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THANK YOU KYLE!!!! Little League World Series 2023 , Williamsport, PA. SWMBO said "free pass to order whatever gear I wanted" Ok folks........be gentle.

A local kid that I've watched grow up from behind the plate has invited me to be with him and his parents at his college signing day. He said I was behind the plate for so many of his games he felt like I needed to be there when he signed up for the next step. I was blown away! I never thought calling balls and strikes would create this kind of memory or moment in life. Maybe not important to a bunch of people but the thought that I could have an impact on 1 kids life just really made my day.

Hey guys, thanks for checking in with me. Overall, I consider myself to be extremely lucky to be where I am at this point. I am completely independent, and am back to running my business. I don't have quite the stamina that I had prior to my injury, but I had a record month for my business in April and there are lots of reasons to believe I can continue to bring value to my clients and referral partners. I'm mobile and walking without any assistance, though I do walk with a pronounced limp. I only have one PT session left, partly because the insurance company says so, but also because my therapist says that they have really done all they can do for me. They have given me all of the exercises that I can do on my own and I continue to do that at home and at the gym. I go to the gym three days a week and do the elliptical along with a ton of stretching and resistance training. The difficult thing to deal with is that I have a few conditions that don't seem to be improving (yet). I have something called Dural Tension which basically is a tightness caused by the damage to the nerves. It is particularly present in my right ankle/foot area and results in a range of motion loss in my dorsiflexion (the opposite motion from pointing your toes). In addition, I have hyper reflexes in my right leg, along with spasticity which makes controlling my gait difficult. Each of these conditions is my main concern when it comes to getting back on the field because they are directly related to the challenge I face when trying to run. My overall sensory deficits have not improved in any measurable way. I still have the same numbness and tingling that I had following my surgery. Though I can still feel touch, I also still have no hot/cold/pain sensitivity on my left side below my chest. My right hand has gotten stronger and my current grip strength is 82 which is miles better than it was just a few months ago. I never had great handwriting, and it still sucks, but it's more than serviceable and legible. I am going to work a HS All Star Showcase game on June 1st. It's a 4 man crew and I will be U1 and we'll just not rotate so I don't have to cover home. I can't wait to get back in uniform and be on the field with my brothers, if even one time. Nobody knows what the future holds, so I am going to cherish that day and game like it's the World Series. Sorry for the long post, but it's almost therapeutic to write it all down. Thanks again for checking in and for all your support.

Mine isn't funny but it's something I'll never regret. I called the Police. I umpired his game on a storybook beautiful day. It was Blue sky, sunshine and baseball. I know he was nine or ten years old. My memory of him is not all that clear until he came to bat. I was umpiring a kid game as a favor for my assignor. I saw the pitch that came hard at him, I cringed knowing he was going to be hit and I watched him crumple when the ball hit him square in the body. He went down and the tears flowed..... I bent to help him, and try to comfort him. His coach ran out and we lifted his shirt to see the mark the ball made. And then we saw it, it was already red and angry looking. But when lifting the shirt, I saw the other marks the angry purple bruises that only fists and adult hands can make and way too many to be accidental..... He tugged his shirt down and got up and he said he was fine. He took a moment to dry his tears and kid like ran off to first.The game, of course, was more important than his getting hurt. I was the one who called the police. I'll never regret that. His coach bought the hotdogs after the game, more to delay the departure of the team, while I called the police. I heard later he was taken out of the home and his parental abuser was charged. I heard he moved to live with relatives. I never saw him again. I wonder so much about this boy. How could anyone do that to a child. On TV now there are ads for reporting child abuse....and the reason most don’t is "how can I be sure?". I can tell you that I was, that day, and remain today, 100% totally sure. The evidence of the beatings that boy was taking left me no grey area.... I wonder if baseball was his refuge from the monster. I wonder if he is ok. I wonder if he ever knew how much he has affected my life and my relationship with my son and with the boys I umpire. I wonder if the coach and I will ever be able to meet and not talk about that day......so far its the first thing we mention when we meet after a long off season. I wonder how many others are out there. I wonder if he is happy. Best thing I ever did on a ball field?.....I called the Police.

This past week I found out I was accepted to a collegiate umpiring group and will start to umpire college baseball this coming spring. The long standing members here will remember but I think I first joined UE when I was 15 doing in-house LL games. Excited for the challenge ahead, and looking forward to continuing to improve and climb the ladder.

A few weeks ago, I was calling a youth travel game. I was on the plate. About two innings in I was very aware of a maternal voice behind the fence saying, "Yes, honey. That's the man with the blue shirt. He's the umpire. He's working right now. He can't talk to you." Skip forward to the end of the game and I hear a small child's voice say, "Hi, umpire!" It took me a moment to realize it was a 3 year old boy right up against the fence, about knee high to me. His wee fingers wrapped tightly around the mesh of the fence. I look down and say hello and ask him his name and he says, "Steven..." I asked him if he had a good time at the park that day and if he plays baseball and he said, "Momma says we are here to watch Nate. But, I am here to watch you..." He then added that he wanted to be an umpire someday. I had no choice but to spray and wipe down my indicator and then bend down and push it through the fence to him and say, "Well, Steven...", I said, "if you're going to be an umpire, you're going to need one of these..." To paraphrase William Goldman...Since the invention of the smile, there have been only 5 smiles that were rated the most happy, the most pure. This one left them all behind. This particular field is a grueling uphill and downhill walk back to the parking lot. I walked a little brisker that day back to the car. It must have been the weight I shed handing off that indicator. Also, the trail was a lot more "dusty" walking back than I remembered when I arrived... A great opportunity to film a new Coca-Cola ad was missed that day. ~Dog

Sunday, I was working a (local boys) 11U scrimmage for a coach friend of mine. Ball hit to infield, overthrow at 1B, runner runs through the bag and turns to the left (exactly what you are thinking) and returns to the bag. Coach yelling "tag him, tag him!", ....and I made the safe call. Coach (not demeaning, just trying to communicate) yell out, he turned to the left!! I replied, "you're right!" Coach asked for time to make a pitching change. While at the mound, he asked me about the call. I told him that he will not find it in any rule book that the runner MUST turn to the right. If the umpire adjudges that the runner made "a move" to 2B, then he would be liable to be put out. He asked me what constitutes "a move". To which I replied "you will know it when you see it". Fast forward to last night. His son playing in a local rec ball game. I'm in C, his son gets a base hit, overran 1B, ball was overthrown and he "made a move" to 2B before Dad tells him to get back on the bag. As soon as I saw this, I looked at him (1B coach) and as soon as I did, he says "I recognize it now!". We both had a good chuckle about it and carried on with the game.

