law_reb

My senior year of high school I took a line drive to the face while pitching. After a broken cheek, nose, orbital socket(now made out of part of my rib), and just about every other part of my face, the only way the doctors would let me return to play again was by wearing a helmet with face protection. I wore it when I returned a couple months after surgery because I was determined I was going to play again. It completely changes things for a pitcher. Before, I had brought my hands up over my head as part of my delivery. Couldn't do that any more. It was odd, had been pitching that way since I was 7. I never felt comfortable. The helmet was too tight, too loose, couldn't hear as well, couldn't see as well. The doctors made me wear that dang thing for a year. If I was on the baseball field I had to wear it. Went through first fall in college wearing that thing. When I got to go without it in the spring I felt as though I had been released from prison. I can't imagine current major leaguers agreeing to something like wearing helmets on the mound. They are so precise with their mechanics, any change like that could cause problems. If not physical, possibly just in their head. It would almost need to be some type of protection that they don't even know is there. This is something that needs to start with young kids so they can grow up with it. It's not quite the same thing as putting a helmet on a base coach.

I got the FED app on my Iphone this weekend after reading this thread. It was $5.99, and it is definitely worth the money.

It wasn't bad umpiring as far as missed calls, but I couldn't get over the amount of movement by last nights plate umpire during the pitch. After delivery of the pitch he was often still moving his body and his head was moving to track pitches.

I have a difference of opinion between plate shoes and base shoes. I like my plate shoes to be as close to all black as possible. I don't mind the white N on my 450's, but I most likely wouldn't wear the Zig's shown above. On my base shoes I like to have some white. For some reason to me it seems more athletic. All black base shoes to me seem to look like what I always thought of as "old man" shoes. Like they belong on a tourist in NYC with shorts and white knee high socks. Those are my feelings on the subject. If yours differ that is fine as well. I wouldn't have any problem working with a guy wearing the Zig plate shoes with all the white, or a partner in the field with all black shoes. Only one caveat though, make sure the white is white(not Mississippi clay red) and the black is nice and clean.

Staying in the back pocket/ glove side... such a great angle. Just like I was taught last weekend. Guess my instructor knew what he was talking about. Did it take you to see this play to think that about the Instructors....LOL Nah, I knew they were good. This is just confirmation. Can't wait for spring to get back out there myself.

Staying in the back pocket/ glove side... such a great angle. Just like I was taught last weekend. Guess my instructor knew what he was talking about.

Need: Majestic thermabase jacket Majestic coolbase convertible jacket 1 black shirt, short sleeve 1 black shirt, long sleeve black plate hat black base hat Want: plate coat new chest protector polywool plate & base pants

I wanted to second moblue in his recommendation of this clinic. The staff was top notch. They had such a high level of knowledge and the ability to communicate that knowledge to us. The instruction they provided was outstanding. A lot of individual instruction geared to making each umpire better no matter their level and experience. Group instruction was made interesting and covered more topics and situations than I could have expected. Some really good stuff while doing cage work. Really helped to fine tune mechanics for just about any call you make behind the plate. I really appreciated the feedback that I received from live game action. The evaluators gave it to me straight, both on the good things I was doing and areas I needed to improve on. They also followed that up with recognizing the changes I made following that first eval. You could tell the staff wanted each umpire to get better and was glad to see us make improvements during the weekend. I learned a bunch of stuff this weekend. Can't wait to get back on the field and have my partners ask how I raised my level in the offseason.

Just remember that book portrays a small segment of attorneys and the law. I would definitely admit that book does not put lawyers in the best light though. Just like with baseball and umpires, there is good baseball and bad baseball, good umpires and bad umpires.

I used to read all the time before kids. Two kids later and I can't remember the last time I read a book for fun. John Grisham and I are both Ole Miss Law alums. He went to the high school where my wife teaches. When they built the new school a few years ago he donated money for the library. They now have the "John Grisham Library". He is also a big baseball fan. His son played at UVA. He used to bring his son's high school team to Ole Miss in the summer for a tournament I would work.

Is it the M/L 12" or the L/XL 13"? I am actually in the market for a Gold.

Notice in the video how the home plate umpire at least called "time" first. If that was done in the case of the original poster you wouldn't have to worry about the base runners advancing/getting called out on the play as well.

I am a big guy, 6'6" 285, and have always been intrigued with working on a knee like McClelland. That was always my reason not to, because I had heard it looked lazy. I used it in a 10U tournament I called this summer(I almost always call 14 and up) because I felt like I couldn't get low enough otherwise. I liked it a lot, but haven't done it again since. As someone of my height, would it still be considered taboo?

