Richvee

Congrats on the regionals. Have fun!! D3 playoff implication regular season DH Saturday, Juco finishing off the season Sunday, and a Juco playoff next Saturday. That finishes off college for the year. I'm also struggling with what the future holds for me. I'm getting slower, aching more. I'm not sure the travel and grind of college ball is worth it much longer. Weekend Dh's mean out at 9AM the latest, probably 1-2 hour drive, home around 7-8 PM. It's wearing me out. But the ball and money is good. It's the northeast, and especially this year, the weather sucks.(we're still in the 50's..low 40's at night) Being out there in 25-30 weather makes me question my sanity. The friendships and comradery of college ball is second to none. Weighing the pros and cons....I need to figure it out.

It's actually been both. The ball/Strike warning was a coach up by 18 in the eighth. I'm chalking it all up to just a bad run of games/teams. rainout today, off day tomorrow for a wedding. Hopefully a reset for 2 college DH's this weekend.

But the rule book does A FAIR BALL is a batted ball that settles on fair ground between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that is on or over fair territory when bounding to the outfield past first or third base. I have it on good authority, this means if a ball has stopped between the bag and home, it needs to be touching fair, (I was not aware of that until today). The "On or over" part is only for ball bounding past the bag into the outfield. The real confusion, (and there is not a clear interp for) is on a ball that is rolling between home and the bag when touched. Or bouncing between home and the bag when touched. This is where the confusion lies, and needs to be cleard up.

OK, Here goes.... I've been doing this a while..16 years. 14 high school varsity, 7 Juco, D3. Without sounding overly cocky, I think I'm a damn good umpire. I've seen and heard all the horror stories about poor sportsmanship, confrontational parents, etc. Sure, I've experienced it, but it's been on rare occasions, and the overwhelming amount of the times, I've had respectful coaches, players, and to a lesser extent parents. Fast forward to this year. I thought it was me. I was starting to think my zone was inconsistent. Starting to think my judgement might be off. I know I'm getting slower. Maybe it's affecting my game. I've been talking with some trusted colleagues, and it seems it's not me. The umpire hate is reaching new levels. The overall tone of the games, attitudes, it's filled with anger. Dirty looks from hitters from every close strike, looks of astonishment from fielders on safe calls that aren't even that close. Batter runners stomping up and down when they're put out at first by a full step. Fielder yelling a runner is off the bag when I'm right there looking at a hand on the top of the bag, coaches looking for help on routine plays, (Not asking ..Demanding "You GOTTA GET HELP). Grief on check swings, no matter if I call a strike as PU, or go for help...As BU, whatever I call on an appeal, I'm gonna hear crap from the other side. I had to give a college coach an official ball/Strike warning in the 8th inning with his team leading 22-1. Another one a few days ago after his starter walked 7 in 2+ innings...Most were pitches his catcher couldn't even catch. Besides the ball/strike stuff, these aren't issues or actions that require warnings/ejections. Just ornery attitudes... No one's happy with anything. Yesterday, as we're leaving the field of a home team run rule win, a group of passive- aggressive Dad's start in as we pass loud enough to be sure we're hearing them "Every call goes against us, they all suck this year. They got it out for us. Where do they find these guys? They won by 12, yet they still found the need to make sure we heard them talking about how much we suck and that foul ball my partner called against their team in the second inning. ... Last week we're leaving a college field and after we pass a group of ignorant morons who were on us from the start we hear "Better luck next time, blue." It's taking a lot of strength to ignore. I thought it was me until yesterday. I got calls from two colleagues in the span of a few hours lamenting the sme issues, and questioning if they want to do this anymore....It's not been fun this year" is what I'm hearing over and over. Is it a bad stretch? Are attitudes worse? Am I worse? ....I'm rained out today. and you know what? Part of me is thinking "Thank God". I don't like feeling that. I want this to be enjoyable. It has been for 16 years, with the occasional misbehaviour here and there. This year it's rampant. The table has completely turned. The polite, no issue games have become the outliers. I'm going to put a big part of the blame on social media and the amount of umpire hate being spewed. From national media outlets, to Joe fan's ignorant hatred...It's trickle down to where players, coaches and parents all bring their keyboard warrior mentality to the field. Or.. Is this the way it is across the country, and somehow I've avoided it for the most part for 16 years?.

