MadMax

Know how we fix this? Real simple… Pitch comes in… makes contact with something … “TIME!” wait a moment or two, gather evidence, process, observe, process some more… then, “That got him (on the wrist / hand), first base!” Or, alternatively, same pitch, similar contact… “TIME!” wait a moment or two, gather evidence, observe, and process… then, “That’s off the bat (knob) (first), so it’s a foul ball.” What we don’t do is succumb to the imperative that “we have to jump on it and call it FOUL” RightTheF*€kNow!!! If you instead call “Time!” and give yourself a moment to process everything, and (this is key) stay within the dirt circle, and don’t entertain anyone coming over to plead their case, then the Defensive-Head-Assistant-to-the-Director-Booster-Chair-Coach-Whoever (DHADBCCW(?)) doesn’t have much to needle you over being swayed or flipped by the other Coach imploring you. Adam Academy Director Whoever becomes a non-issue, or non-factor. Add: I’m rifling thru Cal Ripken / Babe Ruth rules online, and while it does distinguish a “Manager” and “Assistant Coaches”, and that a/the Manager should be only one interacting with an/the umpire, I have yet to see anything cited regarding “the guy that attends the plate meeting”. If CR/BR is based off OBR, then the person at the plate meeting is inconsequential.

I have close ties to both CPs, and yes… I have… bias to one in particular. Where they’re the same: They both use High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) for their carapace plates. They represent 2 of the only 3 CPs on the market to use this material (the 3rd being the All-Star Cobalt), which is integral to how shape-conforming they can be. HDPE is thinner, but just as strong as ABS, and is much less resistant to “shape creep”… meaning it won’t lose its shape and flatten out. They both have advanced foam laminate systems for their padding protection. While they behave differently, the crucial characteristic they share is they do not retain heat and moisture… which open-cell foams (such as on Wilson, Douglas, and Diamond CPs) do, weighing you down and fatiguing you. Now, where they critically differ: The DX Enduro’s pad components are all removable, attaching to the plates with hook-&-loop tabs (ie. Velcro). In what must be a cost-shaving method, the Cobra rivets the pad parts to the plates. This is a challenge for thorough cleaning, sizing, and the lack of connecting splines (holding the plates together) occasionally hinders achieving and maintaining a good fit. The DX units all use anodized aluminum G-hooks for the all-so-important fastener. Don’t break, don’t corrode, don’t damage your shirts on impacts. The Cobra uses plastic side-release buckles (SRBs), which, of course, are prone to breaking… and are a PITA to replace. The harness on the DX units is a really secure operator, and got the endorsement of the UmpLife harness’ creator. The Cobra is actually using an imitating knock-off of the UmpLife. Lastly, the big one – the DX Enduro uses the latest and best rendition of D3O’s award-winning foam. It’s mesomorphic, meaning that it changes its structural composition when impacted by an energy, and absorbs and dissipates it. This allows the Enduro to be a mere 5/8ths of an inch thick! By contrast, the Cobra is using a “structural pyramid”, which means that it redirects impacting energy on angles away from the main vector. While it’s far better than the bulky open-cell foam of other CPs, it still works off compression alone.

The DX Enduro is no more protective than its siblings (DX Kuta and DX Mk2); it’s simply (a bit) different in the padding vest, and how that padding behaves in high heat & humidity (especially on a daily/frequent basis). The employment of D3O on the Enduro ensures mesomorphic energy absorption (instead of mere compression, which is why open-cell monsters such as the WestVest Gold are so bulky) as well as moisture-shedding. The Kuta and Mk2 employ Corvalta, which behaves similarly to D3O, but without the brand-engineered pedigree. Would I use a Kuta or Mk2 in a pro-level or high-college game? Sure will, I’ve done it before! But if that same game is going to be in 85°+, with high humidity, and it’s a full-9, or the second of a doubleheader, or I’m doing both of a doubleheader, and I’ve got the choice of an Enduro… I’m taking that moisture-shedding characteristic of D3O every time.

Professional baseball aside, this is the best and only advice to give to amateur umpires. ... but then you/we get these locUl colleagues – assigners, "evalUators", "mentUrs", umpires-of-inflUence – who treat Balks (more to the point, the calling of Balks) as merit badges, or collectible Pokémon cards, or Chuck U Cheese tokens to be cashed in at the end of season (or, at the winter meeting prior to next season) on the locUl association's Best Umpire (With the Best War Story) Plaque. To wit, they urge ("influence") colleagues to "get that one!", "get those Balks", "git 'im for dat!", and they use strictly / exclusively Professional examples, like this very one here, to illustrate "what to look for". Ya know, while it wouldn't eradicate these locUl "interpretations", a national archive of these "guidance materials" (videos, diagrams, etc.) would be extremely beneficial. 🤔 Huh! What other institution has "National" in its name?? Hmmm?

<Sarcasm><Skepticism> Who is "we"?? This is my game, and in my judgement, that 13-year old kid doesn't / shouldn't need to have another set of batting gloves, or an (oversized) sliding oven mitt spilling out of his back pockets on his scrawny arse! He's not wearing his uniform properly! This wouldn't be tolerated back when I was playing! Heck, I know I'm right on this one! We discussed it at our association meeting at the Kiwanis Lodge back in January. Louie even brought out his casebook! Even though we had this new guy in the group, who had just gone to Ump School, what does he know? I've been calling ball games while he was in diapers. </skepticism></sarcasm>

Aggressively athletic-looking? Ventilated fabric construction (instead of leather)? Cannot be polished, and ain’t shiny? Approved!

