NCAAump2

I can echo everything that Bob just said. He repeated over and over that it wasn't a tryout camp for the NWL, but that if he found 16 umpires capable of working NWL baseball AND the kind of person he was looking for, he would hire them. For me, OUTS was about WAY more than just umpiring. Yes, I learned a hell of a lot from some of the best people AND umpires I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. But I also learned how to treat people, interact with others, and balance my personal life with my umpiring ambitions. Bob, I just want to thank you, Mark, Marty, Greg, and James again from everything OUTS gave me. I worked the plate on a HS varsity game on Saturday, the day after I got back, and it was literally night and day. I felt so much more comfortable back there, my mechanics and timing were much more crisp, and it was just a great experience. I can only hope to give back some of the information I learned at OUTS to the umpires here in STL.

Congrats, man! Playoffs? Our HS season is only 2 weeks old!

After the cost of the camp, airfare, food, and entertainment (went to UCF-East Carolina and Nationals-Braves games) I probably spent a little over $1,100. Not too bad considering they quality of instruction, location (hotel is less than a 5 minute prance from the beach), and group of guys that were there. It was a great seminar, to say the least.

On a side note, as soon as I landed in Houston, I had a new game assignment from my college assignor...hopefully this is a sign of good things to come!

Jason, I just sent you a PM. So, the O.U.T.S. has officially come to an end. As I sit here in the Houston airport awaiting my flight to STL, it's fun to reflect back on everything that we did in the short 9 days. From double play footwork to working live games, to the nights at the Sandbar (a hotspot in Cocoa Beach!) with all the instructors just talking and listening to stories, it was definitely money well spent. I feel like not only a completely different umpire, but just a completely different person as well. Once I get home and really reflect on the trip, I'll start a new topic and write a detailed (and probably lengthy) review of the camp.

I mean I currently work a few JUCO and small Division III games here and there, but I'm looking to get a more complete schedule for next year. Which camp would you recommend?

I'm selling my pair of Gerry Davis Patent Leather plate shoes...they are a size 12. I had them for a total of 4 years, but only wore them maybe 5 or 6 times. Nothing wrong with them, just not my cup of tea. I think I bought them originally for $125, but I'll take $75 OBO. They look great and they're pretty comfortable, but I'm going to get a pair of NB shoes instead. PM me if interested.

Which camp does he run in Springfield? Are there supervisors for college conferences at both camps? I'm still trying to decide which one I should attend.

Thanks! As far as I know, this is the only camp that Bob Bainter runs. The other instructors (other than Greg) are busy during the summer working in the Atlantic League. Greg Chittenden runs the 2 camps in September that are held in Springfield, MO.

Just wrapped up Day #8 at O.U.T.S, and must say, it's probably the best $500 I've ever spent. Out of 36 students, I was one of 3 who had never been to umpire school (Wendelstedts, Evans, or the PBUC school). I was voted by the instructors as "Most Improved Umpire," and I feel like I'm 100 times better than when I got here last week. Now the decisions start being made about jobs (I'm not in the running...told Bob I didn't want to work the Northwoods League)...so the games we work tomorrow are the last chance to impress for a lot of guys. Will give a full review when I return to St. Louis on Friday afternoon.

When you call him out (and sell the sh*t out of it), point at the tag saying, "On the tag, yes he did!!!! THEN, bang the out." This answers the question the offensive coach hasn't even asked yet, so his argument won't hold much water. This shows everyone that you did see the attempted tag, the fielder did indeed make the tag successfully, and the out was recorded.

In addition to this response, I will ask the instructors at O.U.T.S. (see "Accomplishments and Milestones" topic Halfway through O.U.T.S for their names) and I'll let you know what they think.

As an umpire who doesn't use an indicator (I'll have mine in my pocket on the stick), I see nothing wrong with a guy using an indicator on the bases, as long as he doesn't have his face buried in it the entire game. For me, not using one (both on the plate and bases) forces me to pay more attention and be more focused on the game. I have it in my pocket/ball bag, but it rarely comes out.

Absolutely. If you're not sure, why wouldn't you ask your partner?

