RichMSN

Absolutely. Calling time is a smart thing. We should be encouraging stuff like that. Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

It's clear the thread has run its course, but let me add that the rule is the same in an NFHS game, as well. F1 can throw to an unoccupied base for the purpose of an appeal. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Aaron, It's not about worrying what they think and react to. It's what I think I can justify professionally as an umpire. "Preventive Umpiring" covers many different areas. Most of these you are correct in saying they don't need to be a directive from anyone. Examples would be to remind the fielders if you see them standing in the base path and could potentially obstruct; to tell the catcher where he is setting up could cause him to not get strikes for his pitcher; and if a young pitcher is barely pausing or not quite pausing. The only "worry" I have about what they think is a worry we all have. Why do you shine your shoes and press your pants? You do so because "looking the part" gains you respect. Well what also gains you respect is knowing the rules. If you are being lenient on balks and not calling them and a coach sees one and points it out, he can lose respect for you as a knowledgeable umpire. I would ask coaches at the plate meeting because that give me the idea of what they are used to playing under. If they are used to getting warnings then we'll go with warnings (I think this would fall under preventive umpiring). I don't care whether I give warnings or not. My job is to enforce rules not coach players. So once again I'm okay with doing whatever the coaches prefer. I think that's is being flexible to the situation. And this is only for circumstances where I have not been given a directive by the TD/UIC. If they say give warnings, then I simply tell the coaches how the warnings are going to work (i.e. one warning per team, one warning per pitcher, etc). If I am told don't give warnings then it may not even come up at the plate meeting. The TD is the one that makes the rules. So going against their directive and doing it my way is extremely unprofessional in my opinion. As explained in my previous post I was doing an 11U GMB tournament and my partner gave a warning for a fake to 3rd balk. Coach got pissed because this had come up in a previous game he was in and he was told "no warnings" on balks. My partner told the coach he was giving the warning and that was that. UIC was informed and TD blew a gasket. Everyone looked bad because the umpire took it upon himself to legislate the game in a way that the coach had been specifically told would not be done. If it is brought up at the plate meeting and both coaches are in agreement then it's unlikely to come back and bite me. I never give warnings unless both coaches are aware that it's going to be done that way. Sometimes they bring it up at the plate meeting and sometimes I do. If it is not addressed then no warnings. This does not prevent me from doing "preventive umpiring" on pause/no pause or other things that are subjective at all. But if a known balk rule is violated I'm not taking it upon myself to give a warning. If I was coaching and you told my players to not play in a particular spot, I'd probably blow a gasket. There's no rule against where fielders can set up. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Well, I don't know about anyone else here, but I don't appreciate any partner of mine addressing balls and strikes with a coach. He probably should've been run earlier. That can come back to bite you in the a$$ later. It did. I'd scratch that tournament from further use of your time.

There is no "stretch" position. The stretch is something a pitcher *may* do when he's "coming set." In the set position, the hands must be separate. See 8.01(b). If they're together, call time, instruct the pitcher that he cannot do that. Then you'll probably have to instruct the coach as well, but such is youth baseball.

First of all when I saw the pitcher with white sleeves on it was kind of clear that was the problem since most coaches and umpires know you are not allowed white sleeves. Here is the deal I dont know how the UIC is where you are but here must be different. My job is to make sure the umpires show up and are dressed right. I answer any questions they have and make sure they are on there fields on time. While the games are going on I walk around watching the umps work and taking notes on what they are doing right and wrong so after the game I can talk to them about it. I am also expected to go on the field for any problems that come up that the umpires either dont know or coaches request me to come talk to them. I will as long as it is not a judgement call. I also make sure ejected coaches, fans or players find there way out. I have never worked at a complex that the UIC has not did any of the above. I learned from them and I was told this is how you do your job. I was also told by the GM of the complex this is what I want from you. You want me to see a pitcher wearing a illegal shirt and tell the coach oh well not my field file a protest instead of just taking the 2 minutes to fix it. If the umpire on the field gets mad cause of this then I could care less. He should be more worried about himself and the fact he does not know a common rule. Do you get top umpires who actually take this kind of crap from you? Nobody from outside the fence walks into a game I'm working and tells me how to umpire. Then again, I don't really need the scratch that badly, which is why I work very few summer anything other than Little League.

And if there is no cuttoff I assume you go back to the standard mechanic? I had this bite me in the ass this weekend. My fault for not pre-gaming it. Ball bounded up the line and over first base, F3 was about 4 feet behind the back and gloved it in foul territory. I had it fair, but because we had not pre-gamed it I didn't want to make the call. With no verbal I quickly pointed fair to sort of let PU know what I had. Just as I do this he yells foul and kills it. I was hoping no one saw me, but alas the coach in the 3rd base dugout did and mentioned it to PU. He answered it quickly and we moved on so no controversy. No matter which mechanics you use, that's BU's call -- the ball was neither fair nor foul until it bounded over or by the bag. No need to pregame this. I was under the impression that PU has it to the front of the bag and once it goes over the bag at the front it's fair. So a bounding ball down either line I was under the impression was the PU's call. It's a pane of glass, Scott. If the ball breaks the pane of glass, the call belongs to the base umpire, whether it's in the air, on the ground, or bounding.

