treydawgmt

@Mudisfun - the only thing I'd mention is I'm guessing the part with the "x"s is your actual report. If it is, I'd caution against using R2, as FED uses that bass ackwards nomenclature where he'd be R1 on second. Otherwise, I like the EJ.

The Rockaway Kid has it! Point of the plate and adjust. Most of our calls at the plate will be of the swipe tag variety. MUCH better to see from 3rd base extended. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Yeah, I think it's a riot a couple of guys would go through the effort to do that. Had me laughing, along with the other fans, announcers, players, and crew I'm sure. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I haven't posted to this site in awhile, not even lurking that much, but got two ejections in two separate innings last night! 14/15/16 ish level baseball tonight. 2 ejections... First - Ground ball to left side, nobody on. BR trips over F3 who is standing where every F3 stands to catch a ball from the left side. BR immediately gets up and yells VERY loudly, "Get out of the f*ing base path you f*ing p*****" Second - 0-1 count. Foul ball down 1B line. A few feet from the fence. Really looked like it was foul to me, but of course no foul line after 1B, so I'm guessing. Kid isn't happy, I think says "No f*ing way, that's f*ing bulls*." I should have warned him, but wasn't 100% positive what he said. Next pitch is called strike three. Quite loudly, "Are you F*ING KIDDING ME!" Nope, see you too. Second one might have been a tad quick, but whole team had a bit of a poor attitude and the inning before we had just reviewed the rule w/both head coaches about ejections that says swearing, profanity, etc is strictly prohibited. And everyone knew why the first kid was ejected. Wish I had warned kid two is my only thing I would change.

@MadMax - has their customer service, shipping time, product availability, etc, improved as well from a few years ago? When I got started umpiring 16 years ago, I owned a few +POS products, and live close. They were great. I took quite a few years off, and when I tried ordering something about 3-4 years ago phone was not answered, email wasn't answered, order didn't get processed or wasn't available, or something similar. I've heard a lot of horror stories the last few years. I'm really hoping they've fixed these issues as I would love to buy local, I buy as much local as I can!

Not on, oh, 90% of the fields I play on. I'd say 50-60% of the varsity fields I do have scoreboards. Less than 5% of the summer stuff I do has a functioning board. And usually it is mom in the stands keeping score who doesn't realize R1 tagged on his way to second means the runner crossing home doesn't count. In games where there is a real scorer and/or a scoreboard I don't say a word. Most of what I do has neither that is why I check with both sides, it prevents the surprises after one team thinks the game is over and one doesn't. Kid you not, I work a varsity field where the team won't turn the lights on since they are too costly to run, and there is no scoreboard.

I wish prices were that low just to go to a Cubs game! Without a clinic. Sounds like a great idea though!

I LOVE Weird Al. Him and Garth Brooks are my two favorite artists of all time. Queen as a group. The sheer talent Weird Al has though is insane. He takes someone else's adding and writes new lyrics that fit perfectly and make fun of the song. And he sounds mostly like the other group.

Sorry to bust your bubble but all income as to be reported in Canada... Not what I was told. Let's just say that you should trust me on that one... I'd trust thunder here also. While I know nothing other than what I read to try to get you a factual answer about Canada tax code, I'm extremely well versed in tax code in the USA. I find it hard to believe ANY country would willing tell you not to report this income. According to the Canada Revenue Agency there are only a few incomes that are not taxable. Umpiring income isn't one of the exemptions. http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/rprtng-ncm/nttxd-eng.html Another interesting bit I read centered around if officiating income is employment income or self employment income. In the USA we use a similar test to decide which category your employment falls under. In the USA the IRS actually ruled that officials are indeed self employed. The CRA in Canada has never made a ruling, making the waters more muddy up there. Reading the seven tests fire determination I side on self employment argument personally, but as you can see there are strong arguments on both sides. What all sides agree is that legally, you must report that income somehow. http://forums.redflagdeals.com/how-report-side-job-income-tax-return-1300668/ In both the USA and Canada many people don't report various incomes because "it's not enough," my buddy Mike doesn't, I wasn't sent a 1099 form, or many other excuses. Usually the IRS/CRA doesn't audit you, and nothing happens. However, ALL INCOME is reportable unless specifically exempted. And if you get caught, the fines and penalties in both countries are steep. Is it worth it??

