dleavitt39

Another option for the videos, is that maybe to make it not "available" to the public(ie not umpires), is to make it a forum section you have to be signed in to see. I think as umpires any video would be helpful in helping us all learn. if it's public to a private audience(available to registered members only) that might alleviate some concerns about the public finding out anything about you. Just my DL

Ok, I'm going to bite on this one. Just trying to find a better position for our level vs. MLB. After doing a bit of research through these forums, I've found that most of us are doing LL/Travel ball up through HS games, and the occasional College games. What I've found after doing a bit of research, is that the main goal of setting up 3blx is to see a hook slide/sweep tag(please tell me if i'm missing a key component of why else we set up there). I don't know about you guys, but in all the games I've done, 9u travel up through JV HS, I've very rarely seen a hook slide. More of what I've seen is the runner trying to go straight in on his slide, whether it be because that's the line he thinks is best to get under the tag, or he doesn't know the throw is coming. To combat having the view that West got in the video, I've set up 1blx. I find that I'm in great position to see a banger at the plate because I can clearly see the leading edge of the plate. Another thing I've tried is 1blx and then 2-4 steps up the 3bl in foul territory. I find that this leaves me with a good view of the leading edge, as well as a descent angle for a sweep tag, and also lets me see if the ball was dropped/bobbled when the runner slides directly into the plate. Any feedback would be appreciated on these positions. I guess I just find that more "kids" these days are going straight in versus sliding around, so when they go straight in and you're 3blx you're SOL. Thanks!! DL

I found this post on "Thoughts from the other side" interesting and have nominated it accordingly for "Post Of The Month April, 2010"

Warren, I've thought this exact same thing. But even worse is some of the guys that do it in my league, throw it into fair territory, about half way between home plate and the mound. Problem with that is this...we work 1 man b/c the league is too worried about $$$ and that's right where I run to for the call at 1b. I've taken a few rattlers off my shin guards, but haven't said anything, thinking that the BR has the best intentions, trying to keep it out of the way of everyone. I've been thinking about it more and more, how hard is it for them to swing, hit the ball, take a step or 2 towards first and just drop it rather than wing it 15 feet away. I played for 14 years, and we never had this happen when we played, we were all taught to drop the bat, not wing it across the diamond. I know I didn't really give an opinion as to what to do, but I also don't know how/if to call this. DL

Great article, but have 1 question about it...maybe I'm reading it wrong but... how does the BR get ahead of (what I think would be) R1 ? DL

The reason I bring it up is two fold. 1. The referee on my football crew says this at every pre-game and it's stuck with me. 2. Me saying this is not intended for an injury where little jimmy cut his finger. This is meant for a severe injury, god forbid that it happens. Case in point. Kid with a broken arm writhing around on the ground. I'm killing the play, and I want a coach out there before I have to turn to beckon them on. misanthrope's unite Stopping for an injury is not the same as letting coaches/players make a travesty of the game. By no means are the games by me trench warfare of WWI, perhaps just from the Civil War But in any case, I don't see many injuries, but in my opinion, one injury is too many, and if by not killing a play or having a coach out there it could be made worse. ie: kid does something stupid while hurt, and hurts himself more, I don't want that over my head. I'd much rather kill a play and take heat for killing a live ball rather than get in hot water for not killing the play, the kid possibly getting hurt more, and god forbid get sued for waiting too long. DL

If anything, I give the coach a pat on the back for actually giving a damn about the players. More often than not a kid is hurt and the coach just tells him to rub some dirt on it. My pregame includes the statement "If a player is hurt on a play, you don't wait for me to wave you on, you go take care of your players" I don't care if it's correct or not, same as my post earlier about the injury at the plate. It's safety, safety, safety. If I get myself in hot water for looking out for the kids, then I'll start looking for a new line of work. DL

When I was still playing 4 years ago, I pulled this play. I'm F1, 2 attempted pick offs, F6 walked up to me, faked putting the ball in my glove. I started to walk towards mound, circled it at about 8 feet, acted as if I was cleaning out my glove, R2 wandered off the bag, my F6 tagged him and we got the out. Opposing coach got so enraged, he pulled his team off the field, accusing us of being bush league Great play, ump said he had nothing as I wasn't simulating a pitch. And since the coach pulled his team off it won us the game DL

