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I think LL has U2 outside for different reasons than MLB umps who choose outside and that location is closer. I'm not sure of those reasons.

I'll echo the sentiment: I'm not MLB, NCAA, or even HS currently. No breakfasts but have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express multiple times... The question I have is: what is there to learn from this play? I have experience (inequivalent level, minor difficulty, barely the same, but experience nonetheless) with outside U2 in a 4 umpire crew since the last few years I've been doing 15-20 4 umpire games a year (and work with folks doing 30-50+ a year during that time period). I only did 4 U2s this year (including my final game of the season last week) since others needed the U2 reps for their upcoming assignments. The thing that struck me about this play was that U2 was inside F6 and F4. Our manual pushes us hard to get close to the bag and fielders but never closer to the plate than they are. With infielders wide, I'll get as little as a foot behind them (but still outside a 10 foot circle centered on them). It's precarious and you've got to be on your toes.

And I want it to be clear... I'm a D3 nobody who is mediocre at best, so I don't proclaim to be an expert at anything. However, I'm smart enough to know that there are people who are much better and smarter than me who I should listen to. I discussed this situation over breakfast with a current MLB umpire (humble brag) last week. My previous comment is exactly what he told me. There are often times where a situation occurs for the players that they are going to be SOL even though they did everything they were supposed to do. An example is the video of the squeeze play where the bunt goes straight down, the runner slides, and hinders the catcher fielding the batted ball... Stuff happens. The best umpires in the world work 2nd base roughly 30 times a year... No one at the amateur level is working that position that many times in a season. I have worked 2nd base in the 4 umpire system exactly 4 times... ever. The MLB umpires get reps there and still struggle with the mechanics of working outside. We work inside because we have the reps of working inside at 2nd base within every other system we work. It is truly baffling to me how many mechanics "experts" come out of the woodwork when these types of plays happen. Especially when those experts have ZERO experience actually working the system that they are pontificating on. Those are likely the same people who make statements at camps instead of asking questions.

Correct fro both baseball and softball LL is 4" off plate for 12U and below, 6" for older ages. (that means different boxes for a 60' field if older vs younger softball). Yep. And that they are narrower as well.

Crease! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Little League has its own batter's box dimensions. I don't call LL, but I've spoken to dozens who do, and too many "coaches" and admins think there is no difference between LL and every other brand of big boy baseball. These are the same coaches and admins who don't know that fast pitch girls' softball has a longer box on the front end.

I've never seen an artificial turf field with bad lines anywhere.

And I'm not doubting you, Velho, but to all ... make sure if you are accusing, you are measuring from the white edge of the plate (not the black) to the edge of the batter's box line ... should be precisely 6". I, too, have seen batter's boxes as close to 3" from the white edge in a Varsity game. The young coach's retort was, "It can't be wrong ... we use a template to draw our lines." So sad ...

Like the turf at a local school that has the boxes at 4" 😳

Ok, let's get serious then... Cap crease or no crease?

Precisely! Among other brands, I do high school, and my Assignor has always told us that we "must go by the lines." Hogwash. Even Varsity High School fields are mismarked, especially batter's boxes, and we are not to be held hostage to them.

If I'm the PU I wipe out inside, front or back if they are not right.

Excellent condition original Honigs K1 Elite CP. Size Regular. No signs of wear or any stains. Asking $50 plus shipping. PM inquiries or questions. Paypal, Venmo and Cashapp accepted. Sales are final.

Mark me in the camp of patent leather too. I blame it on my military time (21 years). I see the umpire uniform as exactly that--a uniform. And I try to look as professional as I can when in uniform. Patent leather is part of it. Same reason why I have my plate shoes prettied up by Leather Luster. But if we're trying to offend each other for comedic effect, I personally think the Reebok Magistrate shoes look like a war crime. Point being, we all have a different sense of style and that's okay.

I've had that conversation with F2s in front of me. "I'm giving you some off the plate, but I won't give you anything over the batter's box." If I tell one team's F2, I tell the other. The comment about marked correctly is understated, but completely germane. There are times where the batter's box line is only a couple of inches from the plate, which reduces the amount of channel/river I give.

Rule book (paraphrased) : if any part of the ball crosses over any part of the plate, it’s a strike. better for most of us (assuming the boxes are marked correctly): if any part of the ball crosses over any part of the batters box line, it’s a ball.

I think that’s it. The last seven words are what was added.

Easy now, I’m offended. [emoji23] If you’re talking about Michigan, then yes, we’re still rocking the mandatory navy… but at least we’ve evolved past the plate/base pay difference (at least around me). Even softball pays the same as baseball now. And I’ll defend patent leather too. I like how ridiculously easy it is to clean, and how it looks different from every other pair of turf or running shoes. Different in a good, professional way. [emoji6] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Every time I hear about officials shortages at all levels I think of people like that clown

Based on all the glowing feedback on the UA FB page, I think the demographic that loves the patent leather monstrosities exclusively belong to states and groups that still mandate navy shirts and plate/base pay differential. I will die on this hil lol

Here’s an updated picture from UA: The one they posted looks like a patent version of the Ambition 3. Do you have any more information on these? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And amateur guys wonder why those of us who do upper-level stuff are reticent about teaching / mentoring others on actions / movements / mechanics of an… advanced(?) method. Especially when they (the potential trainee) enter the interaction armed with “what they saw the Pros do” or “on TV”. Ya get into that whole “forbidden fruit” realm, where what the Pros do becomes the thing you/they (the trainee) cannot do, and you’re the mean, arrogant instructor who either doesn’t know anything, or is “keepin’ them down”. Then ya get a percentage of those trainees that tell themselves, “Well, I’m gonna do <this> anyway!” We keep losing or ignoring context. I do admit, I myself am sardonic with Little League, especially on this topic (mechanics, actions & movements, et. al. and training therein). It’s because I’ll be on a complex somewhere in middle America, and I’ll encounter the aged LL umpire and the younger, learned-off-MLB.tv-channel umpire, sometimes not only working the same complex, but even working the same game 😱! Inevitability, the friction and discord starts, and it’s often on the most inane of things, such as “how to take a play at 2B”.

Batter interference with F2 does not need to be intentional

Sir, the next time you come into the U.S., we're going to need you to bring MacIntosh toffee and Old Dutch All Dressed chips for everyone. Keep the ketchup chips though--they're a war crime.

James and Rich have it right and made it simple because it is. The status of the offensive player changed from batter to runner, and the elements for calling interference changed with it. Batter's interference does not require intent, whereas runner interference with a thrown ball does require intent. Where the catcher was is 100% irrelevant.