Trakes2

I am happy to say that my "Finn-Shins" have arrived, I am unhappy to say that I have yet to have a chance to wear them... BUT I will say that these SOB's are LIGHT and I know they are going to be amazing... SWMBO wanted us to do a little diet/cleanse... but when these came in the mail I told her not to worry these will make me so fast that people will swear I've lost weight! Ill let everyone know as soon as I get a chance to wear them...

I'm on the band-wagon! I ordered mine today and I'm hoping they arrive in time for a DH on Saturday!(although I doubt it...) Looking forward to posting about how much I love them!!

I haven't seen anyone answer MJR's question... I know that 99% of us won't be there to see what happens...Me included! However to answer the question...No it's not necessary! I don't see any reason why you need to shake hands after a game...Games over. one team won, and one team lost...No biggie everyone pack up the stuff and kick bricks! It's not the same as hockey...in hockey you are checking and hitting and scrumming for an hour...and when the horn sounds you shake hands as a show of respect...That's why you shake hands in hockey.

1.The Sandlot 1.5 The Natural 2. Field of Dreams 3.Bull Durham 4.Major League 5.Little Big League(Very Underated!) 6.61*(I'm biased because I was actually in this movie) 7.A League of Their Own

"Easy Big Guy..."

Built mine...Ugh 2 seasons ago! It is, (And to be honest can't imagine be de-throned) The best thing that I have as far as my 'Equipment' goes! It is one of those things that at least once a week I say to myself 1. I love this bucket! 2.How did I not think of this bucket sooner!?!?!?! I'm not quite there, but in about another week or 2 I will start to do an inventory check list...Looking forward to making the supply run!

One of my Favorites! (I love Ty Cobb...I've done some extensive research on him and actually wrote 2 papers on him in college...)

WVUMPIRE1807-Frankly your entire argument makes ZERO sense to me! And after Ump-Attire took care of the issue you couldn't so much as say thank you....But you had no problem starting a thread to blame them for something that wasn't even their fault! Furthermore to each there own(I'm sure I'm going to piss someone off here but here it goes...) If you did in fact work Pro-Ball as you say, then why wouldn't you go with a true Poly Wool pant...Honigs does have the best looking pair...At first you said you wanted to stay on the cheap-so you went with the Smitty's and once the issue is corrected you get GD's instead... It's just confusing(apparently not just to me) as to why you wouldn't have tried these on 'in gear' to make sure they are correct...You don't have to have worked Pro Ball to know that If you want to look good/correct to put your gear on and get them tailored....

There is just something about hearing a mom say..."Oh COME on Blue" (9 times out of 10, they have no idea what just happened!) Funny story that may have been told here but none the less... Was watching a game with my partner and batter swings and misses umpire gives a non-verbal strike signal....Mom says (pretty quitely-only loud enough to grace us in the stands) "Both ways Blue." We looked at each other in amazement and just laughed... wanted to say something so bad!!! But as Mark Twain said "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

Did this once in the Championship game of a Tourny...(18u-college summer ball stuff) Never noticed till the 7th inning, and then I started to sweat...I was also very thankful to some good catching that I walked away without as much as a scratch...

On a side note...anyone else notice how long it took the Plate Ump's partner to get in there...I'm not saying he has to sprint...But the dude is taking a Sunday Stroll in the park... I'm surprised he didn't stop to get a piece of gum and tie his shoe first...

If I'm not mistaken my partner and I may have wrote about a kid that we had the pleasure of umpiring a few years ago with close to the very same thing...Not only could he hit, but he had a cannon for an arm! made a catch in Right field taking him towards the line and was able to get the glove off and throw a frozen rope to 3rd to get R2 who was trying to tag. My partner both looked at each other and laughed...It was one of those genuine moments where you were just happy to be on the field...We still talk about it to this day!

