RichMSN

I've not worn my UE all season. I went back to my Riddell Power. I think the UE is a great protector, but I just like the Power more.

On the other hand, our state has a clean shirt policy. No state patches. Plain hats are OK, although we can buy hats with the state logo on them.

or better yet @RichMSN invite him to a professional stadium next yr to watch a professional umpire do his second straight HS state tournament The whole week was a blast. I worked 5 games and 4 of them were 1-run games, 3 of them going extra innings (8, 8, and 9 innings). Took a turn at every 4-man position and worked U1 in an extra game that I picked up when the schedule got adjusted. My plate was a 1-run game, but I did that in 6.5 and 1:40. Already looking forward to next year.

Not sure what to say. I guess my history on this site and others doesn't buy me any credibility. That's OK. I'll remember that when you post a story -- after all, there are two sides to every one. Rich Sorry did not realize this was you. You are one of the paragons on this site. My mistake. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk And my apologies as well. Even if you did make the comment, I need to have thicker skin. This whole thing affected me like you wouldn't believe. I was embarrassed and emotional at times and when I tried to explain to my daughter what happened, I completely lost it. Even today I still feel a little under the weather, even after I told our board the story last night and those guys stood there laughing at me. If anything, this is a real reminder to me that I need to consider youth coaches when I'm out doing my annual LL community service. I know how to talk to an umpire and did everything the right way and still got myself ejected. I need to, as an umpire, take a deep breath and realize that not everybody will and have some patience as I get through July.

Well, well, well...

Not sure what to say. I guess my history on this site and others doesn't buy me any credibility. That's OK. I'll remember that when you post a story -- after all, there are two sides to every one.

Copied from another location. When I took this coaching gig for one season, I never dreamed I could be ejected from a game. But here we are. After a few months of parents questioning little things here and there, I finally found something where I had their full support. Probably didn't hurt that I bought the first round at the team dinner the night before, though. ----- I'm coaching my daughter's softball team this summer. 8U. I'd give anything for girls that could catch, pitch, hit, etc. but we're having fun and we're doing OK. We're playing a lot of 10U teams and actually won a 10U tournament a few weeks ago. We're at a tournament this past weekend and end up the 3 seed out of 12 teams. We had a game against the 6 seed on Sunday to advance to the semifinal. One umpire with a HS player on the bases. Hey, he was actually dressed in a uniform, which isn't a usual thing for us. At this age level, there are so many modified rules I have a hard time keeping them straight, so it's no big surprise that they are different from game to game and umpire to umpire. First inning of the game, there was a throw that got through at second base. My runner came to third and I sent her home. The plate umpire yelled at me and the runner, "ONE BASE ON AN OVERTHROW!" I was a bit stunned, but figured that was one of the day's modifications, so I said, "No problem. If I run a girl too far, just let me know and we'll put her back." "IF YOU KNOW THE RULE, WHY WOULD YOU RUN HER?" Top of his lungs. Wow. Next inning, I had a legitimate question about a rule modification. I asked for time, was granted it, and walked calmly to the plate umpire to ask the question. Before I could get a sentence out, he yelled at me, "SHUT UP AND GET BACK IN THE DUGOUT." Stunned, I went back towards the dugout and the umpire followed me. I turned towards him and he then said, "ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU AND YOU'RE GONE." I was so stunned that I think I said, "But..." and just like that, he ejected me. I walked out without saying a word and ended up on a picnic bench in left field. After I left, one of my parents said something and he turned and yelled through the fence, "SHUT UP OR YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE." The tournament director was sympathetic and came and talked to me and said I could return to the tourney if my team won. This, despite the rule that an ejected coach is out of the tourney. We didn't win. My kid was an absolute basket case, but she pitched the next inning really well. We lost 4-3 in the bottom of the last inning on a booted grounder with 2 outs and R3. So there it is. My first career ejection on the other side. I still don't know what hit me, other than the worst umpire I've ever seen.

I have a friend in Philadelphia who works for such a person. I wonder how big this world is... As for me, I'm the Chief Marketing Officer of a small software and services company headquartered in the UK. I also start a new gig on July 1 as a commissioner of a HS conference (21 schools) here in Wisconsin. Besides this, I'm also the coach (until August) of my daughter's 8U softball team. I am Schrodinger's Coach -- I hate being a coach and love it at the same time. I just keep my head down and hope I have enough cycles to get everything done.

I would eject at the same place the ML umpire did. I'm not bothered by anything up till "Stop F*#King us."

Or he needs warm bodies.

"Give me a new ball. One you can F*#King see." Buh-bye.

Someone told me that wearing a plate coat for HS games is pretentious. I'm hoping it's cold at state so I can break it out. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

I ordered on Friday, they're supposedly being shipped tomorrow.

Me too. And I still form an initial impression based on the blocking of the hats and the shine of the shoes.

Time to figure out what bait to cut. Seriously, this has always been the hardest thing for me. Maybe I'll contemplate it this evening when working the bases. I have a HS DH, my first games in a week.

