Cajuncubsfan

I think the problem is the fact that you did back to back plate games! That's bull$hit! Back to back plates in 75 degrees with zero humidity can be tiring ...that's a lot of pitches! But, in that heat and humidity, it's a recipe for disaster!

You know what, over all I don't think I did bad. My zone got a little fuzzy, I missed that one call, my partner said I stopped putting the ball back in play and I was moving slower but over all I think I did ok considering. ;-) I was fair, I called it bad both ways!!! LOL :-)

My Major question?

What was your water consumption on Thursday, Friday and Saturday?

We don't get the humidity out here like you but we sure get the heat.

I am thinking if you felt the heat cause you problems to mentally focus, then you were Dehydrated and didn't drink enough water, before and during the games.

On hot days I can pound a bottle of water down every inning to inning and half.

We also all miss calls.

We are not perfect.

Learn from them and move on.

Do not beat yourself up over them.

Friday I probably had 1gal of water

Saturday I know I had 2.5gals + 1 gatorade. I had Gatorage pouder in my water and I had 2 pickles in between the games. I think I was ok on water.

Thats why i dont do multiple games like that, i wont do more than 3 and only if 2 are bases. I want quality over quantity.

A'men!!!!

Funny thing, I was standing outside of one of the dugouts in the shade during the third game because I had the field. One of the kids was talking to the catcher and said "I'm glade we don't have that last plate umpire that was out there." the catcher told him "Thats the same umpire we had this morning. He's not bad, it's £@€$ing hot out here and he was back there for two games. He was tired man!!!" they had been watching the last half of the game I had so much trouble in. It made me feel good that someone understood and had my back. LOL :-)

When I was in the field the first baseman told me I was the first umpire he had ever seen watch the runner as he rounded first and run to the infield on a fly ball. I told him "That was a lesson learned two years ago, I watch to see him hit the bag and that y'all don't run into each other." he thanked me and told me he couldn't count how many times a runner missed the bag and no one sees it. I thought that was nice....

And what did we learn? Hopefully, that too many games in a short time (especially combined with heat) have physical effects that lead to mental errors.

Yep yep, that will not happen again!!!

Well this weekend I was invited to umpire in a local High School tournament hosted by a local College "Centenary College". They scheduled me for 2 games on Friday and 3 games Saturday. I was very excited. These teams come from all over to play. There are all hand picked teams from Shreveport/Bossier LA, Minden LA, Rustin LA, New Orleans LA, Texarkana TX, Atlanta TX, Carthage TX, Dallas TX and those are just the teams I umpired. It was the highest level of ball I have ever called and I Sucked!!!

Well here is the story, Friday's two games were good and we really didn't have any trouble. The one thing that did happen in the first game was that I got hit by a line drive in the Toe. I thought it was broken for about an hour. Thank God it was not, after that I moved about two steps back in B & C posstion.

On Sat. I had 3 games back to back. I was working with a senior umpire from my local LHSOA group. I asked him "So who will be working the two plates?" he tells me "U are, which once do you want?" I'm thinking "Great!!!", so I take the first two games because there at 10am and 12:30pm. The third game I had the field at 3pm. I missed a few pitches but my zone was good I think. The coaches and players didn't have much of a problem with that. My trouble came in the second game, in about the 4th inning I was getting really tired. It was 90-95 deg, very humide, very little wind and that was a very long time to be behind the plate in that heat. The big screw up on my part did not end up changing the out come of the game but it was a blown call. Here is what happened, runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. It's a very close game 3-1 in the 5th. The team with 3 runs is on base. Squeeze play at home, the catcher blocks up a fast ball in the dirt, it rolls infront of home and he picks it up and swipes at the sliding runner. Well I wasn't thinking and stepped in to an exstended 1B line. When I should have been in an exstended 3B line.... Well I pump him out!!!! Well the 3rd base coach and everyone jumps up my a$$ right away. We get back to the plate and the catcher tells me "I never touched him Scott", I go and talk to my partner and he says "I couldn't see and asked me if I was feeling ok." I said "Hell now, it's hot as hell and I just blew a call because I was not where i needed to be and I couldn't see." after that everyone was up my a$$ about everything. It was aweful. I started questioning everything I was doing. To top it off we went in to extra innings!!!! We lived and I couldn't wait to get off the field!!!

