Texarkana

I think a kid pointed it out to the coach while he was at the mound. On replay you could not tell, but when they appealed, the umpire BANGED it hard. I have got to believe he was right on it. Kudo's to him for making the right call at a critical time. I heard these coaches jawing all game. I would laugh if there were an ejection on national tv.

Wow I felt that one sitting in my chair. Brings up a point I always tell guys. Make sure that mask is loose enough that it will spin off and you are not absorbing the whole blow. I always tell guys to make sure they have their plate gear. I have seen guys show up who were doing the field with no plate gear. Not a good thing to EVER do.

I am not proud of this but about 20 years ago, after a guy had got his rear end kicked in both games of a DH, he told me that. At that point, I told him to save his time and quarter (back then a call was a quarter, no cells) because I had made a resolution to quit calling sh-- baseball and his team was my first candidate. Believe it or not, old timers are still laughing about that one. I have ran into this guy a few times during tthe years and never had a repeat.

Danny, You have to put me on the list of people who disagree. I applaud this umpire. He stopped what is just blatant disrespect by a younger person. The fact it got so much press or air time is good. All these announcers, music players etc, will get the message. Do your job but you are not going to ridicule an umpire for the world to see. I think he has big stones for the ejection. I also agree with the post of disrespect being at an all time disgusting low by fans, players, and coaches at all levels. I have heard comments and have seen players do things in the last five or so years that are just unbelievable. I notice it a bunch out of younger coaches. Not all are like this but some are. When the kids see and hear what the grown ups say and do, they take it as a learned and acceptable behavior. For umpires that are allowing disrespect to go on, you are setting up good umpires that do a good job for big problems later. We are not going to allow people to compromise the sportsmanship and integrity of the game. Now Danny may think we need to get thicker skin, but in reality our skin is just fine. It is the players , coaches etc, who need to get in line on what is acceptable behavior on a baseball field. That being said, I always try to keep an even keel, not ever raise my voice but sternly enforce the rules on the field. Nothing worse than seeing an umpire raise his voice, make a snide remark to a fan, player or coach or loose his cool for all to see. You have lost all respect when this happens.

Every year I help out a friend and umpire the Dixie kids state tourny. Dixie is pretty adament that if you have closed bases (no leads) you must work on the outside. It is to see if the kids leave early. You have national and state guys there so umpires can not change what Dixie wants. This leaves you with terrible angles and other challenges. Fortunately I usually umpire it with another guy who has experience so we really have to help each other out. When you are in "C" you are almost in left field. The home plate umpire has got to help on pulled foot etc or you will have major problems. I see a lot of guys move over to "B" if there are two outs but I advise against it. They are pretty staunch in the mechanics they want used, so when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

You did a good job here. These kind of things seem to happen a bunch when the younger one's are playing. You have kids who get excited and run around around like a bunch of little fire ants (if you do not know what a fire ant is, consider yourself lucky), get tagged out, miss bases etc. and then you have coaches who may or may not know the rules coming uncorked which gets mom and dad involved that junior just had a misdeed done to him or her. Calling balls and strikes, safe and outs are important and I know a lot of guys that do it well but game management is HUGE and some lack here. Umpires knowing the rules and in a calm, confident way explaining them to the coaches after a crazy play happens dictates what happens after that in a lot of cases. Umpires being unsure and waffling, waving their partner over immediatly and sounding like a used car salesman breeds problems. It is critical to know the rules, pay attention to what happens on the field and confidently and proffesionally explaining the results after it happens. It is called game management. The way you show up, have your conference, conduct yourself and make sure the game moves along (hustling on-off field, warmup pitches etc) paints a pretty clear picture to the participants. Little kids always want to slide in and raise their little hands to call time. They have been told to do this. Might not be a bad idea if you have little ones to cover it in pregame. If the game is proceeding, time will not be granted till it is the appropriate time. Might save a big problem if Little Johnny calls time, it is not granted, but he decides to step off the base thinking it is.

Thank gosh in almost 30 years that has not happened.

I would sure hate to have my games put on tv, replayed in slow motion, slowed down frame by frame and then a little yellow box put around my strike zone. Could you imagine?? These umpires are some of the best in the world yet they get ostersized (sp) I saw a replay on ESPN a few weeks back where Laz Diaz was being questioned and then, whammo, here comes the slow motion replay. I do not know him but have always thought he did a pretty bang up job. It is pretty easy to sit in a booth popping off with a slow motion replay going compared to making a real time call as it happens. I remember He-who-shall-not-be-named hammering on Durwood Merril over a ball rolling around.