Well, we're just about halfway through the Oceanside Umpire Training Seminar (O.U.T.S), and I must say, I'm thoroughly impressed. Not only is it quality instruction, but quality instructors. Led by Bob Bainter, we also have Mark Facto (Supervisor of Umpires for the Atlantic League), Marty Bauer (Atlantic League umpire), Greg Chittenden (former PCL umpire and Mid-American Umpire Camp instructor) and James Pattison (Atlantic League umpire). All of them are VERY approachable and invite every umpire to pick their brain as much as they want, an aspect I really like. When I first got here, I felt like I'd be way behind. Out of the 36 guys here, 33 have been to one of the umpire schools. (I have not been to any kind of umpire school, camp, clinic, etc.) Other than some minor adjustments, I think I'm actually holding my own, which I'm quite proud of. We are all assigned crews of 3, working one game as a 2-man crew (base guys rotate every inning) and each of us will work a plate at least once. We have a decent amount of free time (normally done by 2pm every day unless working a game), so it's kind of like a mini vacation that way. A group of us went to Orlando Friday night for the University of Central Florida/East Carolina game. Their field is amazing, and the #19 UCF Knights came out on TOP 2-1. Since there are so many students, we have 12 crews of 3...I'm part of crew #12 and our first game is tomorrow (Sunday 3/25) at 10am in Daytona Beach, FL. I picked to take the dish first (mainly to ensure I would get seen working the plate). I'll let you know how it goes!

As others have stated, it was pretty apparent what you did wrong (going out to mound to intervene, not remembering HC's name, approaching HC after game, etc.) I'm glad you've learned from it but like Matt said, I think you should get more experience in lower level games (HS and youth leagues) before attempting to work at the collegiate level. The college game is a completely different animal, and based on what happened in the game you had, I just don't feel as though you're ready for it. Don't take this the wrong way, but you can have all the confidence, rules knowledge, and perfect mechanics in the world, but if you have poor game management skills, all those other things don't mean anything. By working those lower level games, you'll still get great experience, probably see some decent baseball every now and then, and you'll be able to have some of those "hostile" situations, just on a much smaller scale. Whatever happens, I hope you learned from your first game and don't make the same mistakes again.

Arrived in Cocoa Beach, FL late last night. 7 of us actually arrived a day earlier than we needed to (found cheaper flights). Bob greeted us at the hotel, and already I could tell that I made the right choice on attending this camp. He doesn't sugar coat anything, tells it like it is, with many jokes and great stories thrown in there as well. The rest of the umpires come into town at some point today, and we've got a meet and greet at the Sandbar Sports Grill (the unofficial "headquarters" of O.U.T.S.) later on tonight. Good group of guys so far (2 out of the 7 here worked the Northwoods League last year.) The instructors are all VERY approachable, which I find really nice. Time to start picking their brains!

Haha that's probably true...but I still think I can make more than $1,500/month umpiring down here than I can up there. Granted, it would definitely be an experience I would never forget.

My HS group charges (I think) $30 for the spring and $15 or $20 for the summer, and a 5% assigning fee on TOP of that. College group is a $50 annual fee with no assigning fees. Youth leagues and tournaments don't charge fees.

Absolutely. But considering the association I work for has over 200 members, I think they can handle it. I've never turned a game back within 48 hours, and would expect to get fined if I did unless it was some kind of extreme circumstance.

If I didn't have a 1 year old at home, I'd be up there in a heartbeat. But alas, I can't see myself away from that little booger for that long.

Most schools turned in their team's schedules about 2 months ago...I have no idea what he is waiting for.

I think if you are assigned games (say through Arbiter) which you have to accept or decline, you should only be fined if you have already accepted the game THEN turn it back. I know you can block out dates and/or times, but sometimes things slip through the cracks or IOW "life happens." As far as turning games back in for a higher level games, I would think your organization would be happy you're getting games at a higher level, not penalize you for it.

HS baseball in Missouri starts on Friday (March 16) and we don't even have our schedules yet.

He said he enjoyed it. Similar to the players, it's a way for guys who don't make PBUC to experience the way minor league baseball would be (away from home, driving a lot, calling a game everyday) for the umpires as well, so I think it was a good experience for him.