Run rule is 15 after 4, 10 after 5. Unfortunately, 4th inning played top and bottom, meaning visiting team racked up even more. Final score of game 39-8. 2 hours 40 minutes. I'll have to try that one some day if this happens again...Kinda like when I was working 3rd and 4th grade basketball. Coach wouldn't shut up, partner went over to him, handed him whistle and said have fun they switched roles for all of about 2 minutes. Coach goes back to bench, says he gets the point. Haven't heard a negative word out of him in 2 years now. Going back and having read my post, I wasn't quite clear I guess. I didn't know it was a scrimmage game until I walked onto the field and the coach told me this was a practice game....To make it even worse on my part, I'm the assignor. I went through all the schedules I got from the league, my 10 schedule versions on my computer...nothing about a scrimmage game I know we all have a mission, but I also know that if I had known about it being a practice game, would have gladly opened it up for someone else to take. Thanks again for the responses guys. Dan

Yes, this would be the same rat , score at time was 17ish-0. Only issue there is there'd be no discussion. League only pays for 1 ump Thanks for all the responses guys, just re-affirms what I believed I did was right. DL

Another situation from my game yesterday. R2, 1 out. fly ball drops short of F7, R2 heads home, throw comes in, 1 hops, R2 slides feet first into home plate, F2 drops down to block ball. R2's slide goes straight into F2's wrist/arm area. F2 stays down laying on the plate, writhing in pain. We play by FED rules, but for this league(travel 12u) we've been told safety, safety, safety. Seeing F2 down, I call time for 2 reasons. 1: we're always told safety, safety, safety. 2: this was a practice game. When the catcher went down, BR was about 1/2 way to third, and when I called time, BR had just touched and rounded third. All of a sudden, I have VC racing up to me yelling YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!! You better give my runner home! I tell him calmly, coach, my first priority is the safety of the players on my field. He goes on to tell me that since there was not an active play at the plate, I couldn't stop the game. I responded that since the ball got past F2 and went to the backstop(50 foot backstop) there was an iminent play at the plate, since the runner was rounding third when the ball hit the backstop, the runner was headed home, and I stopped the play before there could be contact initiated at the plate since F2 was still laying on home plate. I don't know whether I did the right thing or not? Would it make a difference since this is a practice game? Stop the play before something can develop? or let the runner round third, come home, and either A: let the play develop at home, and play around injured F2. B: stop the play as I see the runner and ball about to get to plate around the same time. Also, if I stop the play, what base awards do I give? Thanks, Dan

Had an "interesting" game yesterday. It was a 12u travel game. It was a scheduled practice game. The home team pitched it's 7 worst pitchers 1 inning each, while the visiting team pitched their top 3 starters. I'll admit, I was a bit more expansive with the strike zone when the home team was pitching, just so we could get an out. It was a blow-out, by then end of 3 it was 28-3. I started to expand the zone a bit more, giving 1-2 balls on each side of the plate, top of the letters +1 to bottom of knees +1. Now, take into account this is a practice game, from about the 2nd inning on, I'd been hearing chirps from VC about the zone, a few "don't worry billy, that was a good eye, the ump's just calling a bad game". I know that my opening the zone may not be right, I'll take my beatings, but even after giving the that's enough to VC, game continues I'm still hearing chirps, mainly to his batters, but I know they're meant for me to hear. I tell myself, it's just a practice game, don't dump the rat, but should I have pulled the trigger? Thanks, Dan

Stan, While I agree with all of your points. I do it for the love of the game, and only for the love of the game. While I want to work better baseball, I have no problem going out and working a 10u game where the score is 20-0. I just love being outside and being around the game. I've worked entire tourney's for no fee, practice games with coaches I know for no fee. I just love being out there. I was simply saying that the $$ aspect made it a lot more appealing to do 8 games in a day. I also agree that I was not on top of my game for my last few games, but when they(the tournament directors) couldn't get anyone to cover the games, and had no-shows, they decided a tired ump was better than no ump, so I obliged and worked the games. At the beginning of the tourney, I was scheduled for 4/day. I never had any intentions of working the entire day, but the circumstances changed, and I rolled with it. Also, the game site had 8 fields, so we only rarely had the same team more than once per day. DL

