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

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

I use this. It takes a little longer to write the changes, but the penmanship is exquisite!

Maybe the adults in the room need to be reminded of this. They probably are the same kind of people who have cutthroat games of Candyland.

Ummmm...8u machine pitch and an umpire. That's precious.

* just my 2 cents "The Wolfe Man" is probably one of the best at how he handles sales. Not that I am anyone here, just noting what a great person Wolfe is.

I have worked on this for Gibby a few times and can confirm it is an original Douglas WV

Misplaced the comma. Thought you were looking for a long, lasting pen.

I personally write only in MontBlanc… Ok, all seriousness, the PILOT G2 07 pens are the best pens ever. Always write with them, writes in all weather conditions (including the cold). I like red ink the best, so I can see it better from the coaches writing. It dries fast and write extremely well! A lot of MLB guys use it too. Do not waste your time, send a extra 4 bucks to buy these pen, it does not run out fast! They write very similar to your old sharpie fine markers too!

If you don’t feel at least a little uncomfortable in B or C then you’re probably too far back.

FED case play 8.2.5 Situation E: R1. B2 hits a single to the outfield. As R1 nears second base R1 is obstructed by F6 causing R1 to miss second base. R1 is safe at third base. The defense then appeals that R1 missed second base. Ruling: R1 is not out on appeal if, in the umpire's judgment, the obstruction caused R1 to miss second base. From the 2021 Minor League Baseball Umpire Manual (section 6.19, p. 109): If a runner misses a base because of obstruction, an appeal of his missed base cannot be upheld if in the umpire’s judgment, the base would have been touched had the obstruction not occurred.

Start more shallow than you think you should. It gives a great view of the pickoff. @JonnyCat nailed the footwork part I'm old and fat, and even when I was young, I was slow. You can get those steps back to get a good view of the play at 2nd. In the last year I had only one time where I didn't feel like I was in a good position. R1 made no noise running and no fielders yelled "going!" or made any other indication that R1 was stealing. The catcher came up gunning and I thought "gee he's being awfully aggressive getting the ball back to the pitcher... Aw crap." And even then I was able to get a look at the play, just not from as optimal of a viewpoint as I would have liked.

It's not one or the other. Start in shallow B and you have time to move back WHEN the steal happens. (If you start in Deep B like you suggest, you don't have time to move sufficiently on a pick-off)

Another fine job by Tony at Mask-It Sports. The original silver was showing its age. Went with the matte black after seeing @Rock Bottom mask above. All ready for Spring!!

I've got one near and dear to my heart. I've never worked on this field, so I'm cheating, but it was my home field (half the time) in high school, and the home of the RBI program here in KC. Despite the... *Slightly* short (and very, very tall, how's that for a literary oximoron) right field fence, it was a joy to play there. The two guys that kept that place poured their hearts and souls into it. They weren't working with the most funding, but somehow the edging was always perfect, and you really felt like a big leaguer. They both have retired, so I don't know what shape it's in now, but I live this place.

Is this sarcasm? I think this is sarcasm... ... ... at least I hope it's sarcasm.

Why, because the sofa-cushion foam is rather insulating, and you're kept nice and warm like a blue sea lion on these chilly winter night games? The great big yellow "W" stands for Walrus.

This needs to change. Below Major League Baseball games, the Plate Umpire is the only entity that can make a dead ball Live, and the only way they can do that is to either point and/or (audibly) call "Play". Umpires must understand this is very much a requirement. Exactly. We (umpires) don't call a Balk because we were mistaken, or deceived, or embarrassed for feeling negligent in our job of knowing the location of the ball. For a more thorough discussion of this, check out this topic: To reiterate... you/we/any umpire cannot Balk this. It is simply "No Play". Because the conditions / requirements to make the ball Live were not met, then the act of making the ball Live was never valid.

I heard this from another supplier also. We all figured it would be coming, but it hasn't happened - and now it's here. It just doesn't make sense for TW to keep making mask pads, there's not enough profit in umpires when they can make millions in military, law enforcement and fire department products.

It is difficult to really understand all the rules of baseball and situations that can arise. (For me) reading the words in the rule book can only go so far without examples of the application of the rules and the nuances that come up. So thanks to everyone on here for helping out and taking the time to answer questions. I've become a better coach, and now a decent umpire, because of this site. Toggy

Hey, cut me some slack. Lol. I am only 16, I don’t know any better.

You KNOW I'm just as guilty of this as the next guy! Lol Though credit for this goes to @acpar72since he is the guy I bought it from a few years back.

Looks like an original Douglas West Vest with the adjustable chest plate

Yes, that's OBS. I won't change the requirements on R3—touching HP in a certain time frame—because F2 obstructed him. The entire need to go back to touch HP is (as I read it) the result of the OBS. Again, as I'm reading it, at the time of the tag (which presumably would be the end of playing action, as it would be the 3rd out), I'm calling time, ruling OBS on F2, and awarding the touch of HP to nullify the effect of the infraction. This OBS call is essential to make. The runner properly avoided F2—and I usually make a point of telling him "good job" for that—and failing to get OBS here penalizes him for proper base running. Even had R3 gotten back to touch HP prior to the tag, call the OBS when it happens and let R3 know he played it correctly. Not sure whether you are an umpire, but runners 'touch' bases, fielders 'tag' them.

