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But if I take off my skully I'll have to stop the game for the induced blindness of the players

All current minor league umpires are required. Only call ups have the option and all but maybe one are still wearing it

Yes, started last year. Not because of concussions though, more for thrown bats and blows to the side of the head

Anyone see that shot to Scott Kennedy this weekend? I wonder if a skullcap would have prevented the knockout? I know I’m sold on wearing it. After four years, I won’t go without it.

I'm not sure what is meant by goals, but my goal is to work the game as close to how I've always worked a game. My goal is to perform well enough as PU that folks won't even know I am handicapped unless they saw me drive up and saw the tag hanging from my mirror. On plays at 1B, I can get out from behind the plate, around the plate and bat, and off the dirt circle - but that's about as far up the line I can get right now before the BR reaches 1st base. I make sure to stop and be still to get a pulled foot or possible RLI. On plays at 3B, if I think there's a chance of any play that way on hits to the outfield, then I start moving immediately if the ball is not my responsibility. I can get close enough to get a good angle to make the correct call. Most of my partners are great at saying they'll stay with the BR all the way and have me take both lines all the way. I still try to move as much as I can to get in position for possible INF at 2B on double plays, on throwbacks from 1st-to-3rd if R2 tries to advance on infield plays at 1B, etc. I simply cannot run yet, the best I can do is a normal/fast walk - which is maybe 3mph. If I try to run my left leg won't work in sync with the right and I'll trip over my own feet literally. So I just walk as fast as I can and it's working so far. I've stayed on mostly lower level games so I don't mess up any important games. But I humbly believe that I can call a game as PU as good as almost anyone else in my area and feel that I can cover the plate responsibilities well enough to do Varsity baseball too. I've had some partners tell me not to feel bad at all about taking Varsity games from anyone, I deserve them on merit. I'm well aware of some opinions that if you cannot perform at 100% then you should not work at all and I respect them. If I ever truly feel that I cannot perform the responsibilities of an umpire well enough to do it justice, then I will humbly exit left and hang them up. For now, getting back out there and performing again has been a huge help to my mental recovery and I believe is helping me physically also.

I hope he’s okay. That was quite the shot he took. I’ve seen a lot of very rude and nasty comments online.

Update: While I am still unable to run, I have returned to umpiring high school baseball in the past few weeks. I have done 11 games behind the plate so far. I anm hopeful that my nerves regenerate enough to let me run again, but I’m thankful to be up and moving and able to work games again. I didn’t realize how much I needed it! Thank you to each person who commented or shared. It’s all helpful and appreciated.

I felt like I was in bazaro word today. JUCO DH. Plate for game two. Pitch just below the knees. “BALL” …. I’m waiting…. Nothing…..few pitches later, “Ball that’s out”…. Nothing again. Close pitches all day…. And not a word from either side all day besides the occasional oooh or aaah. Maybe I broke the streak? Maybe I just didn’t suck today?😁… either way it was nice hearing crickets for a day. 👍

I grabbed the one with the longer bill from all star - the axis pro or whatever it’s called.

Giving cites. Quoting case plays. Sniffle, our babies grow up so fast... 😁

Prior to this interpretation I expected a ball that was on/over fair territory, from touching the ground to the upper layers of the stratosphere, to be fair. The interpretation, in at least trying to create a boundary, is just one more example of the interpreters outsmarting themselves...and I think I said that exact thing when the interpretation first became public on this site a few years back. It's dumb because if you have that ball that is touching foul, but over the line (ie. fair territory), they want to rule it foul...but if you roll it parallel to the foul line towards the outfield, it will not be able to reach the outfield without touching the base, making it fair. I've also said many times on this board how easy it would be to correct the definitions of fair and foul so that balls aren't both fair and foul at the same time, and exactly how I would do it (regardless of how they are called in reality...a fundamentalist's brain would melt if they tried to call fair/foul by the book)

Does the batting gloves have a NOCSAE or BBCOR stamped on it? I am taking this as tongue in cheek question, sort of like 'if a woodchuck could chuck wood, would a .... BTW, wouldn't you think a catcher's cup would be NOCSAE stamped?

Yes.

Wishing you the best! I know several who have had knees done, some had zero pain even! You got the secret already, keep moving. If we stop moving, we'll die. Even if it hurts, keep moving and hope in time it will get better. It's been a long year plus for me, but I refuse to quit until I get better. If you keep that mindset, it will come in time. Stay positive in your mind and keep moving and time seems to go much quicker!