Okay, I did it. I have un-retired. I thought I was ready to walk away, but I can't, so I'm back. I already have 25-30 games scheduled for High School. Oof, start up prices are killer though when you've sold all your gear thinking you were done. But, I'll make enough in HS to hopefully break even and then any Summer ball can be actual income. I need baseball though for many things. To keep me moving (active), for the camaraderie with my peers (you guys!) and for the interaction with the kids. And did I mention the love of the game? There's nothing quite like a beautiful day finding you on your feet and umpiring a good baseball game!

H-Day + 4: I thank you all my friends and colleagues for your enduring support. The surgery was remarkably quick. I spent about an hour in prep, (re)met my surgeon, and was greeted by the anesthesiologist. He’s a family friend (my brother’s medical school roommate), so it was a significant relief. I felt nothing. I was wheeled in, asked what kind of music would I like to listen to (I said “Jazz”), and then that was it… I was Out. The surgery took 1 hr 38 minutes. The surgeon confirmed what x-ray 🩻 images indicated previously – the socket was like a cup of gravel, with bone spurs and nodules. They had started to displace what was left of my femur 🦴 head. So he sawed off the femur head and hammered in a new head – said it took some pounding… something about really dense bones. 😬 Then smoothed out the socket, and cemented in a new socket, good for 35 years. 45 minutes later, I was awake. Within an hour after that, I was walking – with a PT leashing me – around the clinic. Once they confirmed I was as expected, they wheelchaired me out, and my Dad – who had had his own left hip replacement 4 weeks earlier – took me home. The first day was relatively “easy” – no real pain, just lethargy and soreness. Most of it is centered around the incision. The surgeon makes a vertical incision on the front of the hip, and then spreads the muscle groups aside like curtains, holding them open for the procedure. That soreness is the result of those fibers being stretched for 1 and a half hours. Day 2 started to get tougher. There was an alternate reason – my niece had brought a stomach flu virus 🦠 into the house, that socked out her, and both my parents. Well, it got me, and overnight was terrible. We made a decision not to use Vicodin. I had taken two doses, but that already set me down the path of constipation and fallout from using it. Day 3 was nearly unbearable. Nausea, splitting headache, extreme lethargy, and zero appetite. This was compounded by being extremely… stopped up. 😫 Morning of Day 4 was an all-out occupation of a bathroom. But I feel much, much better now! I’m now able to walk without a walker or cane. I can do stairs! What I’m noticing is that I walk more upright, and without the hitch I had before. My Dad’s directing all my rehab, based on that A) he is/was a coach, B) he’s already gone through the first 2 weeks of prescribed rehab, and C) he’s been gunning to do this for awhile now. In hindsight, I got three things I would have done sooner or instead: Over-hydrated. Flushing all this thru my system would have been easier, and I likely wouldn’t have been so constipated… which was a major cause of my discomfort. Choose not to use Vicodin… at all. Done more PT work, preemptively, on my legs, especially in terms of flexibility.

Many of you and my colleagues across the land know this story. In my now-14th year of umpiring, in the full gambit of skill and age levels, accounting for 4,000+ games… I myself have only had 4 Coach ejections. 2 of those 4 were the same guy… on successive nights of seeing him as PU… for saying the same “catch phrase” both times. This was summer college wood bat, with a team called the SabreDogs hosting a team named the Trappers. The Dogs started rather auspiciously, giving up 8 runs in the top of the 1st, and dowsing the record-setting capacity crowd’s start-of-game energy. Well, the Dogs started to climb back into it, and in the bottom of the 4th, they had potentially made it an 8-4 ballgame with a long, towering solo HR over the right field fence by their 6’3”, size-14 shoe-wearing Right Fielder… except he stepped right over the plate. Everyone in the stands and in the Trappers dugout saw it. So, it was with a collective bated breath that I put the (next) ball into play, the F1 stepped off, and lobbed the ball to the F2, who promptly stepped on home plate. I made the Out mechanic. The scoreboard immediately changed (back) to 8-3. No sooner had I made the Out mechanic that one superheated Dogs manager was on me. I compare it to George Brett and the Pine Tar Incident, the speed with which CT – the manager – covered the turf from the dugout to the back of the home plate circle. I’m paraphrasing… “How can you make that call?!” ”Real simple. He stepped over the plate.” “You didn’t see that!” “CT, everyone saw it.” “There’s no f**king way! No f**king way you call that! On a home run!” “Sure there is. I just did. He didn’t touch the plate.” “Well you’re the worst f**king umpire in the league to call that sh!t!!” ”You’re done!” CT then proceeded to carry on for a few more choice words, then stomped to the dugout, grabbed every bat within reach, and hurled them all onto the playing field. The sad part of the story, the Dogs rallied and won the game, 9-8, without him. CT received a scolding and suspension from the league for 2 games, along with a copy of the video feed, freeze-framed at the exact moment his Right Fielder steps completely over the plate, supplied by the ever-cheerful Kate, one of the league media specialists. So my crew and I travel to the Trappers’ home park, to do a 2-game series with the visiting HotShots. The day after that wraps, I’m back on the plate for… a visit from the SabreDogs. 🙄 It’s the bottom of the 7th, and the Trappers have managed to get their fastest player, an Altuve-esque 2nd baseman, on 3B. One of their charismatic hitters, their center fielder named Jonathan, is up to bat. Having been a catcher for 16 years of my life, I read hitters and their quirks, and Jonathan had a known habit of working his wrists with the bat, alá Gary Sheffield. We get to a 1-1 count, and Jonathan suddenly stays stock still in the box, no movement whatsoever. Sure enough, I hear it coming, and pick up a white blur from my left peripheral vision – R3 is stealing home. The pitch comes right down the pipe for Strike 2, the F2 receives it, and lunges out to make a late tag on the R3, who has executed a perfect headfirst slide to the plate, slapping it with his right hand under and before the tag upon his shoulder. I come up with a big “Safe!” F2 is understandably upset. He’s stomping around, claiming that he tagged him, he’s out, and I f**ked the call up. He’s not facing me, so I’m withholding dumping him, but on the verge. Well, CT, fresh off his suspension served, comes out and intercedes between his irate F2 and me, and adopts an inquisitorial stance… “What’s this? What did you call?” ”He’s safe. He was tagged after he touched the plate.” “Not possible. Alex tagged him.” ”Yeah, after the runner touched the plate.” “Not possible! That’s just not possible!” “Sure it’s possible, because that’s what happened.” ”Nope. Not possible. You were right the other night, but there’s no way you’re right twice!” “Well, that’s what I’ve got, CT.” “Yeah, worst f**king umpire in the league!” <BOOP!> “You’re done!” Oh, and I nearly forgot to add... the next day, I get a visit from Kate, who has a freeze-frame of the exact moment that speedy 2nd Baseman slaps home plate... and Alex hasn't tagged him yet. 😁

