the clock. But on a batter time out, the clock starts immediately. 2: A coach or manager has until 20 seconds to get a fresh 30 seconds on a player initiated trip. If they come out after 20, they can either use another visit to get a reset or be walking off the mound before 0. This is also a AA and AAA experimental rule. 3: You would wave in the new sub and point to wherever the new player is playing. Unless it’s unannounced, which then the press box probably saw it anyway and will announce it

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At the bottom of the wiki umpire entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umpire_(baseball) 70 John Bacon 41 Brock Ballou 65 Steven Jaschinski 61 James Jean 75 Edwin Jímenez 77 Austin Jones 39 Tyler Jones 56 Dexter Kelley 94 Jacob Metz 99 Felix Neon 30 Jonathan Parra 95 Jen Pawol 53 Derek Thomas 45 Willie Traynor stevetheump seems out of service

FED used to allow a foul tip to be caught by a fielder but that's changed to the catcher only. OBR has an interp that only allowsthe catcher to catch it.

Yes, it’s contextual. A simple “Time out” / reset for rhythm, or related to displeasure with a strike call fetches a (rather) expedient resumption of the clock. A ball up-&-in that forces the batter from his box, or if the Batter fouls one off his foot, let’s say, it’s understood to delay the resumption of the clock accordingly. Again, contextual, but for the most part, if the catcher just arrives out at the mound, and then a coach emerges from the dugout, we (umpires, with timekeepers directed by umpires) reset the clock to 30, and (re)start it according to our ruleset. We also charge 1 visit, not 2 (NCAA differentiates player visit from coach visit). Yup. Wave at the box, and if it’s a like-like / same-spot substitution, just point at the position. If it’s an outfielder, point “up and over” towards the outfield spot. If it’s a double-switch, and 2 (or more) players departed, and 2 (or more) entered the lineup in spots different than their field positions, then wave to the pressbox, give a “hitting” signal, the number of fingers indicating batting spot/slot in the lineup, and then point at the player on defense. Repeat until all subs are completed. If ending the DH, and he (or his sub) is now in the field, perform the batting signal, indicate the DHs spot in the batting order, and then do a discreet “kill” slash. Then, point at the player on defense.

I think the point could be made more clearly but these seem to be all guys who have fathers/brothers who broke in before they did. My guess is that @dumbdumb means that Pawol aside, there has always been a lot of lowercase-p politics involved in MLB jobs...

Technically, at least from a literal reading of the rule, it doesn't even have to be the catcher that catches it, right? I kinda remember a discussion on this a while back, but I've been out of the game for a couple years now, and only infrequently on the site, so I could be misremembering.

I don't understand what you're talking about here. Could you eleborate?