adieste

PS: We had dinner together when I got into town, and he insisted on picking up the check ... killer BBQ joint across the street from my hotel!

A quick shout-out to my newest best bud, Ken Botelho. I mentioned in a prior posting that I was going to be in the Phoenix area on a Cactus League vacation, and that I wouldn't mind getting in some games. Ken got right on it. Good news-bad news joke coming. Good news is that I got a few games assigned. In fact, 3 days after rolling into town, I worked nine 14U USSSA games this weekend, and have games scheduled two weeks out. I'm going to have to work hard at not working hard, ie getting to see some MLB spring training games. My plan is to see a game per day Monday - Friday, and work games on the weekends. However, it looks like I may be doing high school games during the week as well. Let's see ... MLB game 1-3pm, tear out of the park and make it to the nearest high school by 3:45 ... doable? Anyway, it's almost like surf and turf ... tough to get too much of a good thing. Ken Botelho ... he da' man!

Hi Ken, thanks so very much. I’ve already been in touch with Mark Hratko, but it would be great if you could reach out to the other two. I’d love to get some games in, especially high school. I’ll be arriving to the Phoenix area this coming Wednesday evening, and would love to chat and thank you personally. I’ll be at the Marriott Fairfield in Chandler. 480-940-0099 Al Dieste 209-588-1556 (home) 209-206-0403 (cell in AZ)

I will be vacationing in the Phoenix area March and April, and would like to get some games in. I am a USSSA carded and experienced umpire, and also have FED high school experience. I can provide UIC references from TPR and NCTB travel baseball organizations, as well as the Northern California Officials Association, all in the California central valley and bay area. Please forward this information to your assigner or UIC, and feel free to contact me if interested. Al Dieste 209-588-1556 adieste@comcast.net

I'm in North County on vacation, and would like to watch a local game if any of you guys are working, since the Padres are on the road. Are any of you possibly working Grossmont College on Sunday? Let me know ... thanks!

To clarify, I called foul ball. DC argued that as a caught foul ball it's an out. I told him it was a strike, and the ball was dead. He was not at all happy with me ...

I called strike - dead ball. DC came unglued, swearing it was a caught foul ball for an out. Did I make the proper call? What is the rules reference? Thanks!

Midgets (10U) not throwing very hard. Attempted bunt, ball brushes top of bat, hits catcher's CP, and is caught in his arms. Ball had no arc off bat. Caught foul ball for out, foul tip for strike and live ball, or strike and dead ball?

Umpkc7, my son currently wears a size 8 shoe, but tends to outgrow every six months. He'll be a hs freshman this year, and I predict by his sophomore year he'll easilly be a 9 - 9 1/2. He might or might not make size 11 someday. Thanks for asking!

Thanks ... the boy loves baseball, and knows his umpiring has, and will continue to make him a better player. Heck, I'm sure he knows the book better than most his coaches (more than a couple of times he has properly advised them on appeals, INT,OBS, etc.) He's learning that anything worth doing is worth doing right, and that includes professional clothing and equipment. Still, he'd rather buy quality used, rather than lower quality new, so always looking ... looking ... looking ...

My son is still working. His two local mentors gave him a bunch of heather pants, but a) they are too big, and B) his association requires charcoal grey. Spent $60 on a pair of pants, $10 on a pair of black ball bags, $30 on a powder blue shirt, $15 on a black t shirt, $27 on his USSSA youth officials card ... and he earned $132 for the weekend, minus $25 gas on getting to the yard and back ... 65 miles one-way. He put in an eleven-hour day working three games. All this comes out of his pocket, so he's looking to sell some pants in order to a) buy a creme shirt, B) buy some plate shoes, c) eventually break even.

Can somebody tell me how to post pics? I've also got heather ball bags, and some shirts which need a good home as well ... thanks!

If anybody is interested, I've got something like eight pair of heather grey Honigs pants, both plate and base, waist sizes 32 and 34. Selling cheap!

My 14 year-old son just graduated to working behind the plate, and his medium size shirts won't fit over his CP. Anybody got any gently used size large shirts you can sell a hard-working kid who doesn't have a lot of money? He only earns $25 per game ... thanks! adieste@comcast.net 209-588-1556