It's been a while since I've posted here, so I feel a bit odd coming back to, essentially, self-brag. Oh, well. I'll fill in some other details while I'm here. 27th year. Never worked state anywhere -- never lived anywhere long enough to lay down roots till now. Last week I got the call from the state office. It's not an easy gig to get -- only 4 first-time umpires are taken every year, statewide. Provided I don't screw it up, I'll go back next year (it's a two year gig, typically). It's the third week of June. The best part about going is that I'll get to go with my regular HS partner (HS games are assigned in crews, here, and 90% of my scheduled HS games are with this one umpire). He went last year. It's very unusual that partners get to go together - I'm hopeful we'll be assigned to the same crew, but if not I'll watch him work and vice-versa. There are 3 crews of 4 umpires. The ironic thing is that this year I've worked the fewest games of any year since I moved here. I was out of town for work for 3 weeks in April this year and am still under 20 games worked for the season. Besides my day job, I applied to be a HS conference commissioner this past winter. A commissioner assigns all the officials for all varsity events for the conference among other duties. I made the first cut, interviewed in person on April 9, had a final interview on April 30, and was offered the gig later in the day. Oh, and I'm coaching my daughter's softball team this summer. Not sure what this means for my officiating, but I only have so many cycles and the day job is still what pays the bills.

Not me. I really enjoy working football and basketball. I wish baseball season didn't start till May around here.

The first question has two false statements. Rich, I read it kind of quickly because I was leaving to do a game. I read it again now that I'm back, and I would suggest the ONLY false answer is "B". Perhaps I'm missing something.... JM C is also false. No need to give access to the base if you possess the ball.

The first question has two false statements.

Here are two questions on Part 2. Have fun. Q1: The following statement on obstruction is false: A. The ball is delayed dead. B. The act must be intentional and only physical. C. Occurs when a fielder with possession of the ball denies access to the base the runner is attempting to achieve. D. Is declared when a fielder without the ball simulates a tag on a runner. ---- Actually, I'll include the previous question for the second one cause it seems like the second one follows the first one. There is nothing to suggest this, however, in the test. Q2: Following a home run, a pitch has been thrown to the next batter, when the catcher goes and picks up the bat by the previous batter which was lying a few yards away. He hands it to the plate umpire showing him that the bat rattles. A. The home run will be negated and the previous batter will be declared out. B. The home run will be negated and the previous batter will be returned to bat. C. Unless the umpire knows that the bat previously rattled, he must assume that the bat became illegal because of the contact with the pitch. The home run will count and the bat will be removed from the game. D. The home run will be negated and both batters will be declared out. Q3: The batter hits a homerun, the catcher complains the bat rattles and therefore illegal. A. The home run will be negated and the previous batter will be declared out. B. The home run will be negated and the previous batter will be returned to bat. C. Both the player and the coach are ejected with an out being declared. D. Because a pitch has been thrown to the next batter, the home run stands. The head coach will be restricted to the dugout for the balance of the game.

I just worked my last HS basketball game (I was honored with a state assignment) on March 21, so the crappy weather didn't bother me at all. I was supposed to work games starting on March 26, but snow-covered fields and rain claimed a handful of assignments. First game - April 8. Junior college. 1x9. I worked the bases. 2:10. Visitors won 6-5 after the home team loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 9th and didn't score. Two odd moments. R1 gets picked off going in standing up - tag on the hip. I'm in C and called the runner out. Not a word from anyone - not even a reaction from the first base coach on the runner getting picked. Also, we had a sacrifice bunt hit down into the mess that was the home plate area. I could not definitively tell from the bases if the ball hit the batter. Play finished out and I could hear the batter AND the pitcher say that the ball hit the batter. I calmly called time and initiated a conversation with the plate umpire. We called the ball foul and returned the runner and awaited the SH*#storm. Absolutely nothing from anybody. I'm convinced we're the only two people in the park that didn't see it (or didn't "know") that it hit the batter. 3 more dates then I have 3 weeks of unavoidable work trips (Los Angeles and London). Cost me most of my college season, but $200 DH don't pay the mortgage.

If a coach asks me to get help, I'm going to patiently explain that a base umpire would kill it immediately if he saw it hit the batter. Done right, no reason to be thought of as a hardass. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I like not having a hat to ruin. And you gotta hold the helmet... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

Feel comfortable telling us why you did not like it? I just think he remembers himself as being better than he actually was. When he writes about how he was so much better than other umpires because he called "17 inches of the plate and nothing more" in the book and then there's YouTube proof that he's remembering things differently than actually happened, well... (Watch this: -- also, this is the game where they ended up with the not-possible compromise double play where Harvey ended up having a long conversation with the commissioner or league president in the stands.) That and there are blatant historical errors in the book. Without even researching, here's two: (1) He claimed Jocko Conlan was behind the plate for Larsen's perfect game. It was Babe Pinelli. (2) He claimed that he worked a game with Pete Rose playing for the Phillies and Dwight Gooden pitching for the Mets. Rose's last game with the Phillies was in 1983 and Gooden's ML debut was in 1984. I'm amazed that Golenbock didn't fact check any of this -- what's his role otherwise?

I read it in a day. Not my favorite book written by a former umpire, to be honest. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk