RichMSN

I assign. I'd quit before I'd allow scratch lists like these. Give coaches a little of this power and they'll stretch it to absurd levels. If a coach paid me off after driving to a school, I wouldn't be happy to be home by dinner. I officiate to work the games, not just to get a check.

I assign for 24 schools. I've tried to get the message out that umpires don't need to ask a partner just cause the coach requests it. Sadly, there are many umpires out there who think that it's their duty to do so, even if it is just to "appease" the coach. We don't have assigning associations here -- I work for the schools. But I don't let schools black list and I don't get a whole lot of complaints from either coaches or umpires.

Amazing how announcers use the graphic when it suits them. When it shows strike 2 in the zone, there's silence.

I worked an adult league once where I found out the teams were allowed to choose the playoff umpires. The assigner was all about keeping his job amd keeping the league happy. My last game in the league was a few years ago. I worked the section championship and watched some really awful and really green umpires work the championships while I stayed home. Since then I'm simply not available for them.

You made a choice, and so do I. Neither is wrong.

I couldn't have said it better with respect to how I view LL.

What does that even mean? Personally, I am thrilled that there is no leading and, subsequently, 45 pickoff throws to first base. The only thing I'd change is I'd move the fences back another 25 feet.

When I went to watch a friend work the LLWS, I struck up a conversation with someone who was parking cars a long way away. Told me he was there as part of court-ordered community service. It also seemed to me that the concession workers were part of a company that, I'm guessing, pays its workers.

Good. He walks the walk, then. Plenty of ball out there to work that pays.

I volunteer for LL, but I've always found this argument idiotic. Coaches coach. Umpires work. I've coached my daughter's traveling team 2 of the last 3 years and I couldn't imagine getting paid to do it. But I wouldn't umpire a travel tournament in my backyard for free.

Just seems that there's a higher likelihood than ever that umpires are going to get career ending injuries back there.

I wonder how long it is (at the MLB level, at least) before they try to figure out how to make umpires safer with respect to head shots and concussions. Just something on my mind this morning.

Watching. I've spent 30 years umpiring it. Perhaps my viewpoint should mean something. Angle over distance, always.

I'm not criticizing the umpire. I'm criticizing the system. Complete lack of reading plays that comes from the system. Running away from potential trouble balls cause ball outside, umpire inside is the cookie cutter, spot way to umpire.

I'm not talking about how some regions or WP does it, I'm talking about the right way to do it. Shouldn't be solely the line umpires covering the outfield. If there's a diving catch away from the LFU made by F7 moving to his left, U2 has the best look. It opens right to him. Meanwhile, the infield umpires rotate as in 4-man. The purpose of 6-man is to improve outfield coverage, not anchor the infield umpires to their bases.

Actually it was originally a lanyard for basketball officials. And Smitty is owned by a long time NBA/college basketball ref.

Actually it was originally a lanyard for basketball officials. And Smitty is owned by a long time NBA/college basketball ref.

No desire to get inside. How would that be a better look in 99% of the plays? Outside is where we want to be whether U1, U2, U3 or PU if we have the luxury of not having to cover a subsequent base.

The powers to be usually have a reason for what they want to do, but fear of an umpire not rotating shouldn't be the driving force in dictating coverages. I've worked U2 in a televised game. When told to not go out on balls in U2's typical area, it was because of a fear that U3 wouldn't cover third and the game was on TV. So now I'm supposed to not do my job as an umpire because someone else might forget to do his? I wish this mentality would just go away. We shouldn't be compromising coverage just to make sure there's no chance a subsequent mistake is made. U2 should never be running away from a ball hit over his head. When I worked two HS state championships we worked 4 on every game and even on the televised finals worked the same mechanics we worked the rest of the week. If you're gonna work 6, work 6. But then let U2 help in the outfield and rotate around the infield like you probably did all week. About WP, I hear the same things. I also hear the requirement to hammer strikes may have been a one year thing by the guy no longer in place there. I hope so. I've pointed for 30 years now and one shouldn't have to change how they umpire for one week in PA.

He should have catch/no-catch on balls hit between the outfielders. Was this a trick question?

On a small diamond the box is 4 inches from the plate. A pitch nicking that line is close enough at any level of the game. I coach too. I expect that pitch to be called a strike on my hitters.

Depends on the situation. 90% of my conferences end without me moving from behind the plate. When it's obvious the coach is out for non-coaching purposes, I start right for the mound, slowly. What I don't do is clean an already-clean plate. I gave that nonsense up years ago.

Actually, to me it's a sign of not really understanding the purpose of the mechanic in the first place. But I get the feeling you agree with me. Maybe.

Those that want U1 to rotate down to watch a plate touch - why? Solo HR. U1 goes out, the PU watches the touch of first and goes back. U2 goes out, U3 has second and third. U3 goes out, U2 has second and third. Easy.

The implication is that a pause means he needs to stop and hold it a certain time. These videos show a clear and obvious stop to me.