Gentlemen, @Rich Ives may have served as an umpire at some point, but what he was known and respected primarily for was Coach. Each of us here (on U-E at least) has our forté, our niche, our role. Rich’s was as Coach. The other side of the argument. Not only was he always presenting the coach’s perspective, but he could frequently – and would – tag you if were MSU or being unduly harsh on fellow coaches (especially when you’d brag in your Ejection stories). Not every coach is/was a rat, despite Rich embracing it as his avatar. Yes, we’ll remember him, but let’s not forget him and his perspective when we interact with coaches in the future.

Watching the LL Regionals at San Bernardino and our @JonnyCat is working 1st base with my buddy Dean on the plate. Announcers actually gave both Jon and Dean some serious love mentioning how they like their mechanics. Just thought I would throw out that our friend is kicking butt on ESPN. As I was typing this, they just tried to challenge a call Jon made at 1st which he called an out on and they challenged a pulled foot. Runner is out, call is confirmed. Keep it up Jon!

So our local LL district has been blessed to have a recently retired MLB umpire coming out to work games with us not only during the All Star season, but during the regular season as well. Not saying names, but this gent has some MLB WS experience as well as MLB post season play and a few thousand games under his belt. Just for kicks and giggles, we have been trying to get our local coaches, when this gent come out with us, to go to him and ask him to get help on a call. Rightfully so, all of them have said NO WAY, not going to do it... chickens! Fast forward to last night... 10-11 All Star game... MLB is working 2nd base, calls a runner safe. Since this is the state tournament, none of these teams are local, and most likely have no clue who the guy working 2nd wearing an MLB umpire uniform (versus our LL stuff) actually is. Coach from the defensive team asks for time, and in living video color, goes out to the umpire, asking him to get help on a safe call. Pretty funny watching the coach try and convince this man to get help on his judgement call. Funnier still watching the coach not know how to deal with being told no, it is my call and I have him safe. Not the funniest thing to happen on a field, but I still got a chuckle out of it.

Many years ago, my uncle went to pick up his new car. There was a metal dealer medallion on the left side of the trunk, and the dealers name also on the license plate frame. . My uncle saw them, asked how much he was getting paid for the advertising. Refused to take the car until they took them off. They obliged.

Great on your CC and congrats to you. Here is some advice I give to guys when working the plate in a "big game" (that is, when they are in the situation you were in). I've posted this elsewhere, but I'll rehash it here. The key to getting relaxed on the plate (when you're really nervous) is to get the game into a defensive flow. Baseball is the only major American sport which is designed to be in a defensive flow. Think about it: it is the only sport in which the defense possesses the ball. Everyone wants the batters swinging, the ball being put in play, and the defense making plays. When those things are happening, the managers/coaches do not have time to waste yelling at you as they're too busy thinking ahead about their next possible coaching move because the game is moving along at a good pace. So, how does one get the game in a good defensive flow? Usually, at the beginning of the game the first pitch that you have to judge (a pitch where the batter does not swing) is an easy call. Usually the pitcher is so jacked up that he either throws an obvious "ball" or he takes a lot off his velocity and throws a "down-the-middle" strike to calm his nerves. HOWEVER, at some point (usually in the first inning) you're going to get that first "nut-cutter" pitch of the game. This is a pitch that is borderline and could go either way. THE FIRST TIME YOU GET A "NUT CUTTER" PITCH YOU HAVE TO CALL IT A "STRIKE". If you can do that...if you can go onto the field with the mentality that you're going to call the very first borderline pitch you see a "strike"...it sends a message to everyone that you're calling strikes. (And trust me, everyone gets the message.) No one is going to argue with you at this point because (1) the game has just begun and (2) they're trying to figure out your zone and, thus, are not going to complain that you're being inconsistent. By calling this very first borderline pitch a "strike" you let both dugouts know that you're not planning on having a "walk-a-thon". Furthermore, (even if subconsciously) you're telling them and yourself that you are not going to squeeze the zone just because you're nervous. Where plate umpires go wrong when they're nervous is that they allow their nerves to affect their judgment (that's human nature). Unfortunately, it is my experience that the vast majority of umpires who are really nervous end up "squeezing" the zone. And, of course, this is the exact opposite of what you want to do in a "big game". What you want to do in a "big game" is get the game in a defensive flow so that the game has a good pace and everyone is focused on the game (and not you). Call the first nut-cutter a strike, and everything settles in from there. If you can do that, in 98% of these games your nerves will be gone by the second inning. [The other 2% are games where the pitchers themselves cannot overcome their own nerves and the game turns into a walk fest...but at least that has nothing to do with you!] My mantra coming out of the locker room in these games: CALL THE FIRST NUT-CUTTER A STRIKE!!!

I want to extend my congratulations to and make you all aware, that our very own@MadMax has been selected for the plate in the Arizona 6A, (our largest schools), HS State Championship game. The game is next Tuesday May 18th and is held in the Angels' spring training stadium. Our umpiring association has an annual get together at the game to which all of the State's HS coaches are also invited. All in all, it's quite a deal. He's earned the spot based on evaluation by our association and review of the HS coaches we work with. When I heard the news I immediately thought back to the uncomfortable conversation Max had with his first assignor here in AZ. Why hadn't he been working varsity games in his home state? Was he qualified to work the national level PG event we were holding that weekend? As I recall, his first role was bringing ice water to us during the event. The first games we worked together, Max jumped in and worked three man without being compensated. In the nearly four years since then Max has taken every opportunity to work his butt off and get better. There have been endless numbers of youth games on scorching, dusty fields. Clinics and camps, taking advantage of every opportunity to learn and improve. His summers have been occupied with college and now independent ball. His primary in season focus has shifted to NAIA baseball. I still hear from so many umpires that honors like this are "political", whatever that means. Max is still an outsider here to a large degree and has much less tenure then most of the umpire working for our association. So it's gratifying to see a clear example of merit being reward. Way to go buddy!

Yes it is acceptable. Yes you can wear long sleeves or a plate coat. There are also open bottom jackets that are designed to tuck into your pants that work on the plate. The bottom line is, be comfortable when working games. If you need a jacket so you're not freezing and only have a pull over, by all means wear it. Honestly, nobody cares. If that's all you have, then wear it and others be darned. Not everyone can afford an expensive plate coat or all sorts of extra gear. Sometimes it takes a while to acquire a large variety of gear. There's not a coach, HS and below, in the history of ever, that gives a crap about whether you wear a "proper" jacket on the plate. They only care about your performance and demeanor, and even then if you have a great game, often times most jerks still think you're horse you know what. It is important to look sharp with regards to your equipment, however, no one cares about if are following the "proper" uniform etiquette. As long as your uniform is clean and in good shape, you're fine. I've commented on this forum about my thoughts regarding uniform "police" in our hobby/vocation. I'll just leave it at that. Yes you should always strive for excellence and following proper procedures. But it's a jacket. Someone gets heartburn over that?

Well the good news is that the SCHSL has not canceled high school sports in South Carolina, yet. So now, thanks to Coronavirus, we have four college umpires working a high school game tonight. The game is scheduled to be played at the Columbia, SC, minor league stadium. We all won't be paid (they only pay for 2 umpires during the regular season), but we said "screw it...we'll divide the money up into fourths. Let's just go have fun!"

Please. We are humans and its an amateur game. Go ahead and say hi and acknowledge them.

I've now completed my 2 weeks post-op, and cleared infection protocols after my hip replacement surgery back on August 24th. I feel fantastic, all things considered. I'm incredibly grateful at how effective and efficient the surgical team has been. And yes, I should have had this sooner. I'm not quite up to "running speed", and I have to retrain my footwork to do drop steps and shuffles routinely and stable-y, but I no longer have the shooting pains in my left rump, nor the restrictive pain in my left groin. The hitch in my stride is gone. With that said... with me lumbering around for the past 2-3 years, my right knee has been overworked in trying to compensate. Over this past year, it has been exhibiting a burning sensation at the top of the knee – not behind the kneecap, this is important – but just above... at the base of the thigh muscle. This begins and intensifies as my knee is bent while sitting, especially when I'm driving, ie. working the gas pedal and brakes on my vehicle. These past two summers, I've had to do extensive driving in my umpiring role, and I chalked up this irritation to my knee, again, compensating for the degenerate left hip. I couldn't take much in the way of painkillers for the past year because I was on a prescription-only anti-inflammatory, allowing me to actually move around (somewhat) and officiate prior to this hip replacement. Well, now with the hip replaced, and being imaged, I finally piped up and inquired about the surgical team examining this nagging knee... My brother (he's my "interface" surgeon; I interact with him the most, it's his practice that I consult, but he cannot perform surgeries on me) bet it was tendonitis. My direct surgeon, who also does knee work, was a bit more skeptical, and had the imaging team run a full set of images... and I awaited... Turns out my knee is structurally fine. No damage to bones, no loss of cartilage, no displaced or partially torn tendons, and from physical examination, nothing to indicate any damaged ligaments. However... ... a cluster of calcifications, like peanuts in a chocolate-peanut cluster, showed up on X-rays, floating around at the top of my knee / base of the thigh muscle. Huh! The team was wondering how I might have got those... trauma, perhaps? Oh, something like this? -> That's 2020. I've had, maybe, 2-3 equally nasty ones on that right thigh – one in 2021 that nearly put me on the shelf for a few weeks – in the time since. My surgeon surmised it simply, "That'll do it. That bruising never went beyond your knee, did it? Not down into your calf?" "No, it never got that far." "And how long on each impact would you wait to go back to umpiring?" "'Wait'? There's no waiting. I would likely have a game on the bases the next day. No rest or days off for us in season." "And how is your typical stance again?", as I show him the manual-prescribed, school-taught hands-on-knees stance. "See where your hands are? Is that where you typically place them?" "Yup. Haven't been able to vary it much. Just habit." "And that's where you'd say the burning pain is, right?" I look down at my hands upon my knee-tops, "You're telling me that that bruising drained down to my knees, and calcified because I put hand pressure on it so often?" "That would explain it, yes. You've taken deep tissue trauma on par with getting shot, or being in a car accident. The muscle fibers are traumatized and saturated with fluid that holds platelets and calcium in it. So you've got a cluster of calcified tissue there that is pressing against nerves. There's not much we can do about it surgically or medically. It's going to come down to either building up the tissues so that there isn't so much pressure on the nerves, or through therapy, massaging or pressing out those calcium deposits, like mashing up corn flakes over time." So yes!... don't think those thigh and forearm shots you take, unprotected, aren't going to cause you any long-term effects. They most certainly do! As such, I am done with taking shots off my thighs, and am now invested into @concertman1971's ThighPro venture. I won't be secretive about it – I'll be pressing colleagues to develop forearm protectors as well. In the amateur, un-televised game, I don't care anymore about "the look". If you feel safer and more protected by wearing a set of sleeves with armor/padding inserts on them, and that's going to be the difference between a broken forearm and your arm in a cast for 6 weeks versus just a welt that could use some ice post-game... I'll take the derisive comments. Hey, you're not the one standing back there with an erratic pitcher, a haphazard batter, and a guessing catcher. I am! And, I've got 2 other employments that I need my legs/arms for! Take care of, and try to lessen those impacts, guys!

I will say that my proudest rule was the complete re-write of the verbal warning, written warning, ejection rule. The year they first tried to create this rule (2015 rulebook) it was a complete disaster. The summer of 2015 was my first year on the committee. I told them it was a disaster and some at the NFHS appeared a little insulted that I said that. However, all of the state administrators who were on the committee at that time quickly spoke up and whole-heartedly agreed with me. It was, in my opinion, an example of all the administrators telling the NFHS staff that the rule was not working and was causing them nightmares in their state offices. We literally had some states interpreting the rule as saying a coach could not be ejected unless he had both been verbally warned and restricted. Other states took a different interpretation. It was bad; there was no consistency. I re-wrote the rule (including making sure that it was clear that an umpire can eject without any warnings if the game participant's behavior so warrants.) I know that no constituency today outright loves the rule, and that every constituency (umpires, coaches, administrators) has gripes. However, the fact is that the number of complaints about this rule went from "too many to count" in 2015 to zero in 2016. It was the best case of putting out a fire I have ever done in my life. Now, eight years later, pretty much everyone has bought in to the verbal warning, written warning, ejection process as it exists in the NFHS rulebook and casebook and how it is to be applied. It took a long time to re-write the rule and case plays on that one. And while it may not be universally loved...at this point its been there for eight years and no one is clamoring for it to be changed or modified. (There hasn't been a proposal since I re-wrote the rule to modify, amend, or change it.) So, it has stood the test of time. And, I'm proud of that.