Yes -- you can come up with plays where it would be better to start in other than B. But, you won't know those plays are going to happen until after the fact and you will miss other, more common, plays if you don't start in B. All umpiring (at least until we get to 10 umpires of so) is some sort of compromise. The goal isn't to get to the best possible position; it's to get to the best position possible.

When done properly, starting in the normal B position works well. As they taught us in pro school, "starting position is critical." If you're not starting in the right position pre-pitch, and you don't do the proper footwork, then everything else, such as positioning to get the right angles, doesn't work. I find that the MiLB mechanics work very well for the amateur umpire. On the 90' field with R1 only, the BU should start in the "B" position, "50/50" point, midway between the back edge of the pitchers mound and 2B cutout. Also standing on the "tangent", the imaginary line from plate through edge of pitchers mound. (Interestingly enough, in 2015 when I attended MiLB umpire school, they did not refer to BU positioning as "A, B, and C." It was "starting position with no runners on, on the 1B side of the working area, or on the 2B side of the working area." Not sure if that's changed. Lest I digress.) Anyway, to take a steal at 2B, start in the proper position, when you feel a steal, stand up. Then take a drop step with your right foot, but keep your eye on the catcher. As the throw comes from the catcher, turn with the throw and take 2-3 steps towards the right corner of the 2B cutout. Your first drop step is crucial. You don't want to move directly towards 2B. Instead you want to move towards the right corner of the 2B cutout. The first drop step will take you in the direction of where you want to go. You have to open that gate wide to move into the proper position. Too shallow of an initial drop step will take you towards the bag, or even worse, towards the left side of the cutout. I can't emphasize enough the importance of the first drop step. It takes some practice to get a feel for it. I see too many umpires not open the gate enough on the initial drop step, and they end up moving into the wrong position to take the play. Take a wide drop step. Your right foot should be pointing towards the base-path, rather than 2B. After that initial step, you can take 2-3 more steps, and even take a read step at the end to adjust depending on where the tag goes. What I also see with base umpires in the 2 man system, is they often don't start in the proper "B" or "C" positioning. If you're not starting in the correct spot, pre-pitch, then you can't move into the right position to get the proper angles on any play. Anyway, I hope I'm explaining it properly. It does work very well, IMO. No need to start in "deep B" or anywhere else. Start in the proper "B" position and do the right footwork, and it all comes together.

I lost the point of this thread when the answer was given and we started seeing every third world play being asked. Two things. Sometimes you got to umpire. And, if I am ever in this situation or coaching grandkids, I am mentioning to the catcher, if they have the ball, just sit on the plate and ask the umpire for the appeal. If the runner has missed the plate and leaves the area than the appeal should be valid. If he comes to try to touch the plate, pretty sure the umpire will just call the runner out on the tag. I would not change my call if the runner is doing the hokey pokey, twister, macerania or break dancing. But, that is just me, I could be wrong. Sent from my SM-F721U1 using Tapatalk

I'd be surprised if @JimKirk hadn't already done the cost/benefit analysis on this. Considering they don't carry it, I'm guessing the answer is "not as much of a killing as you're suggesting"

I'm not an umpire, but for a creative writing class I wrote a short story about one. The profession is interesting to me. This story isn't based on any real person or event, just a figment of my imagination. Wanted to get the opinions of real umpires, though, to see how I can improve the story. Please only reply with constructive feedback! I understand I probably got a lot wrong, as I know very little about baseball. short story.pdf

Maybe, but it would make more sense if he changed to the ALL STAR PADS after they were discontinued. Anyway, they look great on him and congrats to him on his 1st WS!

OFF TOPIC, but this cannot go uncorrected. Looking at the catcher, dugout, playcard while off the rubber is not a balk in any code.

They're too distracted thinking I suck to notice that!

https://www.barcodelookup.com/045888460188 I'm a fan of the Sarasa gel pens. I've never had a problem in the wet. High school coaches, being teachers, will bring out their lineups in black, blue, green, red, purple, or whatever. Oh yeah, well I have BROWN

I second this. Active voice. It's hard, it takes work, but it makes a difference and the reader won't even realize why. Kind of like umpiring. 😉

I'm an amateur Grammar N@z! so I'll help...I think. Some comments: Personally, I would delete "had" and changed the tense of the verbs that followed and revise the passive voice; "the kid at bat hit the ball, ran to first, but the first baseman tagged him out a split second..." I think here, the long form (as opposed to the contraction) works better: "[i]n this line of work, you are your own team." The rest of my comments are more about style than outright errors. It was enjoyable, and I could find myself in Jeremy's position.

I prefer purple. I have never seen a lineup card filled out in purple.