NFHS if it hits something in your back pocket it's a HBP, I was looking at prior tests and I think that exact scenario was on the 2025 test but someone with more than one year of working NFHS rules can correct me

OK, Here goes.... I've been doing this a while..16 years. 14 high school varsity, 7 Juco, D3. Without sounding overly cocky, I think I'm a damn good umpire. I've seen and heard all the horror stories about poor sportsmanship, confrontational parents, etc. Sure, I've experienced it, but it's been on rare occasions, and the overwhelming amount of the times, I've had respectful coaches, players, and to a lesser extent parents. Fast forward to this year. I thought it was me. I was starting to think my zone was inconsistent. Starting to think my judgement might be off. I know I'm getting slower. Maybe it's affecting my game. I've been talking with some trusted colleagues, and it seems it's not me. The umpire hate is reaching new levels. The overall tone of the games, attitudes, it's filled with anger. Dirty looks from hitters from every close strike, looks of astonishment from fielders on safe calls that aren't even that close. Batter runners stomping up and down when they're put out at first by a full step. Fielder yelling a runner is off the bag when I'm right there looking at a hand on the top of the bag, coaches looking for help on routine plays, (Not asking ..Demanding "You GOTTA GET HELP). Grief on check swings, no matter if I call a strike as PU, or go for help...As BU, whatever I call on an appeal, I'm gonna hear crap from the other side. I had to give a college coach an official ball/Strike warning in the 8th inning with his team leading 22-1. Another one a few days ago after his starter walked 7 in 2+ innings...Most were pitches his catcher couldn't even catch. Besides the ball/strike stuff, these aren't issues or actions that require warnings/ejections. Just ornery attitudes... No one's happy with anything. Yesterday, as we're leaving the field of a home team run rule win, a group of passive- aggressive Dad's start in as we pass loud enough to be sure we're hearing them "Every call goes against us, they all suck this year. They got it out for us. Where do they find these guys? They won by 12, yet they still found the need to make sure we heard them talking about how much we suck and that foul ball my partner called against their team in the second inning. ... Last week we're leaving a college field and after we pass a group of ignorant morons who were on us from the start we hear "Better luck next time, blue." It's taking a lot of strength to ignore. I thought it was me until yesterday. I got calls from two colleagues in the span of a few hours lamenting the sme issues, and questioning if they want to do this anymore....It's not been fun this year" is what I'm hearing over and over. Is it a bad stretch? Are attitudes worse? Am I worse? ....I'm rained out today. and you know what? Part of me is thinking "Thank God". I don't like feeling that. I want this to be enjoyable. It has been for 16 years, with the occasional misbehaviour here and there. This year it's rampant. The table has completely turned. The polite, no issue games have become the outliers. I'm going to put a big part of the blame on social media and the amount of umpire hate being spewed. From national media outlets, to Joe fan's ignorant hatred...It's trickle down to where players, coaches and parents all bring their keyboard warrior mentality to the field. Or.. Is this the way it is across the country, and somehow I've avoided it for the most part for 16 years?.

Even if I don't know you personally, I consider you a darn good umpire by virtue of your working D3/Juco games. From what I've read here, one has to be beyond good to qualify for and stay at that level. Empirically, sportsmanship - especially from fans - seems to be on the decline more in recent years. I also officiate basketball and I've had to remove a fan from basketball games 2 of the last 3 seasons: one for directing profanity to me repeatedly during a dead ball and one for a (verbal) personal attack during a dead ball. This spring, I had a game where the pitching for both teams wasn't particularly strong with both pitchers all over the place and struggling to throw strikes with any sort of consistency. Between that and the fact it was one of my first games of the season, I struggled with setting a good strike zone and I knew it. The fact there was such strong reaction to borderline pitches without regard to the correctness of the ball/strike calls was surprising - as if those reacting felt I was deliberately trying to screw over the pitchers when it was nothing more than the combination of early season rust, an off night for me, and the pitchers struggling just as much. I also blame social media. Because I have sports-related hobbies, the social media algorithm has suggested I might like clips of people complaining about umpire calls - most of which turn out to be correct with the partisan/rabid fans not knowing the rules or disliking them being applied properly against their child athletes. The comments are much worse, sadly. I've actually started to click the "I don't like this" links because I'm getting tired of seeing that crap being normalized. I honestly wonder if this was something that the failed rule proposal for this year wanted to address - the one that would have allowed baseball umpires to restrict to the dugout for more offenses, namely those where the only existing options are ignore, warn, or eject. Appropriate use of restriction to the dugout for the rest of the game would be a useful tool. If a team only has nine and a player gets restricted for inappropriate behavior, oh well; they now have to finish shorthanded with an out for the empty slot. If they have subs available, they now have to burn a sub sooner than anticipated. We as umpires can only hope restrictions in those scenarios would be enough of an attention-getter to deter the bad behavior prompting the restrictions.

Any estimate on when yours is coming? Working with Gerry Davis maybe?