Nope. There’s absolutely no way that’s a “production” “Power 13”. Those are football shoulder pads, likely off a “skinny” set (such as for QBs and Receivers), and riveted to a bridge plate, and to an edged foam pad beneath. Sure, they did a pretty nice job for a one-off, but there’s over a dozen “red flags” that paint this as a one-off, scratch-built CP… made with Riddell parts. If you think you’re biddin’ on or gettin’ a mythical Riddell Power… you ain’t.

No. Not to be pedantic, but 2 batted balls – and their conditions – supersede this. One is a Balk (in NCAA & OBR), the other is a Catcher’s INT (CI). Okay, sure they’re both INT, and kill the (live) ball, but they don’t result in an Out.

Warning track?! I’d have him run… the bases!! Properly. Touching each and every one, in order. Do 1 lap of the bases for each teammate on the roster, who he shortchanged / underserved by being a dumbass. Do ya got a 25-man roster?

Rules citations aside, let’s go with your gut intuition – you felt that (your) Runner did something improper (by not re-touching 3B on Last Time By (LTB)). You said as much. Now, the defense might have been tipped off by you directing your Runner to retouch, but they were compelled to appeal. Obviously, an umpire witnessed how your Runner improperly ran the bases (and didn’t touch 3B LTB), otherwise he would have signaled “Safe” on the appeal; we are trained to not call Out a Runner who we did not see do a violation or improper action. So you’ve got yourself (your Runner’s coach), the other team, and at least 1 umpire who felt he did something improper. I think your Runner’s in the minority. Who are these others?* *- the real effect hits home when you say this in Jerry Seinfeld’s intonation.

You've determined your own answer... ... sand the back of your head, and apply some pine tar.

Like this one? Yeah, it draws a bunch of attention. It's only really an option on a "still wearing 🤬 navy" game, or an Eric Gregg -throwback game. If @DerekGDS issues red pad socks before sky blue or sand-tan... I'll toilet-paper his house. #DoNotNeed

A ding for who, dd? Jimenez, because he called / signaled HR “too fast”? The ball arced in front of the pole – I’ve seen plenty of Umpires and umpires misread that. Surely not Tumpane (acting CC), because Shelton badgered him (and the crew) beyond what was reasonable? I watched the MLB.tv Condensed Game (different views than what @Lindsay packages), and it looks like Shelton took exception to Miller (PU) already interacting with the Yankees F1, handing him a new ball, and disclosing that it was Foul. Either Miller or Tumpane stopped the Batter from completing his HR-not-a-HR circling of the bases, without allowing him to complete it, and forcing the Yankees to challenge it. So, a procedural gripe? An airing of rotten laundry 🧺, and an insinuation of bias (favoritism to the Yankees)? Tumpane at U3/3B could easily see that the ball never hooked the pole, and was truly a foul ball – no review needed. I think Shelton badgered him into it, and with how… blunt(?)… Tumpane’s rationale is, he likely conceded an official “CC review” to him. This “game management moment” – its handling – is a complete polar opposite to U#88 and Marmol.

Okay, thanks Wex… Altjough, I see the French are the holdout hosts who will maintain line judges. And I doubt that Hawkeye Live knows how to discern OBS or INT.

What purpose or benefit (or gripe) would be served by reducing the number of umpires on the field? Certainly, it cannot be financial – the League doesn't pay anyone near enough. As it is, the League has installed a ceiling of age 55 on retention (of course, existing guys are grandfathered in/beyond), so it can't be that the upper bound (of that age range) guys are drawing a substantial amount of capital, so much so that it's affecting League revenues... or preventing the installation of (additional) technology. Technology will invariably and always improve; its infusion into the organic process of umpiring is, of course, the challenge (pun... acknowledged). Pundits and journalists (and critics!) need to be reminded – the Umpires were onboard with allowing "unlimited" ABS checks / challenges. So what's the problem? It's gotta be personal. Even when there's been controversial calls made, there's (begrudgingly) admission that there is rules support for that call/ruling. Okay, so there was a missed Balk, but how could technology ever "properly" determine a Balk? So, it once again comes to personal; and, U#88 really, really made this egregious because not only did he misapply or misquote a rule, but he created his own rule (em "my") and lied about its invocation (Rockies hitter requesting a ruling/judgement). However, I've never seen a professional sport league reduce the number of on-field / on-court officials, even with the infusion and improvement of "officiating" technology. - Professional tennis, despite having Hawkeye, still has a glut of line judges. - Professional basketball has 3 referees, and several (?) bench/desk referees. - Professional football has 8 (?) officials, as well as all the sideline and review officials. - Professional hockey went to 4 skating officials (2 referees, 2 linesmen), as well as review officials, bench officials, and goal judges. (Does baseball really, really want dugout officials?) - Professional soccer went to 5 officials; 1 referee, 2 line judges, and now 2 vested bench officials (up from 1) because of the... intense... shenanigans and theatrics that exchange between the clubs and the officials. This writer is bitter, and has a bone to pick, that's personal.