I use Write in the Rain...because weather isn't great here during HS season.

I use the Dollar General Zebra Sarasa Gel in red. Just $1.

R1 and R2 don’t matter unless we have a batted ball. We do have the last half inning of a regulation game and a walk. In any league where this might happen even with one out I would tell the batter to go to 1B so he would know the rule. I doubt he would refuse but if he did he would be called out. The scorekeeper will have to figure it out. I’m leaving.

In both cases, @Richvee, those are incredible examples of out-of-box thinking & design. The roof?! Really?! But in both cases, why’d they ruin a perfectly good baseball field with a football gridiron?? Football’s 🏈 stoopid.

LL has vacillated on this procedure for years. It also depends on which instructor you talk to. I don't agree with LL's policy on this one. I personally follow Maven's advice of taking it to the coach right away. It's as simple as, "Hey (Skip), you want the results of the play or the penalty?" It will solve a lot of potential problems by being proactive, rather than the coach finding out there was an option and now he thinks the umpire is a Jackass. Taking it to the coach is way better game management. Something LL needs to teach better.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong - and I often am - but if OBS is why the runner missed the base doesn't this absolve the runner of the requirement to touch the base - in any time frame? As an example - Batter hits one to the gap, F3 standing on first base, B/R rounds first and to avoid F3 never touches first and continues on to second. This is OBS and an appeal on the miss of first base would be denied, would it not? As I visualize it I think the ump is acknowledging OBS as it happens, and R3 would get the run regardless of what happens next (as long as it's determined that OBS is what caused him to miss the base) - what's unclear is if there is a play at the plate as R3 was being obstructed, or if the ball came to the catcher some point after, in realizing they couldn't get B/R at first (which should have been the play with two outs)

This guy is a good umpire, we've worked together many times and this was a D1 Varsity contest. I think he just was over eager and a bit lazy on this one. He was literally one step left of the middle of the diamond and maybe 8-10' from second base anticipating the steal. When F1 threw over, he was completely blocked out and had to guess at the call at 1B. The runner never made it back to the bag, not even close. He sat there on his hands and knees for a second and then realizing he was called safe, he quickly grabbed the bag and jumped up. But I'm sure from the angle of the play, my partner only saw heels and butt on the pickoff attempt because he was out of position. He came to me quickly and told me immediately that he was blocked out and needed help to his credit. But you are exactly right, this leads to big blow-ups when we try to just do what the MLB guys do without understanding why they can do it. It's almost always better to have angle over position. We can't have both and if we try to win on the position battle, we will lose the angle one. I was 95-100' away and I had him out with 100% surety - because I had the proper angle and he was out of position.

BU ≠ Banana Umpire?

Yes

I use the evoshield skully and I love it. Gonna try the Rawlings this next year. I just got the Rawlings cool Flo off Amazon

I think this is the important part. I'd like to clarify something - At first, second or third if the runner were to slide or overrun the base, missing it on the way by, the fielder need simply step on the base and say "he missed it"...no? That's certainly true at first...I can only assume it would be true at second and third...and by extension, home. If a runner goes full speed past second, halfway to third, and hears the whole defense yell "throw to second, he missed the base"...if he stops, and runs back to second...it's a race no different than if he left early on a fly ball...with the same requirements to get him out...right? Likewise, if the fielder opted to chase the runner at first, second or third, the runner has a viable next destination, but, much like the play between home and first, the fielder need simply go back and touch the base and register his proper appeal. At home, the runner can only go to one destination. Tag the fielder...or touch the base and register the appeal. Or, chase the runner, who "should" be called out at the point he moves away from the plate (or three feet if it makes people feel better). Otherwise, it gets silly.

Since Mr. beerguy55 brought it up-- Yes, a stolen base was credited to a base runner who advanced a base on a putout for a few seasons in the 1890s. To be precise it was in the scoring rules in 1892 and rescinded in 1897. It was not only on flyouts but also on ground outs that a stolen base was awarded--what today we refer to as productive outs. But those rules were gone in 1898. Believe it or not there is an entry for stolen base in Wikipedia and it actually gives a short history of the scoring rule for stolen bases.

Don't worry about it..."scorekeeper empire" might end up being an offshoot of OnlyFans. Anyway, it's in the rulebook, so keep 'em coming. It is not a fielder's choice, nor is it a sacrifice fly (needs a run), nor a sacrifice (which must be a bunt). "Runner advances on the out/play" is really all you need to note. That shows it wasn't an error, nor was it an advance due to a throw to another base (however, say it was R1 and R2 and F8 throws to third you can rule that R1 advanced on the throw - if you believe he would have stayed on first otherwise - this can be recorded as a FC) In traditional baseball stat-keeping and scoring there is no stat to show this as a productive out. EDIT: I believe in the 19th century this would have been considered a stolen base, as was advancing first to third on a single. The rule was rewritten to require a stolen base not be aided by a batted ball.

8u machine pitch...I'm guessing there's obstruction on every hit ball.