scrounge

I figure that if an outfielder is really concerned about pitch count and is at a high enough level where he can actually meaningfully act on that information, then we're probably in a varsity game with an operating scoreboard. If he's just curious, the 2B and SS can easily relay the count if so desired. I don't have any objection to the index/pinkie method, but it doesn't feel natural to me and I won't spend any time practicing to make it so.

Wow, I guess I could maybe see putting the runners back, as the interference might have prevented the throw, but how can they assume the throw and play is good and justify calling the runner out? I can't imagine how livid I'd be if I was the OC and the umpire calls my guy out because he couldn't get out of the way. Bad enough putting the runner back, but getting an out?

I don't really understand the disdain for carrying an indicator on the bases either. Isn't it the behavior of how it's used or not rather than the mere presence that's important? If someone has it but rarely uses it, checks unobtrusively, is discrete, etc., are they lesser of an umpire than someone who doesn't but just shrugs at the shortstop when he asks the count or can't help out a partner needing a lifeline after missing the count? Yea, the plate guy should know - but stuff happens. In any case, it's rather commonplace in our area, especially for sub-varsity, for base guys to carry one, with it being highly encouraged for newer guys.

Proving that the best Christmas gifts are the ones you give to yourself, I channeled my inner Santa and got myself a brand new All-Star MVP2500 helmet.

Yes, you do keep saying that over and over and over again, without a shred of evidence or argument or reasoning. It still doesn't make it any more shameful and ridiculous. Clearly, I do not share your self-loathing and hatred of country. I can see that this is a waste of time, so feel free to get the last word, or not, whichever you choose.

If they can make it a federal offense to remove that mattress tag, they damn sure can make rolling a bat illegal! Really people??? I'd like to see the citation of this law.

If you just want to repeat the same platitudes and wave your hands and say it's "inarguable", solely because you deem it so, well then I guess there's nothing to discuss. But if personal attack and going after motive is your preferred method of communication on this, then I find your arguments - such as they are - hollow, with a very large measure of self-loathing and too-cool-for-school cynicism, and your premises ridiculous. Good day, Sir.

It absolutely does not, and no amount of debate-squelching, emotion-laden statements about how it's "indefensible" makes it so. It is absolute sophistry to label the best health-care system (note: not the best health-care PAYMENT system) in the world, the one the entire world free-rides on, as a great failure. These abjectly wrong statements, without any rationale or argument, are ridiculous. Many use misleading statistics like life expectancy, etc., in a very simplistic way, without controlling for demographics, accidents, crime/violence, etc. What possible comment on the health care system is made by having life expectancy reduced by violent crime? But when you look at things that ARE directly related to the health care system - things like cancer survival rates, etc - the US is at the top. The entire world free-rides on the success and discoveries of the US - be it in medical instruments, pharmaceuticals, etc. When the US market can profitably develop new drugs, other countries get to free-ride. For example, of course Australia and Canada can have strict price controls - once the drug is developed and the enormous R&D cost is sunk for the much vaster US market, the incremental cost of manufacturing an already-discovered drug is minimal, so the drug company might as well put up with the ancillary countries' controls and sell at lower cost. But if that original incentive of a large, less-regulated market wasn't there, the thing would never have been developed in the first place. THAT is why drug reimportation as a cost-savings strategy is a shallow and self-defeating mechanism, along with some valid safety issues. No, the great tragedy is that we are in the process of introducing even MORE government distortion and harm to the best system in the world. Perhaps you will feel better or more 'compassionate' in that, but millions upon millions will suffer and the last, best hope for the world will be diminished. That is a great tragedy, and it's getting worse. The last thing I want to do is get in a political argument on here, but I have to ask: what country's health care system would you suggest we look to as a an improvement over our system Fin? There's really no argument. It's inarguable. Simply consult any reputable source of such information and you'll find that the United States rates below dozens of countries in both the system of health care and the way it is delivered. I only have real-life experience to impart, some horrific stories peppered with some positive stories. But I recommend that you read some independent studies on the subject.

Isn't that the proper mechanic? It wasn't a triple as I read it, but a double with a play on the runner at 3rd called by the PU rotating up. So the BU rotates to home if there's an overthow, doesn't he?

