GoodOldGus

Well.....did you call obstruction!??! Crazy story!!

Sounds like you handled it well. It's nice to get the catchers on "your side" since they have pretty much the same perspective as you do.

I'm surprised no one has commented on how the article refers to umpire uniforms as "costumes"........but I digress. Some of the bigger schools in my area will offer a locker room or at least a bathroom to change, but at the smaller schools you are on your own.

This was my first reaction. Seemed like Hirschbeck reacted almost immediately to Harper.

I don't think I would have INT on this play. The steps taken by the catcher to get a better angle to first base is text book catching mechanics. Catcher's are taught to "get that angle" with a couple quick steps towards the mound. His throw sailed on him a bit and made the catch difficult for F3. The base umpire's reaction is interesting. He seems like he wants to call interference because he starts to raise his arm, but then he doesn't call anything. Not even a safe mechanic. Interesting.

Had this happen to me the other night as well. While we're at it, I even called a "STRIKE" while making an "OUT" call at first base. Pretty close play at 1B......I'm in great position, make a good call with solid mechanics and verbalize....... "STRIKE!"......Luckily it was the 3rd out of the inning, so the defense started running off the field immediately afterwards. I just ran to shallow RF and thought to myself....did I really just say that?!?!??!

I'm going to assume the BU ruled Obstruction on the F5 for blocking the bag with out the ball? My first, gut reaction was the runner was ejected for MC for the shove immediately following the slide. I think making an Obstruction call in this particular situation is grabbing "the wrong end of the stick".

Batters giving you "The Hand" while getting into the box is the biggest misconception in all of baseball and one of the most annoying parts of the game to deal with in my opinion. Batters assume that "The Hand" automatically stops the entire world so they can do their silly 30 second pre-pitch routine. If the pitcher is giving the batters ample time to get into the box and there's no other obvious reason to grant time, time does not need to be granted.

I attended a small local umpiring clinic before the season started and one of the most valuable exercises we did was having another umpire watching/critiquing our plate work. We got to "call" some bull pen sessions for a local JUCO team while another umpire stood at close proximity to give us pointers. I always thought I had pretty good timing and tracking until I heard the feedback from the more experienced umpires. They were telling me that I wasn't watching the "last 15 feet" of the pitch and I was too quick on my ball/strike calls. Until someone actually watched me and gave me instant feedback I never realized I had those tendencies. It was a huge eye opener for me and those two items are stuck in my head every time I have the plate. In addition to the other advice already posted, I would suggest trying to get another umpire to provide instant feedback. Good luck!

I purchased a NB before the season and I have to say it's awesome. I use the jock / compression short combo and it's outstanding. Not movement of the NB whatsoever and it is very very comfortable. I'm very satisifed.

Hello everyone! I suppose it's time to officially introduce myself to the U-E community. I've been a long time reader and an occasional poster to the forums. I've been involved one way or another with the game of baseball for several years. I ran my hometown's "summer rec" program all through college which exposed me to several different age groups as well as my first taste of umpiring. I umpired everything from pee-wee leagues to men's slow pitch softball for 5 summers. More recently, I spent the last 8 years as the head varsity baseball coach of my hometown. I used to reference this forum as a coach to gain an "umpire's perspective" and I even posted a few questions in the "Ask the Umpire" forum. Either way, I've always told myself that when I got out of coaching, I wanted to umpire. So here I am. I resigned after last season and will be entering my first spring as a WIAA licensed official whenever the weather wants to cooperate here in Wisconsin. The transition from coach to umpire has been pretty smooth. I know several of the umpires in the area as well as other coaches and athletic directors, so they've been a great resource. Some of the looks I received, however, from fellow umpires when I walked into my first Association meeting were priceless!! All in all, I'm very excited to officially begin umpiring and I find this forum very, very valuable.

It would have helped if the TD would have spoken to the head coach AFTER the game to avoid the coach storming back out onto the field.

I just went through this very process last summer and read the same advice that you've gotten previous posts. I did tons of research, read several forums, read reviews on equipment etc. I came to terms with the upfront costs because I know eventually the equipment will pay for itself both figuratively and financially. I looked for the very best prices I could find online for all my equipment and uniforms. Ebay, ump-attire, craiglist, amazon....you name it, I tried to find the best price. I ended up spending $680 in gear and uniforms. Keep in mind that I'm umpiring both softball and baseball so I had to buy two different colored shirts so that added a little bit to the cost. I could have saved money on the CP, and Mask, but I decided to not skimp in these areas and I tend to be a "get what you pay for" kind of guy. The uniforms, accessories and shoes add up very quickly . If you're diligent on eBay there are deals to be had. Here's what I ended up buying: NB Plate shoes (eBay) Adidas base shoes (Dick's sporting) Diamond Shin Guards (eBay) All Star System 7 hardshell CP (ump-attire) Old soft-shell CP (Craigslist) **Use this only for low-level, young aged softball** (I literally paid $10 for it) All Star Mask FM2000 (baseball plus online store) Accessories (ball bag, belt, indicator, brush, scorecard holder cup etc.) (ump attire) Easton equipment bag (eBay) 4 Shirts (eBay) 1 pair of combo pants (purchase officials) Cold weather under garments (local big box store)

For it to be a balk, the non-pivot foot (while in the windup) has to be completely IN FRONT of the extended line from the front edge of the rubber. I think it should be pretty obvious if a pitcher's entire foot is in front of the line. I don't have a problem with the rule.

Obviously the HP umpire could have done a few things differently, but this is a good reminder that there are other things to consider immediately following MC. Injury, is an obvious concern, but it's good to be aware that the two coaches may want to have some "words" with each other. I personally think the coach of the ejected player doesn't have any business near the "scene of the crime". I does look concerned for the player's well being, but his presence could spark further confrontation about the play. Maybe the base umpire could have practiced some preventative umpiring by keeping the other coach away from the plate?

I'd have INT as well. One of the replays did show the 2B umpire giving the "safe" mechanic, so I'm not sure that went over very well with the Miami coach after they changed the call.

You have to call what you see. Don't go looking for "the dirty end of the stick", but it's our job to make the calls. A local softball team lost a sectional tournament game and a trip to the state tournament on this exact call a few years back. Girl hits a walk off home run and but doesn't touch the plate, defense appealed and the umpire called her out....game over.

I'm a Research Program Manager for the UW. I have a really flexible schedule during the high school spring baseball schedule and can make it to most 4:30/5:00 starts. The summer games start later in the evening, so it all works out.

I've always thought this rule was/is foolish. I've never seen or heard of it being enforced in my area.

So.....their "disclaimer" is the possible loop hole in the Federal law. Seems like they are walking a fine line!!!

Doesn't this company know it there is a FEDERAL law against altering bats?!

Awesome videos!

I used the Easton glasses with the interchangeable lenses last season and I really liked them. They were low profile and looked nice. The lenses, however, were a little difficult to change. Difficult and cumbersome enough that I found myself not changing them when I could/should have. A few months ago I bougt a pair of Under Armour Stride Switch sunglasses. They have interchangeable lenses as well, however the lenses are attached with strong magnets and are a breeze to change. They come with with two sets of lenses. One dark set for sunny days and an amber set for low light conditions. They also sell polarized lenses separately. I'm going to try them out this year and see how they work compared to the Eastons. Here's a link to the UA's: http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/ua-stride-s-sunglasses/pid1237885-002#bv-reviews