For the record I am a coach who's always been very cool with the officials... First 12U scrimmage yesterday to warm up for my first 12U game on Saturday. Open rec ball where teams may have AA level players as well as total beginners. I had some nerves. My foul calls were too quiet. Strike calls were too quiet. Strike zone was too tight but consistent. I didn't have my head in the game on a couple plays. I didn't move around enough to get a good look at plays. I think one of the big challenges is staying engaged and aware after seeing 8 balls in a row. The infielders AND the ump were snoozing at times. I am excited to start umpiring but it is much harder than I thought it would be. I know I have a firm grasp of the NFHS rules but seeing the plays and enforcing everything real time is a whole other story. It's insane for a coach to complain about a couple tough calls over the course of a game with ONE umpire. Tom

Just have them put a chain on it and call it a necklace since Jewelry is legal now!

I always point and use a verbal no matter what to put the ball back in play. I sometimes adjust the volume, for instance, if it's the 39th pitch in a row the batter has fouled off. If the ball needs to be put back in play, I use a point and verbal 100% of the time. I was always taught that everyone, including my partner, needs to know the status of the ball. By being vocal, clear, and consistent, it removes any doubt as to the status of the ball. No ones ever complained, or told me it was wrong. I personally don't like a point without a verbal, but if it works for someone in their games, great. It is not something I teach in clinics. I'm big on communication during my games. I don't know if being non-verbal in this situation is improving the game.

My best LL story wasn't even on the diamond. In addition to umpiring, I coached LL for 13 years, either regular season, fall ball, or both. Coached my kids from tee-ball to juniors. Had a kid that I coached, Ethan, off and on from tee-ball up until his 11 year old season. He wasn't the most talented player, but was a good kid and played hard. He left baseball after his 11 year old season and focused on soccer, which he became one hell of a player. We kept in touch with him and his family, and still do to this day, he recently graduated from college. When he turned 13, I received an invitation for me and my whole family to attend his bar mitzvah. I had never been to one, and if you've never been, it is an awesome time. I was very honored to be invited. During the reception of probably close to 300 people, there was a continuous slide show of Ethan's life, and there was even a couple of pictures of me and him on the ball-field, which by itself was really cool. But at wasn't the best and most humbling part. As we were leaving near the end of the event, I thanked his mom for inviting us. She said she was very happy that we came, and then said these words that I'll never forget. She told me that I had a "significant impact on Ethan's life." What, me? I mean I just coached him in LL. I never treated him any different than any other player. I always had the mindset when coaching that I would give every kid a fair shake. You could play any position for me, you just had to work hard at it. That was pretty much my philosophy when coaching. I was stunned at those words. Never did I think I'd have that much of an impact on a kid that wasn't my own. I have a lot of fond and memorable stories involving LL, but that one tops the list.

My favorite so far... Bottom 7, 2 outs, R1... R1 breaks on the pitch. F2 throws a frozen rope. F2 just says "goodbye" while ball is midflight and is already 2 steps to the dugout. Ball caught, tag applied, game over.

I'm learning a LOT about my fellow umpires these last couple months. For one, the fact the "it's just a bad flu" is STILL being sold simply astounds me. The lack of trust in the "mainstream media" - you know, what we older people call "the media" - and basic science facts and data is discouraging, at best. And there's a certain air of "aaaahh, F*#K those 3% people! They'll be *fine*!" being broadcast here. Just to remind you - that 3% figure cuts across the umpire community, too, fellas. I'm one of those high-risk people, and I feel like if I get it, there's a really, REALLY solid chance that it'll kill me, at least based on what we've seen so far. So, the cavalier attitude about the "mere" 3%, or the railing against the "tyranny" of mask-wearing and/or closing businesses (tyranny? really? with thousands of years of human ugliness to other humans to which to compare?) is ...... irritating. And I'm saying that last bit mildly. Now, you may counter: "Sure, Hokie. But that just means we lose an older, useless person like you - and it probably means you were either morally weak, or just a pussy." And that's fair. But here's the thing: even the weak-ass 3% - whether they have underlying risk, or are older, or just a pussy - we'd all like to live, too. If that's all the same to you. I'm well aware that my situation is a decently comfortable one, so I'm not desperate to re-start my business or get to work for my employer to pay bills. But if we F*#K up this "re-starting," we're gonna be out of pocket for even longer and even more people are gonna die. And, oh yeah - we've already lost 90,000+. Here in Texas, there are worrying signs about even a slower restart: we'd been fortunate to have, for our size, decently low death/sickness rates. And then we restarted, slowly, on 1 May. Guess what? We started getting 800-1000 or more new cases per day. The governor is trying to play the angle that "we're testing more, so of COURSE there'll be more positives." Maybe. But it could ALSO have something to do with people interacting again - especially in a state where, it seems to me, a lot of people are still buying the "it's a hoax" line. And the US death toll is still hitting 1,000/day more often than not. What's my point? There are many. I just started typing, and kept going. And look - I'm not getting back on the field this year. For one, the machinations of mechanics all ....... suck, as far as I'm concerned. If I'm going out, I want to umpire, not jury-rig some nonsense, or do some two-man calling of balls and strikes. And we're too close to each other for me to feel comfortable, since people won't wear masks and/or won't admit they're sick, or something. Having said that: if you want to go out and work games, there's really nothing I can do to stop you. I hope that you'll be as safe as possible, and I hope that you'll do as much as you can to protect others as much as yourself. But just know that not every one of us here is some strapping, healthy God Of Officiating who is somehow immune. (Yeah, that idea cracks me up, too, but I had to say it.) And our safety/life is tied into you taking the disease, and your responsibility, somewhat seriously. And if someone wants to end up taking this down, that's cool, too. I mean, sure, we're an umpire site, but we're 17 pages into a thread that's meandered all over the place.

Thank you all for your messages. It's been an incredibly difficult time this past week, and we are putting one foot in front of the other as best we can. Christine's passing was unexpected, though she had been battling illness for many years as a result of radiation treatment for Hodgkins when she was 17. It truly does make a difference knowing that my family is in your thoughts and prayers.