Eh, the biggest problem with some local guys is that they feel we volunteers are "taking money out of their pockets." Twisted logic if you ask me. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

You're applying the FED FPSR in a place where it doesn't exist. Dixie is OBR based. This is INT in Dixie. Unless they've changed the rules. Remember where I'm from. And the fact that Dixie is the Southern kid's LL. (There's no LL here) The Dixie rules are on line and there is no FPSR in them. LL Southern Region HQ is in Warner-Robins GA. W-R LL has sent teams to the LLWS. Do you know why Dixie was formed? Yup. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?id=2126814

In New Balance I buy a EE. Zigs are a half size up. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

A pop-up slide on the base to break up a double play is legal in OBR and NCAA rules. Legion uses the NCAA FPSR, so it's legal there, too. No clue about Dixie. I'm a Yankee.

Nike shoes are too narrow for me. I can't be the only one. I'm comfy in my Zigs, though.

Ah, memories. It was 2 years ago I did a regional championship plate on ESPN43 or something like that (actually it was on ESPN2, I think). I still have it on my DVR, although, like my wedding video, I can't see myself watching it again anytime soon. I'm not sure things will ever change. Umpires are seen as no more important than the person who sells the hot dog in the Little League world. This season a friend of mine is working at Williamsport and they, for the first time, flew all 16 of the umpires into Williamsport earlier this summer for a weekend clinic and to explain some of the details of what they have to deal with (such as replay) in the series. Maybe things are changing, albeit slowly. I'll start applying for the series and it would be nice to get to do it before I get old and feeble (not too long to go), but I don't live for it like some others.

I'm happy for anyone who puts in the time and effort to get where they want to go. As someone who's 45 and lives in Wisconsin, I know my career probably isn't going any further than the HS and D3 I'm working now. Having finally worked a HS state in my 11th season here, I have to adjust my goals somewhat and see if I can put together a great 5-10 years and get into the D3 postseason before I get too old. But it's a huge time sacrifice and a lot of BS, working 2-man games 18 innings in a day for less than $200 at schools 2-3 hours away. But that's my decision that I'll have to make at some point. I'm really not sure if that's worth it, to be honest. For those of you who have aspirations to move ahead, I think the OP's advice is sound. Getting better and getting seen are the only ways to get there, especially if you didn't enjoy a stint in MiLB. Many of us think we have the ability (and we probably don't) but just don't have the desire to put in the time and effort. In the last few years, I've really gotten comfortable in my skin and in who I am. I'm thankful for that.

Perhaps dumping the line drawer would've set a different tone. Hindsight is always 20/20. Shrug. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

I've heard through my grapevine that they have gone through associations in various places and pay those umpires more, regardless of ability. Specifically, Illinois umpires who come up and work in Wisconsin. That is the main reason I would never touch any of those games. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

And if there is no cuttoff I assume you go back to the standard mechanic? I had this bite me in the ass this weekend. My fault for not pre-gaming it. Ball bounded up the line and over first base, F3 was about 4 feet behind the back and gloved it in foul territory. I had it fair, but because we had not pre-gamed it I didn't want to make the call. With no verbal I quickly pointed fair to sort of let PU know what I had. Just as I do this he yells foul and kills it. I was hoping no one saw me, but alas the coach in the 3rd base dugout did and mentioned it to PU. He answered it quickly and we moved on so no controversy. The PU had no business making a call if it was first touched 4 feet behind the bag, provided you came out immediately with a call. If you hesitated, perhaps the PU assumed SOMEBODY needed to make a call.

U1 never has to move to avoid being hit by the ball. Stay in just long enough to make a decision. A pox to the house of all umpires who bail and force the plate guy to do their jobs.

I'll use "Ball Outside" or "Ball Inside" on really close ones. Shrug. Do what you want. Hasn't hurt me in the slightest. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

HS quarterfinal game. Bunt. 3-man crew. I'm at the 45 and F3 stretches straight up on a high throw. I'm 100% sure he has the bag. Partner had a lot to look at along with a whacker at the bag. I looked at one thing - was F3s foot on the bag. He came to me, we changed the call, I chunked the first base coach. Picture in the paper the next day shows the toe on the bag. I like to think in A I'm getting a call and not chasing a second opinion. But I'll never say never. Lots of years left in the tank. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

I wear the shins and love them. I'm not wearing a 29 oz. mask, however. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

What location? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

I've spent the summer coaching. 7-9 year old girls. Tight, tight zones. Call. Strikes. Painful for me, the coach, to watch. Just don't call pitches above the shoulders strikes. I spent weeks getting one kid to stop swinging at pitches above her head and then I get an umpire that calls nose-high strikes... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

Another ejection, another Ned Yost scream-fest. What a joke.

Apples and oranges. If R3 returns to third and they tag both runners, who's out? R2. Why? Because he hasn't legally acquired third.