Ah, left out it was a FED rules game.... So Kyle, if you did better coach training they'd know it wasn't a foul ball I am a bit mystified as to why the OP said the rule book didn't answer the question 6.05 A batter is out when— (f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him;

Thanks so much for the responses, it helped a lot. I still feel sick about it, but you're right, it was just one call among hundreds. It was a great game, too, perhaps the most entertaining of the 100 or so games I did this year. Lively crowd, back and forth play, fun situations, close plays. And I think I got every single one of them spot on right - except of course the final yak. Fortunately (I guess), no one even knew the rule about immediate dead ball and I sold it REAL well. No argument, not even from parents in the stands. Hopefully they don't read this forum!

I think I made a terrible mistake and cost a team a win. Not only that, it was the 1st round of the single elimination end of season tournament. And I feel utterly disgusted at myself. 11/12 yr old, decent level ball - in between rec league and travel. Great night, fabulous game, visiting team down one run with two outs in top of last regulation inning. Batter has 2 strikes, balls don't matter. He swings and the ball obviously hits his hands. The ball goes to the pitcher who throws him out. I call time and confer with partner in B quickly to confirm that it hit his hands. We both agree. I remembered that a swing, even if it hits you, is a strike. Partner (youth umpire) gave me the old 'hands are part of the bat' myth, which I corrected. That must have distracted me or something, because I ruled the batter back to the plate. I dunno, I knew it was an immediate dead ball but the ball going into fair territory threw me. I thought it was like a foul ball, a strike but not strike three and out. Wouldn't you know it - the kid gets a hit and ends up scoring. They go two extra innings and eventually win the game. I ran home and immediately hit the rule book, which didn't really answer my question. But the case book was unequivocal - it was an immediate dead ball but should have been strike three. The home team was down to their last strike and by all rights lost the game right there - till I stepped in. And now I'm sick about it - I feel like a criminal. I can't imagine there's any recourse at this point. This feeling sucks, but I deserve it. I know we all kick one from time to time, but it's gotta be (mercifully) rare to have such a direct, unambiguous, indefensible impact on a game like blowing a rule on the last strike. Ugh...

Ok, I don't have anything else against helmets at all - quite the contrary, I use both mask and helmet. But that full neck guard looks ridiculous and WAY overkill. It's not like there's a risk of sticks slashing to the neck. But if it makes him feel safer and able to focus better, I guess....nice to have lifetime job security before going with that look, of course :)

Leaving aside the proper definition in FED for abandonment, once the runner has been CALLED out by the BU, I can't see how it would right to then - after the verbal out call has been made, right or wrong - penalize the BR for passing the called-out runner. Seems akin to an inadvertent "Foul" at that point - even if correct, it can't be called a double play once the verbal call is made.

Maybe a little if they're earnestly trying, but I doubt it. Not much in any case. I'd be much more inclined to open the zone up for the VT's pitchers.

Hi! Now just a rec league in a NW suburb, but did all over this year. City league, OCC, rec league, senior league, adult league, youth travel. Whatever I could get. I definitely will get the hat tighter, as many have suggested. In fact, the mask was bought at that brick & mortar store - I meant to get a fitted hat as well but I forgot.

OK, this is slightly embarrassing but I couldn't think of a better place to (anonymously!) ask, so here goes: after a full first season (90+ games) using a HSM, I got a brand new Diamond DFM-UMP silver mask at an end-of-season clearance at a pretty good price. I'd been thinking of going traditional mask just out of curiousity, as well as - admittedly - appearances (not sure that's really a concern, but I dunno). Plus, I thought it might be cooler on hot days paired with a mesh hat. Can't really test that last part in fall ball now, since 100 degree days are long gone here in central Ohio. My question is how loose should a traditional mask be tightened? I wore it in a youth game last night and it just felt, I dunno, odd. I've got it fairly loose so I don't pop my hat off removing (which I did on two occasions). The hat wasn't supertight either - a flexfit that's fine for bases. The mask felt like it would drift down and the lesser vision compared to my HSM seemed to bring the top bar into my field of view. I don't think it impaired my game, but I was conscious of it the entire game. I've read that one of the advantages of traditional masks is that they rotate when hit, deflecting energy. Would a tighter strap fit negate that? Should it move much if you shake your head? Or is this just transition that would presumably go away? Anyone transition from HSM to traditional?

3 coaches charged with felony battery on an official, 14 yr old charged as well. Absolutely shameful...and the video has them dead to rights, but who knows what a jury will do.

At least the box score said it was Doug Eddings. Sox-Mariners game last night, the home plate ump went old-school, with a very low stance and actually going all the way to his knee down on about half the batters. Also audibly would say the pitch location often, as in "BALL INSIDE".

