HeadHunterLA

Careful. He might take you to task for "making a call on the play"! Or maybe not. I suspect he's more than open to hearing "calls" that agree with the result he's obviously searching for. LOL, just putting in my 2 cents. Would agree that from the initial description it would have been hard to make a call on it. What I find really interesting is that someone who has been coaching for 10 years doesn't know obvious interference when he sees it and can't articulate the rule to the umpire when he goes to question the call.

HTBT probably but from your description I'd say he's on first. Doesn't sound like he made an attempt to bunt the ball and as most of us know, the hands aren't a part of the bat

Welcome, hope you enjoy the site!

From that description it would then be very clearly deliberate interference by the runner so he is out and also MC with an ejection.

I'd say play on, minor train wreck.

Good Call, sit down.

Nice thread going here. Because of job and family commitments and old age I am only able to do Little league games these days, primarily Majors and Juniors level. I usually do 3 games during the week and 2-3 on Saturday. I do games for 2 different districts in the Los Angeles area. District 16 which is in the Glendale/Burbank/Crescenta Valley/Tujunga area and District 25 (I think) which is Santa Monica. I have been working District 16 for about 15 years through an association and just started with Santa Monica this year and deal directly with the league. District 16 Minors and Majors are all one man games and paid at $45 per game, no new inning after 1:50. Juniors have gone to primarily one man this year and are paid at $55 per game, no new after 2:10. They do have 2 man crews on some games, $45 per umpire. I get paid once a month after association bills the league. District 25 Everything from Minors through Juniors is 2 - Man! PU gets $55 and BU gets $45, I feel like I am stealing sometimes with a partner on the small field. I get paid once per week. Working one man Juniors games on the big field isn't optimal, but you hustle and do the best that you can and coaches typically understand the limitations on things like swipe tags and really tight plays at second, etc. The ones that don't get it typically would be giving you SH*# anyway so you just deal with it and hit the dump button when appropriate. I have done 29 games so far this year and 8 of those have been one man on the big field. I know I kicked one call, just couldn't get an angle in time on a play at third and can only remember 2 others that were maybes, but no one griped. So I guess my point is that the quality of umpiring doesn't necessarily dip that much. Hell, I would rather be alone than work with the partner I had on Saturday who (didn't verbalize foul calls to the point I was busting ass into 2B on foul balls down the 3B line, only had black to wear on a 90 degree day, was zero help on a tweener infield fly from BU position B on a ball to deep F4, etc.) Karma did kick his ass though as he locked his keys in his truck and had to break a window to get in after the game, I was more than happy to lend him my 9 iron to get that done ) One thing I have noticed over the years is the quality of my partners has gone down hill, and most of these guys/girls also work in high school units which baffles the SH*# out of me. I had a female partner last week who has been umpiring for 3 years, high school ball and could tell she cared but she was horrible. As for any perks, I eat and drink free at the snack bar in Santa Monica. Some fields in District 16 have snack bars which are occasionally actually open. If they are open a coke and a hot dog are pretty easy to get. I change where I change, sometimes at the office before heading out, sometime at home and certainly in the parking lot when necessary. I have never, ever found that to be an issue. I guess what it comes down to is that I absolutely love the game of baseball, every damn thing about it and umpiring allows me to stay in the game without too much risk of bodily injury as I get older. I umpire because I am good at it, I enjoy the kids and most of the coaches (and even some parents). I like making a few extra bucks and certainly support everyone on here that thinks we should be paid more and respected, however I think that if umpiring isn't your primary source of income and you are doing it for the cash maybe you are in this for the wrong reasons. I strive to get better every single game and give the kids what they deserve, a well called game where their play decides the outcome. I have only been on here a short time but can say that I am a better umpire already for it, you guys are fantastic. Peace.

Says NE on the Pic? I was parked facing Northeast. It's the compass in the truck. Now that is comedy

Ahhh, I remember my days in the AZ summer. 110 is just around the corner!

Ha!

Just curious Chief why only maybe a swing on that one, looked pretty clear to me.

JM, curious to know what the consensus was on your association's board?

Absolutely! Always expect the unexpected in LL, keeps me on my toes for sure.

Ahhh Ohio, reason number 154 I moved from there to California, 80s this week.

I'm very cautious about these. Generally speaking, there are no secrets: good coaches pick up everything we do. In my experience, unusual signals cause more problems with coaches than they solve, and I cannot recommend them. Other than looking at PU and moving toward him a bit, I would not otherwise signal him. It's his call, and he will need to decide whether to get help and then what to do with it once he gets it. My non verbal would be a stare at my partner, nothing overt. Typically discussed at pre-game, as in If I am looking dead at you its not because I find you attractive But point well taken.

Watched this a few times and have to agree with Gus that BU ruled obstruction on F5 for some unknown reason, talk about starting a Sh*tstorm when it wasn't necessary. The only thing that I saw other than a "baseball play" was runner did throw a bit of a forearm which in my mind probably warranted a warning, if even that. And I think they did a horrible job of handling the situation, whose call was it? BU, right? Multiple conversations happening, PU involved way too early. Crazy and fun to watch in a cringe worthy way. BU needs some additional training I'd say.

Absolutely agree with you on this and if I were the BU and saw something different I wouldn't volunteer anything but would certainly give my PU some non verbal signals that I had something for him.

Out all day long, not even close.

That's why they get the big bucks.

LOL, love it. He asked for help and the 3B umpire toasted this one my friends. That was a swing by any definition, right or wrong. That being said dugout should know better than to keep harping.

Huh?? Run does not score under LL rules. Runner is out. 7.08(1)(3) says a runner must slide or attempt to get around the tag of a defender with the ball; if he doesn't, he's out. "Attempt to get around" is very loose. R3 takes a step to the side, F2 steps to meet him and gets trucked... By rule, didn't R3 attempt to get around? YES, I will eject him for UC, but that run has to score by rule if he touches the plate. Attempt to get around isn't very loose, it is pretty clear and you have to call this by the spirit of the rule which is to prevent a catcher from getting blown up. If a catcher gets trucked in that situation I am banging the runner out ejecting him, period. Baseball plays happen and some contact is unavoidable but if you have been doing this for any length of time you know what "is" and what "isn't" attempting to avoid.

Am interested, shoot me an email with pic and sizes to thomas@abtexecutivesearch.com

Game ender, Miller time.

Can't for the life of me why anyone would "stare" at home plate in a situation like that, doesn't make sense to me. If they make an appeal, make your call. If they don't, get on with the job at hand. Game time in 1 hour and 52 minutes, can't wait to get out from behind this damn desk!!!

Exactly! I just started picking up some extra assignments in Santa Monica, CA. Needless to say the Little League mom talent there is outstanding!@