Saturday evening 14U game. 9 to 9 bottom of the seventh. It's not 9 to 9 because both teams are stacked with hitters. Bases loaded with one out and infield playing in. Ground ball to short. He starts to throw to first, everyone on his half of the park is yelling to throw home. He throws home, where catcher is stradling the plate and applies tag to sliding base runner on a bang bang play. Ball pops loose on the tag. My partner calls an emphatic "safe" and points at ball on the ground. Defensive coach loses his mind. Screaming that it was a force out. Comes running to me to overturn my partner. My partner is headed for the exit quickly. I calmly inform him I saw the same thing as my partner. He keeps repeating it is a force out. I try to explain that it is a force play, but because his catcher was not on the base there was in fact no out. Then becasue the ball came loose there was no out on the tag. Of course, the loss was our fault because we don't know what a force out is. I wanted to explain that if his pitcher had not just hit two batters and walked another the bases would not have been loaded. And that if his shortstop knew the situation and threw home properly, and the catcher had a foot on the base it would have indeed been a force out. But those things didn't happen, and they lost.

I have the matte black version of the new diamond mask. Pads are definitely an upgrade. I have used it twice, but have not taken a shot yet to tell you how they perform. They feel much more substantial, and are a soft leather that is against your face. They are not as substantial as wilson pads, but they also are not as heavy. Still very lightweight. Holding my older silver mask and the new one I can't tell any difference in the weight. I didn't change out the pads in my older diamond mask. Unlike everyone else, I found them to be satisfactory. Again, the new pads seem to be a substantial upgrade. I don't have experience with team wendy's padding so I cannot compare with them.

I'll be there. Put my check in the mail this morning.

Congrats! They change your life for sure. I wouldn't trade anything for being a dad. I was in the middle of a trial when my wife went to the hospital with our first. I was new to the profession, and was too scared to ask the Judge if I could leave. My paralegal called his assistant (without me knowing) and the next thing I know the Judge is ordering me out of the courtroom to get to the hospital. Life sure is fun sometimes. Congrats again!

Jim, will ump-attire be at the Cotton Belt Classic in Jonesboro next month? Placed my first order with ump-attire yesterday.

My wife is from Jonesboro. We'll be staying with my mother-in-law. Yay!

I have a confession to make. Here's my story. I had been out of umpiring for 6 years. Coming back this year I knew I needed some gear upgrades, especially a new mask. I had been looking at the new lightweight masks, and had decided on the Diamond for around $70. My wife and I were in a Marshall's store looking around. They had a little bit of baseball stuff, so I took a look. One of the items was a very lightweight, good looking mask. It intrigued me, but it was tagged for $85. I hadn't seen it before in my search for a new mask and didn't know if it was worth paying more for than the Diamond. I didn't buy it, but I wrote down the serial numbers I could find so I could search it on the web. I couldn't find anything matching those numbers, or anything that even resembled the mask. But I was still thinking about that mask. Unfortunately for me I had not yet found this site to get the wisdom from it's members. I decided to pass on it since I couldn't determine it's actual value. I was back in Marshall's a couple weeks later to pick up some black thorlo socks on the cheap. I saw the mask was still there. Tried it on and it felt nice. Since I had already now bought the Diamond there was no need to buy it, but it sure was nice. In the umpires dressing room a few days later I ask some of the guys there if they knew anything about the mask. They all acted like they didn't know anything about it. About three weeks later one of the guys came in the dressing room and told me he bought the mask. Turns out he knew exactly what the mask was. He had promptly gone to Marshall's and bought the mask that happened to still be in the store. He then sold it for over $500. That's right gentlemen, I had a Nike Titanium in my hands on multiple occasions for $85. If I only knew then what I know now.

I have figured that out now. Won't happen again. At least I know now who has been bidding against me all this time.

Sorry guys. Didn't mean to run the price up on you.

This is on ebay now. I am not affiliated in any way. Since I already have one, thought someone here might want to try and pick it up for cheap. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/320979325793?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Snowden and Latimer Lakes have tournaments just about every weekend from March through July. Both have fall ball weekend tournaments as well. Both parks have league games every weeknight from April through July. The tournament play is very good and has up to 16 year olds. I have never done any of the league play at either park. Good way to pick up some games on weekends if you're available Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays.

For high school in our area the only number you need is Don Corey 901-491-6950. He is the assignor for Northwest Mississippi. He has Desoto County, al the way down to Oxford/Water Valley area. Usually the first meeting is in December or January. Won't hurt to go ahead and give him a call now so he can get your info to let you know whats going on. If you are interested in calling the tournaments at Snowden(Southaven) or Latimer Lakes(Horn Lake) let me know and I can give you contact info for those as well.