In the last game of the day. I was whipped, it was so nice to get that gear off!!! There was a close plate at second and I did not wait like I normally would and made a bad call. The Carthage coach comes marching out and says "I don't even know what to say right now Scott! That was the worst call I have seen all day!!!" I say, he got under the tag coach" he walks off and says "The worst call!". I wanted to tell him it was the second worst call I had seen all day. But I didn't, I knew I had jumped the gun and called him safe when I should have paused. I saw him in the parking lot after the game an when I walked by he said good game and shook my hand. I told him "For the record that was the second worst call I had seen all day!!" he LOL :-) and invited me to his tournament on July 6-7. He said "I need 4 good guys, can you get them together and bring them down?!". He said he knew I was tired but he had to come say something to me. I told him I missed it but in that posstion I could t over rule myself, He understood. Over all I'm Sunburned, sour and I have a Adult wood bat game in 2 hours so I better rest up and hope my partner wants the plate. ;-)

When I get done with my game tonight LSU will be on!!! Geaux Tigers!!!

i would love one. Are they all custom made???? I currently wear a WVP, and love it. The douglas looks bulkier, and I can only assume a bit warmer. Any input from you Douglas Afficianados???

It is awesome, and when you get hit by an 90+ foul out fast ball the catcher will ask you if your ok and you can say "I didn't feel a thing!" like I do!!!

Ok, I'm convinced, I've been looking for a new chest protector and I think this string of posts seals the deal. Emailing today to pick one up.

You will love it and you will want to show everyone like I do!!!

The other day I got a call to fill in for another umpire. The night before I had two games and all for my cloths were dirty. So I call my wife and ask her to bring me all my cloths that are in the washer. Well everything makes it to me but my jock strap and cup. So I rocked out the scissors!!!! That only the second time that has ever happened. I didn't feel like I looked good but I knew there was a much smaller chance I was going to take one to my "Mommy Daddy button"!!!! as Austin Power would say.

In every town/city is a powder coat shop. You can avoid all the shipping mess and just find a local guy .......

That is true, if they will do it. The only reason my shop is doing these masks is because I work here and I told the owner it would not effect any production runs.

has anyone tried these ? do they work?

http://www.stbands.c...R-Headband.html

Do you sweat that much?? Jeff?

No, not actually, but when you get those real hot ones I can see this helping. Just wondering

I really want to try this but my wife has cut me off until we get back on our feet.... Being responsible sucks!!!

A small kid should still get a honest strike zone. Now when he has a knucklehead coach that wants him to squat to further decrease his zone, then call almost anything over the plate a strike. That is an unfair tactic for both the pitcher and batter.

I can not stand it when those little kids do that. 90% of the time if it's not to bad a pitch I will call it a strike. That and a catcher framing a pitch and holding it there forever waiting on my to say strike are the to things that can piss me off.

He is out of the baseline and is out. As for the PU, I would hope someone had pointed these things out to him and maybe he just has not changed yet.

"Florida Water Cologne"

The ammonia spirits mixed with ice water.

I used both of these last year and they worked great! Have any of y'all used this

Frogg Togg towel soaked in Florida water. I wrap it around my neck under my shirts. Makes a HUGE difference. Re-wet it between innings as needed.

I used that last year when it was 115.

I also sweat until my hat is dripping.