This 👆🏼 is why Boone & the Yankees (and other particular coaching staffs) want “those pitches” called Balls, and force the catchers to challenge, instead of called Strikes and forcing (his) Batters to challenge. He may be a ferret, but he’s a shrewd ferret.

1. I haven’t produced my design yet. 2. I’m simply used to having a conventional hat on. What I don’t understand – whatsoever – is how there are assigners / “evaluators” who state – not claim, state – that wearing one is a “bad look”, and if you want to “advance”, don’t wear one. 🤨 Trust me, I’ve heard them. In person and by proxy. They espouse this 💩, often by loading it with this implication that you’re a 🐈‍⬛ if you wear this, or any other additional protective equipment or accessories. I appreciate All-Star making a hardhat for us; I just don’t appreciate being lied to (fibbed) about why it’s laid out the way it is. I also find it peculiar and intriguing – the MLBUs who are wearing hardhats are taking them off – completely – with the mask. I wonder why that is? 🤔

Go all the way and track from a RHP or a LHP, pitching to a RHB or a LHB, further, an Umpire being right eye or left eye dominate. Left handed or right handed catcher.... sorry, got a little carried away.

Good question! If the runner slid completely past the base, then he is assumed to have touched it, so the run would score. However, if the defense appeals that the runner missed the base and the appeal is upheld, then it would take the run off the board.

Marble, let's not have any more of that, please. If you continue, you will be ejected...and we will all still love you. ~Dawg

A dumb-headed pitcher stepping on you (and your pricey plate shoes) while backing up a potential play at the plate because he's the one that gave up a multi-base hit with runners on is still far worse of an offense than man's best friend finding a new fetch-toy. At least yer doggo feels ashamed if you scold him. ... whereas that big dumb F1 just says, "Oh, my bad, Blue" and goes right back to pitching like a big dumb animal.

They got some work in today…

Reading comprehension. It's FUN-damental. (apologies, it's been a long week at work...) Yeah, I see what you're saying. That's why MLB has 8 second vs 0 seconds. SECTION 2 INFRACTIONS BY PITCHER: failing to pitch or make or attempt a play, including a legal feint, within 20 seconds after the pitcher has received the ball. PENALTY: The batter shall be awarded one ball. SECTION 3 BATTING INFRACTIONS -A BATTER SHALL NOT: ART. 1 ... Delay the game by failing to take a position promptly in the batter's box within 20 seconds. The batter must keep at least one foot in the batter's box throughout the time at bat

Thanks to all the replies. It all helps. I'm sure it's a bad stretch that will improve. (Doesn't mean I can see the end of the college road not fay ahead. Special thanks to those who have said I've made a difference in their umpiring career. That's the best compliment I can ever receive. ❤️

said Gen-Z umpire here, You are correct that a light comes on when they are recording; however, some products/businesses block/drill through the light, disabling it. The same goes for the Oakley Meta AI glasses.

I bought these six months ago… I think I got them on clearance for like 60 bucks… Great shoe!

We need to remove the term 'hybrid' from ours and coaches' lexicon. There is no such thing as a 'hybrid.' It is either a pivot foot parallel to the rubber for a set position, or it is not. And, the pitcher is only allowed to do certain movements from either position (college and pro's with the exception of 'declaring' what movement they will use ).

Reminds me of one time when as the coach left the field, in a fall ball game, that I ejected him from... "you are like a prostitute. you both get paid and you both suck." Kinda fits nicely in with the topic of this thread... don't you think?

Ahh. . . like I said, not my game and I wasn't there, so I don't know the full extent. A usually docile coach, so I'm leaning towards he was probably quietly frustrated all night (not barking all night) and that was exacerbated by the umpires waffling on the darkness call. I wish I could offer more great news that the newsletter could be ordered via an 800 number that can be found on fliers posted on random light posts in major metropolitan areas. I'm not not saying that . . . just wishing out loud.

Well, your message there said "...had some issues all night with a base umpire." Nobody asked me but, nobody on the field should "have some issues with an umpire all night". Prolonged, profane and or personal...warn, restrict, eject, right? What am I missing? Lol...and yes...thank you for clarifying where NOT to order your newsletter. @Velho, that is also excellent disruption on your part, too...we see you working, brother. ~Dawg

Gotta’ admit, I’m loving the replies … but I’m confused as to what you are addressing @SeeingEyeDog. The coach comments were not me and were an immediate ejection. (I had the team their next game and wondered where the coach was.) There is no newsletter and it certainly cannot be ordered out of the back of the quarterly magazine.

The first thing about the newsletter is not to speak about the newsletter. You can pick out who is who below...

💯 Likely done for the year for concussion protocol.