When I read the news of Mike's passing, needless to say I was stunned. I thought about posting right away, but having not known Mike(except for reading his posts...which I like everyone else took value in) I decided to wait... Like many others here I never had the pleasure of having any true one-on-one interaction with Mike, but I knew that whenever there was a good topic or a debatable post that he would add in some solid logic, reason, and value. It makes my heart sad to know that we have not just lost a brother in our umpiring world, but also the world in general has lost a good man. Umpiring has been good to me, and I am proud to say that one of my best friends in the world(even though he is 18 years my senior) has come from umpiring. I think what I have enjoyed most out of this tragic news, is reading the stories from Jocko, and the others about how any time day or night they kept in touch with Mike and would talk not just about umpiring but any of life's daily issues.

The point of the story is not 'should he or shouldn't he have ejected him' It was a very witty, and well written piece. I enjoyed the read! That being said....He should have most definitely bounced his ass! While I would never leave a field for anyone...In that case, I really feel that just walking off the field wouldn't be that far fetched...I wouldn't do it, but I also wouldn't blame anyone who did...

THIS^^^

I don't care if the Pitcher is purple... WHERE DID THE PITCH CROSS THE PLATE!?!?!?!?!?!?

I used to officiate hockey as well, and I stopped because It just wasn't worth it anymore...I did higher levels, but let me tell you for all of the stories that are told about baseball...There is nothing like a hockey parent and coach...(As we can tell by the very polite mother with the camera.) I would say that she could make a sailor blush, but that would be an insult to sailors! Just watching that video get my blood moving and its only 8:30. I truly wish that the ref would have just let the kid get decked! It's unreal what goes through a parents mind, as if the ref really wanted to body slam a 12 year old! But just because it's her "little Johnny" the entire world is out to get him and to screw him...People are so clueless that it makes my brain hurt! It's appalling to me that people can't just take one second to think...

PM Sent

Just spent 10 minutes reading some of these, and if I wasn't a fellow official I wouldn't believe some of these...however because we've all had our own I know that these are true! People do suck...

First of all, what is this? Second .... didn't I just say this? This is from the Movie 'Mean Girls' and I am not ashamed to admit that it is a pretty funny movie! "Gretchen stop trying to make 'Fetch' Happen, its never going to happen!" Come on Thunder...Get out from under your shell!

Live ball...Play on!

I love this! One of the best in a LONG time! I swear at the 51 second mark, Lane moves his mouth..(He's shifting his gum I believe) BUT it looks like he does it because he's about to bust out a smile...GREAT EJ!

PM Sent!

2 Words: SEE YA!.... Unreal that this is the garbage that goes on in a KINDERGARTEN game...Who cares! half the kids were in the outfield eating grass and dandelions the other half are only there for the free rice crispy treat and HI-C after the game! It blows me away that they would argue ANYTHING in this kind of game...I don't care if you were out there and decided to call 2nd base home plate...WHO CARES! Baseball is a beautiful game, and nothing is better then kids playing the game without a care in the world, but 1 douche bag can ruin everything in a blink! I was lucky enough to play ball through college and to this day one of my favorite baseball memories I can remember when I was 5-6 and watching the umpires come to the field and just thinking this is great its just like I'm in the pros! What has no place in a game of kids is a coach trying to measure his unit on the field in front of you!

If you take care of the Whites and clean after every game...I like to use scrubbing bubbles, they will be great! I have a pretty decent rotation of base shoes(5-6) and I have had coaches say to me "Hey new shoes huh?...." and the shoes are a year or 2 old. If you take care of them right and get a nice brush and keep some scrubbing bubbles and water handy then you will be great! My advice would be that if you don't plan on keeping the white looking nice, then go with the all black! I love and frankly must have some white on my shoes(to each their own!) but to me nothing says LAZY more then when I see a fellow umpire with white on the shoe that he doesn't bother to keep clean! I've got some other pretty solid cleaning methods too... if you want them just ask! But I figure for someone just dipping the toe into the white on the shoe that's a good place to start.