I looked like I had pissed my pants and my ass was too.

http://www.stbands.com/Pink-Ribbon-Sweatband-Wristband.html

http://m.uline.com/mt/www.uline.com/Product/ProductDetailRootItem.Aspx?modelnumber=S-17096

http://www.stbands.com/Sweat-GUTR-Headband.html

Yesterday it was 95, very humid and the wind never blows on this field because it's surrounded by trees. I already sweet a lot as it is. When I'm behind the plate I have a lot of trouble keeping it out of my eyes.

What do y'all do to battle sweeting?

I have a hand towel in my front pocket, at towel on the fence and I wipe, wipe, wipe...... I change cloths between games and yesterday when I left the field it looked like I had pissed my pants.

Cajun, can you do the same with my spider web throat guard? Ideally, I'd like it to closely resemble my Wilson Titanium frame.

I would have to see it to match it.

So can I send you my Champro mask?

Ok, the deal on your mask is. We would blast it to get everything off of it. I would like to blast everyonce masks with plastic because the sand does take some material away and I don't want to compromise anyone mask safety. The next step would be to wash it very well with the charged water and then hang the masks on our racks. The extra step we would have to do on this is put it in the oven and try to get any gases out. Manganese is a very poris steel and we would want to bake it I dry it out then we would put the powder on it and bake it again.

I'm ready when you are ready!!!

Check this color out!!! It's a clear powder coat on a steel table. It is almost the same color as a pair of heather gray plate pants.

I was at dinner last night with the family and my wife asked me is I was done getting SH*# for umpiring. Then I remembered this post, so I pulled it up and showed her I'm not the only one. She thinks we are all Dorks now.... LOL :-) o well, I'm in good company.

When I first began umpiring I did a bit of research and bought the best gear available. The only non <acronym title='Time of pitch '>TOP</acronym>-shelf item I forgot was the pants. By my second month I had both the plate and base polywool pants from Honigs. When my wife saw the ENORMOUS bill for the gear her reasonable question was - "just where are you calling - Yankee Stadium?" It is difficult being a junkie - John Lennon once sang - "Cold Turkey has got me on the run."

I have all TOP end stuff now. He has asked me the same thing only I'm a really big Cubs fan and she said "Are you planning on umping a Cubs game or something!!!" I told her "Only in my dreams and in my dreams I did it for free!!!"

I am currently a teacher but getting laid off because of budget cuts. I'm not sure I want to teach anymore and was offered a job back in car sales. I know I'll make a lot more money selling cars but the hours could be a problem. Does anyone on here work in sales and manage to still ump. I really don't want to give up umpiring, but I also need to do what is best for my family.

My mother is a very good sales person and can not make any money in car sales. She said the that car sales are dead right now. I don't know where you are right now but they need teachers in the south really bad!!!

I was at dinner last night with the family and my wife asked me is I was done getting SH*# for umpiring. Then I remembered this post, so I pulled it up and showed her I'm not the only one. She thinks we are all Dorks now.... LOL :-) o well, I'm in good company.

I'm going to order two pink shirts soon and I'm going to put this patch on both of them. What do you think!!!

I will send my Champro Mag to you the same time as Rolando! I've got several masks so I can send mine when he sends his.

Ok, I have checked in to this and it looks like if we wash it well and preheat it in the oven for about 20 mins before applying the powder it will be fine but I don't know if you want to chance it or not.

I'm ready to do some masks but we are so busy it may be a few weeks to turn them around and get them sent out. I would need a return label sent with the mask so I could get it back to yall. Let me know.

Here is my sons mask I did yesterday. The red is not a perfect match but we were already running this color and he wanted it red so there it is...

Last night in 9-10 Dixie, the first pitch on the 1/2 inning, it's a high fast ball (ok its not really that fast) catcher doesn't even move, bang right in to the shoulder of my Douglas/Douglas. The catcher who is normally a very good catcher looks up at me and says sorry I didn't see it. I say ok, good this I have my gear on and asked him to pay attenchin. I dont change anything because of catching. I will tell the catcher my strike zone will be better if I'm not getting hit all the time. I think that helps some.... Good Luck out the Blue