Interesting side note. Ray Ban, a struggling, old, frame , lens and optical supply company was ready to scrap the wayfarer style glasses for good in the early 80's. Then Tom Cruz wore a pair in the movie "Risky Business" and not only did it make RayBan keep the model, it expanded its range of lens and frame colors for the wayfarer, it brought a struggling company back to life. 45 years later, they're still on top and arguably bigger than ever.

I was only referring to a Clear Rx pair where you may actually have an issue if the kid actually needs them to see. Oakley makes a variety of Meta glasses as well. https://www.oakley.com/en-us/product/W0OW8001?variant=888392690418&cid=PM-FGS_000000-5.US-Oakley-EN-NA-NA-PmaxFullCatalog-NA-Prs-NA-Ecom-NA&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19671809437&gbraid=0AAAAACyJeEZU9YIEIyJeQz7Q5jYQL1_te&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2MbPBhCSARIsAP3jP9xC5Q_FOTM7L5NXckqDr_pk5EW5iaMl8FKHIqO0txf2wALk9fAQWM4aAp8XEALw_wcB

The way my zone’s been floating recently I could use a pair that projects a box 🤣

and yes… you can get them clear with RX

This is what you’re looking for on a meta.

I'm surprised you didn't hear the "but they're prescription, Blue!! How's he supposed to see out there?! It's a safety thing, ain't it??" This is actually a legit concern. Especially if they’re clear lenses and his “everyday pair”. And yeah. The RayBan metas are RX- able.

“Two strikes when a batter steps out and pitcher delivers” has entered the chat

Go to YouTube and the umpire classroom channel.

Agree 100%. But NCAA’s constant obsession with it… interps, videos, bulletins….it can make your head spin. And with it all- at least to me- the differences between legal and illegal is still sometimes very minute and blurry.

Ok I get it. The first picture above is not considered where his windup begins. So the hands come up as he steps to the side. (picture 2) THEN his next moves are the beginning of his windup. The step back to sideways is his one step, then delivery...Got it. Thanks (My association's rules interpreter agrees)

1.Hands together, windup position, paused. “The pitcher shall stand facing the batter with their pivot foot in contact with the rubber and the other foot free. 2. step to the side. Pause 3. Step back in front of rubber. Pause. “ the pitcher may take ONE step…..” sorry for being stubborn. I don’t see how this isn’t two steps and then a delivery.

I’m specifically speaking to NCAA

So basically you guys are saying he’s not ready to start his windup when he’s on the rubbber and hands together…. And only after he raises his hands up, steps to the right is he in position to begin his windup? I think that’s a “stretch” ( no pun intended)

I’m seeing hands together, a step to the side then another step to parallel , and then a delivery. I thought NCAA was bent on ONE step sideways or backwards.

I’d guess that would be their “excuse”. I’ve got hands together, then two steps prior to delivery. I’m pretty sure this is textbook for what the NCAA doesn’t want.

Let me try again. IMG_3336.mov

IMG_3336.mov Correct me if I’m wrong. This should be illegal under NCAA rule.

No. He had no gripe with us. The whole thing came out of nowhere. You see the score? Both teams were very lighthearted sort of playing out the innings. Then, out of nowhere, T3 tags up, forearms F1 backing up and yells out “stay out of my F’in way. And all hell broke loose. Both coaches were screaming. It was crazy. Coaches were actually apologetic and understood the rule and why we couldn’t continue.

Yup. I made it up🤣 I’m a wiz at video editing 🤣🤣 I would have to look at the ejection report, but F1 and R3 got 4, then someone who ran in from the RF pen reignited the fight, got 4 along with another Ulster guy who just started throwing haymakers in the second “round”.

I had a similar bench clearer a few years ago. We stopped the game. In a follow up zoom meeting that night with my assignor, we wrote the report by listing the few people on the field that didn't approach the scrum. Every bench player, including bullpens, were ejected and one game. We picked two two main culprits from each team and gave them 4. Granted this was a little more than in the OP..But still. I thought the new interp was just not to eject guys that may step out of the dugout and stay away from the actual scrum.

We can quibble all we want on if either player committed MC… But this is the question I want answered. How did this game continue? There should have been about 40 ejections. With at least BR getting 4 games for fighting, and all the others ejected plus one game for “leaving the vicinity of the dugout, bullpen, or position on the field at the time of a potential altercation or fight. “ What am I missing?