I’ve read through the original post and responses and here’s my take... Dumbfounded or not, if you think the batter swung, tell your partner what you saw. I actually had this happen in a game last night. I could see the pitch was inside, catcher slid over, batter went about 3/4 around, partner gets blocked out by catcher and came to me. EVERYONE knew he swung except the guy who had to make the call. So he came to me and I got it. That’s how we work as a team...the best team on the field. So, you screwed up by not handling that situation properly. You know what? Who cares. The only way we learn is to screw something up. I guarantee you’ll never screw that situation up again. Did you throw your partner under the bus? Yes. You know what? Who cares. He could/should have handled the situation better. But instead of realizing that he was working with an inexperienced partner and even though he has some tire marks on his back, he should use this as a mentoring opportunity, he decided to get pissed, switched partners, blows you up and doesn’t want to work with you anymore. That’s BS. Speaking as an assignor, we need you more than we need your partner. You screwed up. We can fix that. We can’t fix egos that say I don’t want to work with a newer guy because he doesn’t know what he’s doing and made me look bad in the process. Speaking as the guy who runs the clinic you mentioned (Mid-American Umpire Clinic), I’m willing to help you. You say you want to attend but might have to wait a year before trying it. If waiting a year is “real job” related, so be it; but if having to wait a year is related to budget issues, get with me privately and I’ll take care of you to get you into the clinic this year.

First, don't EVER talk to a fan. Ever. (did I make that clear?) Second, Ignore / Acknowledge / Warn / Eject You ignored at first; AC was throwing hands up and asking where some pitches were - not a good thing, but not worth anything. The moment he says "it's down the middle," you jump to Acknowledge - "I had it down, coach." This tells him you understand what he's saying, but it's not the place to argue. He replies with "it's a strike all day," you're in Warn - "That's enough!" If he doesn't understand what that means, he will soon enough. After "That's enough," if he says anything back to you other than "Sorry," you're probably in Eject. This is all increasingly so because he's an assistant coach. Leashes for them should be much shorter, but that comes with him understanding his leash is shorter. Oh, and don't ever talk to fans.

I knew this a few months ago but I didn’t share it here. I have been hired into college baseball at the D3 and NAIA level in Southern California. Looking forward to this year and many more. Feel free to hijack this thread if you’ve been hired into a higher level

Hey guys just got through it. For context, this was my first time ever umpiring and I was behind the plate with a nice more experienced guy on the bases. I’m not working with my assigned mentor until next week on a varsity scrimmage. This was a high school freshman scrimmage, teams were decent. I also never got any work behind the plate in a batting cage or any other official training, but I managed through it. Hardest ball for me was a breaking ball at the knees. I set up in the slot and kept my head still, but I feel I could have been more consistent. Although I didn’t hear the coaches complain much. I’m unsure how much leeway to give these pitchers on the zone. I have another scrimmage tomorrow and will be on the bases so a little less stress and a chance for me to work more on positioning and rotations. I definitely hustled, covered 3rd when I needed to, etc. today. I did forget to signal infield fly once and a couple of other things. If one wants to get “good”, I can already see the need to go to a professionally run clinic or pro school where they hammer you behind the plate. I only was able to read online or watch videos on YouTube, but one needs to be in the slot to really “get it”. Overall it was stressful, I thought it was somewhat fun lol. Here’s to tomorrow’s game 👍

I'm actually down roughly 105lbs since I got back into umpiring in 2016. From this to this

I may be in the minority, but I prefer a paper copy for my rule books. I can't stand trying to read a rule book on my phone. Give me a paper copy any day. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sit on my porch in my coveralls, with my glass of lemonade, and yell at the kids to stay the F*#K off my lawn.

It’s happening. August 24th. The left hip – beaten and destroyed by four decades of intense athletics, manual labor (including Amazon, those jerks), and having to “drop-step and pivot to the midpoint!” (what the hell is the midpoint? ) – is finally getting replaced! This has to happen. It’s the only way to continue my umpiring and trades careers. What makes this so ironic, is if I was to abandon the umpiring and trades-work, and focus on what I got a college degree in (graphic design), it wouldn’t get any better, since I’d be (back to) a desk job, sitting down… which is the worst thing for ya!! So! Guard your health and fitness, good friends, and wish me luck! Let’s hope the surgeon doesn’t get cute with the stitches! 😁

Sh!t, just print the thing in Braille, and get a discount from the ADA.

