scrounge

Well, of course it's about the money, it's professional baseball. As in it's their profession, their livelihood, their business. Is any of that a surprise? And also, it isn't even anything new on umpires. Seen any logo on MLB umpire CP's or masks lately other than Wilson? No? Why is that? Could it be....Wilson's money?

Everyone has their limits of what they'll tolerate, and I respect your choice, but gotta admit - not going out in A and not rotating as PU doesn't even register on my radar of things to block people over. Either way is easily handled - I know I've either got the catches or the bases, simple enough. And in 90%+ of the cases, I would anyway. Just doesn't seem like too big of a deal to me, but again, that's just me. I only have two guys on my pay no mind list, both for integrity/lying issues.

Frankly, I think the FED rule here is superior to the OBR one. Makes no sense to me to punish the offense for the defense's failure to catch a pitch.

They can wear it in NCAA and MLB because the players are adults, not minors who are legally incapable of waving liability and accepting that risk.

This is an appeal play, so unless the defense properly appeals it, the umpire would indeed do nothing. Shame on the defense for not paying attention. The only exception I know is in the state of SC for HS games, where they have kept the old (as in decades-old) rule of calling it automatically without appeal.

I agree with this

Three or four years ago, central OH was miserably cold and rainy/snowy in late March to damn near late April. I think I lost 4 out of the first 6 games of the season, along with all 5 scheduled scrimmages I had that year.

Oh, I gotcha.....I'm much less familiar with softball around the state, but here in Central OH, yes they are the same. Which is fine by me - sure, they generally (but not always) get done early, but they have to put up with that incessant, non-stop chanting. Keep it.

Very similar, it's been awhile, so long that I feel like a newbie! Between the horrendousness of the past year and the rise of the facebook forums, haven't been around too much but it's nice to return to the stability and continuity - and sanity - of U-E.

Is that even an umpire? Looks like just a dude helping out. Either way, who cares, he's at least doing something to get those little kids playing. Why do they even need umpires for this level of game anyway? It's one step above t-ball.

No, many areas are higher than here in central OH. In fact, nearly all of them. The conferences just west of here, in the Springfield/Dayton area, are at 65 for varsity. Some north near Ada are 70. We are blessed with lots and lots of schools in a relatively close area - but our fees are the pits. And all the local conferences have banded together to set one flat rate (illegally IMO, but that's a different post).

No, the runner was forced to advance and was put out before the force was removed. It makes no difference if the runner is out by being tagged or the ball thrown to third, it was a force out. No runs can score, and when the runner from 3rd touches the plate is immaterial.

Outside of NYC and Detroit and a couple other localized places, it never really was threatened. Quite the opposite actually, elective surgeries and diagnostic procedures have to be one of the first things reinstated, immediately. Not only are a LOT of people going without needed care and missing needed things, but also for the financial health of hospitals and health systems. How will they be there for a potential 2nd wave if bankrupt or forced to lay staff (as has already happened in places)? And really, # of cases is a fairly useless metric at this point given the shocking lack of testing. Of course that will go up as testing increases, but that is just a function of measurement, not virulence. # of hospitalizations and ICU utilization are the more dependable metrics.

This is an uncomfortable thought, and one people try not to admit but implicitly accept all the time, but at some point, some level of risk - and yes, death - has to be acceptable. People recoil at the mention - but if we really held that even one life was worth saving, then speed limits would be 10 mph and cars would be tanks. Drunk driving deaths are way down right now - is that an argument to stay like this? Of course not, it's absurd. It's equally absurd to take that argument to its absurd limits and open things up willy nilly without the proper testing, tracing, and localized isolation infrastructure in place. But at some point - a relatively soon point - a slow, gradual, and measured reopening has to occur, because global economic depression is pretty deadly too. Flattening the curve can't mean eliminating the curve, because that hopelessly naive and ignores the very real other costs in terms of depression, abuse, economic despair, suicide, avoidance of needed health care, etc. At some point, life has to go on. Way down on that hierarchy of need lies youth sports and umpiring...but even that will come back too. Maybe not this year, but permanent hermit-tude is not life. We bought time, we saved the health care system, we need to watch that like a hawk to prevent overrun but it's time to begin the slow march back.

Ohio is now done for the year, officially