I was at work, like many. Unlike many, my work was directly related, though. I was one of a handful of route network planners for a major airline. Yes, one of the two involved that day. Not that I had much inside info or anything. I started that day seeing the first crash and thinking - like everyone else - that it was just a horrible accident. Not the first in the industry, not the last. I was driving to work when I heard the news of the second crash. Instantly I realized this was no accident. The first few hours, we were just glued to the TV, helpless. We were trying to find all our planes as the ops folks were going crazy trying to do the seemingly impossible, ground the worldwide fleet safely and not lose track of anyone. We're talking over 3,000 flights in the US alone. As an airline employee, I had access to the reservation system. We probably shouldn't have been looking, but we'd look up flights to see their status as the wild rumors came flying in. Did we have 6 aircraft down? Where was our BOS-LAX flight? Was the Capitol hit? Then I found one of the downed planes. The status was a cryptic "SEE AIRPORT ATTENDANT" or something like that, as it was closed off from further inquiries. The rest of the next few hours were a whirlwind, I don't remember much. Around 4 pm or so, the seemingly crass and WAY too soon question came about - what does this mean for the business? Where do we go? What if 50% of traffic disappears and never comes back? What if it's more? When you think about it, after you take out 10,000 pilots, 25,000 flight attendants, etc., an airline is a pretty small company at the corporate level. There were 4 planners for the domestic network (I was one), 4 for the international network, about 7 in strategic planning, and a couple others for the commuter partners. That was it. It was our task to come up with some wild-ass guesses and scenarios immediately for top management. Would we as a company survive this? The towers were still white-hot but we had to do it. At first I was furious at it - how could we think about something so crass as business at a time like this. Colleagues of mine were lying dead, children torn apart. I may have even known someone (thankfully I didn't). But soon it was comforting in a way to have something to do, something to fill the space of sadness and rage. The task of rebuilding the company, piece by piece, route by route, flight by flight, lay ahead. I think I got home that night at 1 am or something, the first of many long days ahead. For 3 weeks, we worked 7 days a week to come up with scenarios and plans. We had no data - all the historical traffic models and data were garbage in this new world. We'd make decisions from the seat of our pants, on barely any data at all. There were 4 people on a DEN-PHX flight. Was it because there was little to connect to or was it because no one wanted to go to leisure destinations anymore from fear of flying? Would people shy away from international travel and potentially increase traffic to "safe" places like Hawaii? What aircraft would we ground? Would we shrink 20%? 10%? 50%? I don't know that we got it right, but we did the best we could. My house was directly in the path of a couple of the runways at the nation's largest airport, about 5 miles out. Every 3 or 4 minutes a plane would go by normally, a comforting sound to a winghead like me. But when I got home and for the next few nights, nothing but black silence. Except for the occasional fast mover - fighter jets flying patrol. Fighter jets flying CAP over Chicago?!??!?? Other than that - silence. I remember standing on the deck, vainly looking up. WHERE ARE THE F#%#@%ING PLANES!!>??!??! It was alien. I'll also never forget the first commercial plane I saw when the shutdown got lifted. It was Thur, I believe, 9/13. The international flights were the first to make it back. A bomb threat had been called into our headquarters, so the entire building was out in the parking lot. It was a hoax, thankfully, but we still had to go through the drill. It was a warm but overcast day. We knew the Frankfort flight was inbound soon, and as we were out there, we heard it before we saw it, then all of a sudden it appeared out of the low overcast, a beautiful gray 777. The entire parking lot erupted in cheers - and a lot of tears. The cheers subsided, but the tears didn't.

It looks pretty awesome and a great addition to the lineup. I do have just one concern. Couldn't quite see clearly in the pictures, but are the side belt buckles made of plastic? I had a Champro soft shell this year that had those type of plastic buckles, albeit a bit more exposed on the front than these appear to be (but not by much). Lo and behold, one got hit just right and broke. Contacted Champro and they wouldn't fix it or provide a replacement buckle, even if I paid for it. So a lucky hit on what is probably a $2 buckle rendered the whole thing useless. I'd hate for the same small oversight to plague this otherwise commendable effort. For the want of a nail...

Mostly much better vision for me, with more even weight distribution and more protection as well

Another anecdote on why to wait the 30 mins...

yea....if you're thinking that nobody else gets it, it's probably you. The whole premise of the op is ridiculous...you don't have a CBA with this league, an association isn't a union. Sheesh...