The one situation I move a bat is if I believe I have a play at home and a bat is in a position where I believe someone could get hurt runing or sliding in (or catcher falling on it). I usually keep watching the field and will roll it toward the backstop using my foot or heal.

You know what is really bad. When a kid is set up on the outside corner and the pitcher misses so bad the ball comes on the inside corner across the strike zone. Catcher about falls over trying to get to the ball.

I cover in pregame the silent signals I use to help out. How easy would it have been to point to the ground (hand down to your front, shielded by all but him) and as your partner is surveying it, he knows your pregame talk, sees your finger pointing down and calls him safe on a dropped ball. I have used this many times to get a call right.

Come on!!! Do you guys have to ruin it for a dumb Texan who took it hook line and sinker!! Before I read the rest of the thread I had already yelled at the bride, come look at this!

Has anyone ever made a cheat sheet for new guys to study that gives the most common balks and what to look for? I have never seen one. I think it would be a good tool for people to go over when their chapter or organization has a clinic for the newer guys.

Posted - One has 250+ members and the other has 70. There's a reason for that. PM if you want to discuss it further. I'm familiar with both You better check this one out. Sometimes you go to pick a rose and get pricked by a thorn.

You can pull it off because you are a respected umpire and everyone probably knows you are going to go right down the middle. I have always taken on the persona that it is business, but I will exchange a pleasantry before a game or at the right time. One of our HS coaches has a son who took over for Youkellis in Boston. Every once in a while I will ask something like how is Will doing or ask a coach about how there kid is doing. I have never engaged the fans but probably could. It has just never been my style but yours works for you. The respect level has to be there or I would advise against it.

I have been doing it for twenty years. Must be dill pickles. http://www.acefitness.org/blog/2107/drink-pickle-juice-to-avoid-a-hydration-pickle

I carry a cooler on the field in Texas. I keep it behind a fence or in a dugout. I usually pull a drink out and put it behind the backstop pads. College or HS games, just a drink, but all other levels of ball, it's cooler time. I keep icey water, a towel, drinks and a couple jars of pickles in the cooler. In between games, I may change uniforms but always change my socks.

Next plate?

Bingo. That is what stood out for me. He was very relaxed. Just another ballgame. Everyone does little things different but I watched most of this game and he hustled great, mechanics were sound and he just floated around like he was supposed to. I noticed the guy he was partnered with making a few miscues but when I found out he was 78 I just had to laugh. Nothing jumped out at me. We all have our own style and JAX works well for him. GOOD JOB!!

I could be wrong but I say the run scores. You have a time play here and the run scored before anything else happened. Correct me if I am wrong.

Do yourself proud and have fun. I am going to watch this one. Check your private messages.

I do not like to converse with my partner in between innings unless it is necessary. In this case it was not and would only draw attention to something that might have been missed. If you were not sure if it hit him, say nothing. I would have made sure after the game that my partner knew what a dead ball strike was and then I might have discussed it. I do not like conversations in baseball games. Not with my partner, not with coaches players or fans. If a coach or my partner has something, I like to make it brief and to the point. I have seen guys mess something up, then line up and conference in between innings. The whole ball park knows what they are talking about including the coaches and it breeds more problems.

I would have told him on the spot. Hand the balls to whomever gets them or place them where they go and walk out a neutral gate if one is available. Nothing irks me more than watching an umpire hang around after a game talking to fans, coaches or players.

I use them both. For the younger kids, probably 12 and under, I point. For the older kids, it's hammer time. The kids and coaches seem to get confused at times with the hammer (out etc.) Pointing is not hard. stand, call point. Not real difficult. I umpired a few games with a guy last week who assigns for another HS chapter. He was telling me about the software he uses. Talked about evaluating and ranking "his" umpires. When he got done, I asked who evaluated and ranked him? One thing that I firmly believe in is being set to make a call out in the field. I am locked down like a tripod watching the play.

Why tell them anything? I do not usually converse with coaches. I watch kids at HS and below miss bases on a regular bases. If more coached dedicated a person to watch base touches, there would be a lot more outs. The scenario that started the thread. He missed the base, he got caught and he is out.