I fully understand your thoughts. But I won't allow coaches to attack my partner, regardless of his zone. The time to deal with training and teaching is OFF the field. But, while we're a crew, we're a team. Ppl won't differentiate one ump from another most of the time. You're "the umps" or "those umps." The only friend you have on the field is your partner. Even if he's bad, he's still your teammate. Look for timing/head height/tracking issues and maybe tell him between innings what you see. But ffs don't just stand there while he gets raked across the coals. We've all had those horseSH*# games. If he's off, the complaining will only be compounded by your lack of teamwork. And his zone will deteriorate even further. Don't just be a partner, be the partner YOU would want to work with. I get what you are saying about being a team. However if my partner is A) willing to put up with coaches jumping his a$$ all game and B) too lazy to work on his zone then he deserves to get lit up by a coach. If I jump in and save him he will not learn and he will expect his next partner to do the same. How do you think it will go if I tell the PU his zone is bad? he is going to think I am putting him down and he will get an attitude. If the coach decides to bring the word you guys or these umps into the conversation I have no problem getting involved and showing him the door. The OP question had to do with how do you handle coaches that complain to you about your partner's KZ. Your responses have been about what you don't do (not going to save the partner that won't help himself). OK, fine, so what do you do ? What do you say to the coach ? nothing/ignore ? "don't talk to me, its not my problem" ? If you are letting your partner just twist in the wind, then you're not backing your partner (right or wrong, always back your partner). If they're talking to you, Do something ! Let them know that at least one of you aren't going to put up with their mis-behavior. It doesn't cost you anything, you aren't bailing anybody out, to tell them to knock it off. If the coach talks to me about my partner's zone (and I've never actually had this happen), I'll ignore once, hope he wasn't actually talking to me. Second time is a stern "we are NOT discussing this." If he doesn't get the clue I guess I'd have to dump him. Like I said though, I've never actually had this happen. Or maybe I'd say something along the lines of, we sure do have a bad angle down here, don't we.

Let me be clear in that I have no problem ejecting them if they complain to me about my partner's strike zone. The comment is said to me and so I have full jurisdiction in my mind to send him packing after I tell him to can it. I'm more talking about games I've had where I've heard chirping from the dugout or direct questioning of calls (the infamous "call it both ways") and my partner has chose to completely ignore them, where in the same situation I would have put a stop to it. If I step in and put a stop to it I could see my partner feeling as if I overstepped my bounds. I think a lot of this stems from me being new to the area and it seems like I am seldom paired with the same partner twice. So I end up working with a lot of guys that I've never worked with before and don't know their habits and so forth. If they are complaining about my partner I stay out. Unless it's so ridiculous he is swearing non stop and it's a 12U game and everyone can hear it AND my partner is doing nothing to try to stop it, I won't get involved. However, that same coach who I thought my partner should have ejected and didn't has the shortest leash ever. I've mentioned this situation before here, but I had a BU who the AC and HC were being on big time. He should have dumped one or both in the first few innings. Not a word was said about or to me, however. Like the fifth inning coach from dugout says "That's three YOU GUYS have cost us." Gone without even a warning. Now he implicated both of us, even though it was my partners call. I never stepped on my partners toes though.

I work a TON of GameDay USA tournaments in northern Illinois and Southern WI. Overall not too many problems. A few teams who think they are God's gift to travel ball. The tournament itself is all about money, never get food or drinks, only get two balls plus a used one, that kids first grand slam ball better get returned, but they back the umps around here which is the important part. EJ's stick, coaches are mostly well behaved though so not an issue usually.

I don't think you should wait until the ball lands, you're probably never going to catch up. However, the sequence I've been taught in clinics is "read, react." Make sure you READ first, so yes, take a moment or two to read. This will help you decide if you need to go out on a trouble ball, if it's realistically going to be a single or a triple, etc. Just slow everything down.

Duplicate post, can an admin delete this one?

FED based rules allow only one medical or religious bracelet or necklace taped down by any player. Nothing else is allowed. Quite simple, he can pitch.