6am game, 520 check-in, 1 hr. drive = WAY too early :wow:

$60/game makes it ALL worth it

Close enough, 6,8,10,12,2,4,6,8 And to top it off, finish inning, not drop dead, so last games didn't start til about 10!!!

Most I've ever done in a day is 8. Last year did a tourney, long story short guys didn't show/cancelled last minute, and he offered a LOT of extra $$$...ended up doing 3 friday, 8 saturday, 8 sunday...all 19 solo, behind the plate....VERY lucrative weekend...maybe it's the fact I'm 19, but I have no idea how I lasted. I know it was bad, I was running the last 2-3 on Sat/Sun on auto-pilot, but he couldn't get guys, as it was a memorial day tourney, and there were 4 local tournaments. Couldn't feel my legs after the tournament, hell could barely move for 3 days after. I don't recommend trying to do what I did, but it felt good at the time to help out...just make sure you have LOTS of food and water...If there's one thing I did right, it was that. Helped that they provided us w/ food and drink, but also make sure you have a few protein/energy bars. You'll need all you can get. DL

I found this post on "My Student passed!" interesting and have nominated it accordingly for "Post Of The Month April, 2010"

Thanks guys!!! I'll give it a try at my next game. It'll just be weird to be so close to the foul line on a play at 1b. I guess that's better than being blocked out DL

Guys, Had a situation come up the other day. I've used this positioning and rationale in many games and plays, but it finally came back to bite me the other day. I was working a game alone, as is usual for my league. It was an 11u travel team. 2 outs, R3, ground ball to F6, R3 breaks for home. Seeing this happen, I don't want to move into fair territory as that would put me directly in the firing line of F6 if he were to try and throw out R3. I mean after all, these are 11 Y.O and you can't trust them to make the "smart" play, evidenced by the half inning before, same situation, player threw home. So what I do is move down the 3rd base line in foul territory to get my angle at 1b, while still being in position to see a play at the plate. F6 makes the smart play and goes to first. 99 times out of 100, I see the play, make the call, move on. Today was that 1 time. I set myself up to make the call at 1st, watch F6 throw to first, but as the ball is about to arrive, R3 comes directly into my line of vision, and blocks me out of the play. Of course it was a banger. I had to go with an "educated guess" of predicting when ball would get to base compared to runner based on what I last saw, and also try and listen to the pop of the mitt vs. the thud of the runner hitting the bag. Unfortunately, the sounds were predominantly R3's footsteps in front of me. I made the call...one team was happy, the other wasn't. That's the situation, the question is this: What can I do to prevent this from happening again? I don't want to go into fair territory and get hit in the head by a bone head fielder who decides to throw home. I've thought about trying to go down the 1st base line, but that seems like I'd be out of position for a play at the plate, as well as not being able to see a foot pull by F3. Do I just go with what I've been doing and accept that a rarity like this could/will occur? Thanks, Dan

I found this post on "Bad Night For Me" interesting and have nominated it accordingly for "Post Of The Month April, 2010"

My gold just game today. Great service and timeliness from UmpAttire. I'll get to try it out this Sunday. Thanks for all the recommendations. Dan

Should have kept reading a little further :cheers:

Take it for what it's worth. I honestly don't care at this point. I have better things to do than be questioned on a forum. I told you guys the story of what happened, that's that. Dan

It was one of my "buddies" from school playing a late, sick April fools joke on me because I just got back to school(was home for Easter holiday). I did the same thing to him (changed his passwords) last year, so this is his way at getting back at me. I've told him some of my umpiring stories, he just took all of them, put them together and embellished the hell out of them. He posted crazy stories in all of my forums, here, aviation ones, etc.......I'm open to ideas for revenge. Dan