I umpire varsity baseball and travel ball like a lot of other umpires here. Where I umpire there is a facility that hosts a lot of Travel Ball tournaments. The last five to ten years has seen an explosion in the number of travel ball teams out there. Mostly the coaches in varsity baseball and travel ball are good, but every once in a while I see or hear something from one of them that makes me go "What did you say?" Here are my top four 2022 examples. Perhaps other umps will add their favorites in this thread. Number 1 - 18U travel ball game. I am behind the plate and my partner is in the B position. R1 is on first and the Batter Runner has a two ball count. The pitcher throws a pitch and the BR pops it up in foul ground between the plate and first. The first baseman drifts into foul territory and reaches up for the ball. The ball clanks out of his glove, drops directly down to the ground in foul territory and then rolls into fair territory. The first basemen yells, "Crud, I dropped it", so there is no mystery about him clanking the play. I call it "Foul" and do the foul ball mechanic. As the players are returning to position, the Coach of the Offensive team (in the first base dugout so this all happened right in front of him) calls time out and hustles up to me and proclaims, "That's a fair ball!". I explain that it's foul because it touched the Firstbaseman's mitt in foul territory. He continues his argument with an example of a bunt that rolls foul and then goes fair at the last minute. I agree with that but tell him that's not the case if the ball hits something while it is foul. He turns from me to my partner and yells, "Tell your partner that ball is fair." My partner shakes his head and says, "No coach, that is foul". He continues to get upset, so I finally mollify him and get him back in the dugout (without having to eject him) by telling him that there is a rule that states that as soon as an umpire yells "foul" the ball is foul no matter where it is. As he heads back for the dugout he looks over his shoulder and says, "Just so long as you know you got it wrong." Number 2 - 16U travel ball game. I am in the B position and there is a runner on first with no outs. The pitcher toes the rubber and R1 takes a lead. The pitcher comes set and then tucks his chin down against his front shoulder to peek at the runner. Then he lifts his head up to look at his target. Then he lowers his chin to peek at the runner. Then he looks up to the target and pitches. My partner calls a strike. The first base coach calls time out and tells me "He balked". I asked for his argument. The coach tells me "He's deceiving the runner by nodding his head up and down like that.". I tell the coach, "A pitcher can't balk with his head." The coach says, "The rule gives you the discretion to call that a balk and he's balking by deceiving the runner by nodding his head like that". I ask the coach, "Then how is the pitcher supposed to check the runner on first?" The coach says, "As soon as he comes set he can't look back." I think for a minute and then just to move the game along and not argue anymore, I say to him with a smile, "Coach, you said it's in my judgment right? Well then in my judgment that's not a balk." 21 ways to balk in the game. I'm not familiar with any that involve nodding. Number 3 - Varsity baseball. R1 on first and R2 on second with one out and the pitcher is in the stretch. I'm in the C position. The pitcher comes set and then clearly steps back off the rubber and attempts to pick to first. He throws it over the first baseman's head and directly into dead ball territory. I call "Time" and say, "The pitcher stepped back before he through, so that's two bases to the runners" and I score R2 and place R1 on third. The coach, from the dugout screams at me, "Your timing sucks! You need to let the play develop before you make a call!" I said, "Coach since you' chose to yell across the diamond I'm going to ask you this question so everyone can hear it. That ball was out of play as soon as it crossed the white "out of play" line. By that I mean "out of play" as in the play is over and nothing else can happen. Perhaps you can explain to the rest of the class exactly what other occurrence should I wait for before I make the call "Out of Play?" The coach pauses, opens his mouth and then sits down on the bench quiet. Game resumes with no more argument and no need for an ejection. Number 4 - 18U travel ball game. R1 is on first and the pitcher is left handed. I'm in the B position. The pitcher comes set and then lifts his front leg. R1 is going on the first move and attempts to steal second. The pitcher alertly picks to first and the first baseman throws to the shortstop at second base. A run down ensues. The shortstop runs R1 back towards first and then throws to the Firstbaseman. The SS halts in the exact spot in the baseline from where he threw the ball. The firstbaseman starts to chase R1 toward second and R1 collides with the SS while the Firstbaseman is still holding the ball. I call time, point with my left hand and call "Obstruction" and place R1 on second base. The defensive coach charges onto the field without calling time out and yells, "That's not obstruction, Blue. You don't know the rule! You don't even know that it's not 'obstruction'! It's interference! Get it straight before you make a call!" I turn to the coach and say, "First off, I'm going to do you a favor. 'Time out'! Now we can talk. Coach that's textbook obstruction. The short stop is in the baseline without the ball and he's not in the immediate act of catching the ball. The baserunner collided with him and that's 'Obstruction'. You obstruct runners and you interfer with the defense." He looks confused and then shouts, "Well you have to give the shortstop time to make a baseball move." I took my sunglasses off and said, "Coach, I'm familiar with five rule sets; Little League, NHSF, Babe Ruth, American Legion and the Official Rules of Baseball. If you can pull out your phone, google that term and find a place in any one of them the phrase 'baseball move', I'll put R1 wherever you want him." He opens his mouth to argue, when his own Shortstop taps him on his shoulder and says, "Coach, the Blue is right." Now I'm not claiming to be perfect, but maybe at that level some of these coaches should had some of this stuff straight by now.

Ejectable offenses: Personal Prolonged Profane Personal? No, they were arguing the calls, not you, directly Prolonged? They were getting there. As long as they didn't continue after the warning, that's probably good. Profane? Check - you can't swear at anybody (especially in high school) and expect to stay in the game. Only one quibble... "Shake it off" was right there, and you didn't jump on it???

At least from what I’ve seen, to be fair, they… sidestep plates because: They get pushed to Plate by “veteran” partners who want to dump on the rookie, and use the association-supplied excuse that “rookies need plate time to develop da skillz”. They frequently work solo (JV, Freshman, small-kid league, etc), and really have a yearning to do bases… for once. Their plate gear sucks. Genuinely. Sucks. And that’s frequently because no partner or association member knows how to properly fit gear to/for them, or there are association members who tell them, “This is whatcha need right here!” (Which is my second most-hated piece of gear advice… second to and right behind, “It’s got the MLB logo on it, don’t it? Stop questioning! This is whatcha need!”) We gotta take better care of our rookies. When I’m assigned with one, I will give them a genuine, no-wrong-answer choice – plate or bases. If they want bases, I understand… and I not only guide/coach them thru their base work (between innings or post-game), but I also encourage them to… ahem… watch and analyze the mad maestro work. 😝 If they choose plate, I assure them I’ll take a lot of “the heat” off them. Don’t sweat the small details, don’t worry about (missed) rotations, etc. Sure, we want rotations to be identified, and to happen, but the priorities are Balls & Strikes, Fair / Foul, etc., and if you feel, in the moment, to stay plate and process, then I can adjust accordingly. There are several of us who adopt this approach with rookies (typically Vultures), and these rookies then espouse how *that* game they did with so-and-so was a big building block in their burgeoning career. I just glow about it. If it’s not me they’re talking about, they’ll say who it is, and more-often-than-not, my estimate will be confirmed, “Yup. Vulture. You worked with a Vulture.”

PUT THE BALL BACK IN PLAY after it goes 'dead' every time. It's just good practice, and at the end of the day, it's the proper way/mechanic (at our level). You don't see this every time on the MLB field, but ... that's an MLB field

My perspective is that there is an officiating shortage for a reason and its gotten this way gradually over a long period of time. Its not on individual umpires to "strap the cross to their backs" and be taking on too many games, doing solo varsity games, scrambling all over, and compromising their quality of life at home/with their spouse/with their families etc. This problem has been created by all the players involved (assignors, state associations, leagues, parents, etc.) and its not on us at an individual level to kill ourselves to "help out." Theres going to be crises every day for a very long time. Taking a day or two off a week and enjoying the weather and your time with those you care about is the right approach for most of us.

Had my first ejection of the year last week. Doing a varsity tournament here, 2nd of 4 games. Home field team is playing in this game and the 3rd. Bottom of the 5th inning rang a kid up on a pitch right at the knees. Batter was unhappy, turns to walk back to the dugout and looks at me and say "You're f*%$ing terrible". See ya! Easiest ejection ever. They got to play with only 10 players the next game as the coach sent him home. Punish stupidity whenever possible.

