Welpe

As always maven, you provide the advanced mechanic.

There is one exception and that is FPSR which is TOP for remaining runners.

Todd must be related to Carl from the military memes. Henceforth we should refer to any coach like this as "Todd" for our stories here.

It's also in the penalty for 3-3-1: "Coaches who receive a written warning (10-2-3j) shall also be restricted to the bench/dugout for the remainder of the game."

I think that was an excellent no call.

Steering this back to professional rules. If the F1 buckles his knee and in the same motion without stopping then steps towards second, are we still balking that?

You missed an opportunity to say "Bruce Froemming".

I wish New Balance would not put the MLB logo on their shoes as it looks a little ridiculous wearing turf shoes in football with an MLB logo but that's just an aside. The only piece of gear I wear that has an MLB logo on them are my plate shoes and my pants cover those. If the logo is small and unobtrusive like the Honig's logo on their stuff, I don't see a real big issue. Everyone knows what level we're working.

I have regular grain only as I'm not a big fan of the patent look. It really comes down to personal preference and local requirements.

Mine are doing it also. It's from my shin guards rubbing against them. Not much NB can do about that and it doesn't really bother me as I've got just about 5 seasons through these and they're still holding up.

Just what I was going to say. I've done it both ways and while it looks good to get help right away, it makes a big assumption your partner is in position to see it and can offer help. I've also had going to my partner first backfire when I start to ask and point down toward the plate only to see him half way up the third base line. That was ugly and it cured me of asking before hand. I'm also in the camp of not asking just to appease a coach. I had a steal at second while working the bases that I banged the runner out on after the fielder got him on his foot that was flailing high in the air. Coach wanted me to get help on that and I flat out refused the same as you did. If you're 100% on your call, stick with it.

Yeah and "Hang up the phone" is on the way out too.

Keep in mind that any defenders that leave their positions during a fight or physical confrontation are also ejected. It's not just the players leaving the dugout.

@lawump, you the real MVP.

I'm not trying to take this quote out of context but does that include altering his motion while still adhering to all of the other pitching restrictions?

Looking good. The nice part about these synthetic materials is that spit and polish ala natural leather is not necessary for a good shine. I use a combination of Murphy's oil soap and water sprayed on and then wiped down with a damp microfiber cloth for a similar effect. I might have to start adding a bit of Pledge for that extra shine. I need to pick up another set of boot laces as these shoes are 5 years old and on the original laces. I've had good luck with them but the plastic on the ends has broken off and it makes re-lacing them a real chore. These shoes are also getting close to retirement but I'm holding out until the new NB shoes are released.

I finally got the chance to work with @Forest Ump today in a JV game. I was supposed to work a one man Freshman game on the second field at the school while Forest was working one man for the JV game. The visitors no-showed for my game so I got changed and strolled over to his field just as he was wrapping up the plate meeting. We had a good game. He did not suck, I mildly sucked but I didn't leave him a steaming pile to clean up so it wasn't too bad.

Yep. Two games max. It's the choice of a new generation. As for that day of baseball, Flea it sounds like you needed a 12 pack in compensation from your partner.

Looks like the new shirts are here to stay past spring training.

Yes. Part of the penalty in the book for a written warning is restriction to the dugout.

Waiting for a comment on the foul tip?

In my experience, Honig's seems to run a size small and Smitty a size large.

While I agree that pre-game and staying on the same page is important, the guy assigning my games and association leadership cares quite a bit.

Image courtesy of Tommy Owens.

I have when the visiting fans threatened the crew with physical harm after a LL district tournament game and they all waited for us in the parking lot. We holed up in the umpire room until the cops showed up who then gave us an escort all the way to the freeway. It's rare but it happens. I don't have a problem if somebody wants to carry a phone for such circumstances or if an official gets assaulted on the field (which has happened more than a few times as we've seen). I almost never carry a phone with me while working but I won't rule it out completely.