So I’m on the bass for a 16u high school development fall game. R1, pitcher blows through the stop. I call the balk, batter singles to LF. “Time! You stay at second, batter, you go back and bat again. “ F1 “What I do?” Me ”you didn’t come set and stop” F1 “Yes I did” Me “Ok. You’d rather have first and second, no outs?” (F1 with the deer in the headlights blank stare ) Coach “You didn’t stop Timmy. Shut up and pitch” 😂

From the local paper where the district took place. Proud to say, game 1 for me Saturday was my plate and although I had no idea during, but afterwards I found out I called a perfect game! Photo 2 is during the championship game where the one coach asked if a ball had hit the batter (it didn't) but my partner called me over to make sure. Photo 3 is an out call I had on the red team (the team that won the district) in the 6th when they scored all their runs to lock it up. The teams fans didn't like it, but this photo shows I got the whacker (funny how a still shot shows how NOT close it was )

I know I'm reviving a relatively old thread, but I just received a TASO email, saying the jewelry rule is, in fact, no longer. I'm assuming that's because it was a national decision that's filtering down to the states this summer, and not something being taken on independently by the state of Texas. I'd like to think that my public declaration of surrender this season, and my complete and utter IDGAF stance this season was the catalyst The Federation needed to walk away, and I gave them that cover fire. It would be utter bullSH*#, and a grotesque and undeserved expansion of my ego, but imma grab the chalice. You're welcome, America.

he shouldn't have had a chance to flip you off. Time to go sparky.

Congrats @MadMax! If you didn't know, I looked up on the Arizona Scholastic Umpire Association and it says that as a gift for this accomplishment, you get to pick one item from the Wilson Umpire Catalog.

My worst game, ever, was caused by my immaturity. It occurred during a four game series in the minor leagues. In the first game I was evaluated by a MiLB evaluator (I had no idea I was being evaluated...I found out after the game when he walked into the locker room). It was the best verbal evaluation I could ever have hoped for. It literally included the line, "do not change a thing! If anyone tells you to change it, you tell them I told you not to. You are on your way." Needless to say, as a young 20-something my head swelled bigger than the size of Texas as a result of this evaluation. And, I couldn't handle it. I proceeded to go out in Game 3 of the series and have the worst plate job in the history of minor league baseball. I had to throw out the pitching coach from one team who stood on the top step of the dugout and put his hands around his neck and screamed, "you're F*#King choking," because he thought I was calling too many "balls". In the 8th inning, I had to throw out a batter on the other team who thought I was calling too many "strikes". I so did not want to throw the batter out, that I gave him three warnings...but he left me no choice. When I tossed the pitching coach, he sprinted out of the dugout with a look in his eye that I have never seen before or since on a ball field. I thought he was going to tackle me, except that his manager (who was making a mound visit), sprinted off the mound and tackled him. I was screamed at for the whole game by fans (like I was at a youth game and the parents were going nuts). Because the home team was only 45-minutes from where I grew up, I had my whole family in the stands (they weren't yelling...at least I don't think they were!). After the game, as I was leaving the field, some fan was verbally assaulting me and threatening to kick my ass. My Dad and Uncle (two high school football coaches) decided to get in his face...and they were all about to come to blows! I was so GOD awful, that one of the managers (after I had ejected his pitching coach) said, "Matt, you have to expect to take some when you're struggling this much." All I could manage to say was an implied acknowledgment that I agreed that I was sucking up the stadium. I said, "Dick, I was ready to hear it from you and I would have listened to you for a long time...but I ain't listening to your pitching coach." The moral of the story is that this game will eat you alive if you start thinking and acting like you have it figured out. I thought I was "hot sh!t" and this game literally handed my ass to me. It was a lesson in humility that I have never forgotten. I was so lucky that I was not evaluated that game. If I had been evaluated that game, I may have been sent back to rookie league!

If you were to see what I write on FB, you would know that I'm a couple things: 1) highly opinionated, and 2) a political animal. (You can't really grow up in the DC area, and not be the second of those, I wouldn't think.) And I know that even clicking the "Quote" button to START a reply - with *me* typing - has the potential to turn this thread into to an utter SH*#show. So I don't want to get too nutty (edit: I wrote like another 6-7 paragraphs, so I may not have hit that target). But even the other day when I first read this paragraph, it ..... gave me pause. I really, really, REALLY disagree with, well, pretty much all of it. This is not "no different" than any of those. It's killing people. And at a rate that is frightening - around 30x what regular flu does. Just now, I took the numbers from the Washington Post, which got them from places like the WHO, the CDC, Johns Hopkins (just to stave off any "yeah, buts") - and the world-wide death rate is around 4.1% right now - that's INSANELY higher than regular flu, or some of the other flus. (For laughs, since our US testing situation is a joke, and it could arguably lower our current death rate by showing how widespread this virus REALLY is, I took out the US numbers, and it was still right about 4.1%.) This SH*# is serious, and should be treated as such. Look, I had the flu this year, too. Mine was about mid-January. I think the swab revealed it was Influenza-B. If you had it in November, I would argue that while you may have had a rough go, it wasn't COVID-19. Even now, AZ doesn't have but 21 cases out of the 7800+ in the US right now, and that's even since it started the exponential increase. You know why the person that resides in the White House finally started taking this a little more seriously? A British scientific group, using data on this specific virus and being experts in disease, its spread and the modeling thereof projected that if the current "la la lal i'm-not-listening-i'm-not-listening" tone of the WH was maintained, the death toll on this could reach 2.2 MILLION. That number starts to approach 1% of the total US population, to state the obvious. Even finally starting to get more ambitious, that effort might only knock the toll in half, to 1.1 million. Now, I hope they're wrong, and wrong to a major scale, but I'm not so sure they are, since it still seems people aren't reeeeeeally taking this fully seriously. As a high risk candidate - not REAL old yet, but I have diabetes, my thyroid has been impacted for years by an autoimmune thing (controlled by taking hormones), and I had the cancer and chemo thing a year and a half ago - I'm taking this seriously. A week ago, I didn't WANT to, just because I still wanted the season to keep going. But the more information that's out there - not the breathless manner in which it's portrayed, but the actual WORDS AND DATA that are said - means this still can go terribly pear-shaped. So please don't say the word crisis in quotes, or otherwise make this sound like it's designed to remove the current occupant of the WH, or cow the population, or lead us to that One World Order, or whatever. This is a problem. And got the potential to go from problem to A Real Problem. We'll get past it as a species - inexplicably, we always seem to - but this could be a rough go. This is all I'll write. But evidently, that had been pent up.

What a great umpire!! He's gotten every call correct!