BillKen

I tell them..."get off the dirt or you might wear one and I ain't dealing with that tonight!" You have to be preventative here.

Had this happen to me this year...and I'm chasing the VT all state catcher off the line...a kid that I've worked with for 3 years and have a solid working relationship with. Told him to go to the dugout one calmly...then raised my voice and aggressively went into his personal space and he moved! When he came out to catch in the bottom of the 1st, I said, "You know I'm not mad at you...I just have to end that crap." He grinned and said, "I know blue...its all good." We had a great game!

I have a fat roll and I tuck my hands under that!

Correction...the harness was 40...so we are at $280!

I paid 90 shipped for a used platinum...then 150 for the retrofit...and $25 for the harness....$265 give or take!

Its BS, but it comes with the territory. In HS ball in Texas, the coaches select the umpires they use in the playoffs...you make one mad (with a call that is 100% correct), and you don't go to the playoffs with that team...and they network with each other and tell their buddies that you are a rat too. It is a perilous system. Its why I prefer to go with neutral assignments or with a coach that I know has the integrity to see the big picture...that one call doesn't define an umpire...a season of good calls far overshadows one or two that don't go his way. But...I'd rather work and try to be a part of the common good than sit at home or work part time at Wally World.

I'll keep you posted on how long it takes and pics when it comes back. The new DF harness is on the way too! Can't believe that I'm spending $250 (shipping charges included) for a CP! When it returns I'll have a Wilson charcoal to sell that has seen some minor league action!

Good ejection...but I'm always afraid to dump a catcher...because if they had a better one he'd be in there! It might be a healthier choice to bend down and brush off the plate and look the little turkey in the eye and get it straight.

The value of this site is in the members and the knowledge being shared. The format is really not important.

R3-2 Out and a passed ball that rebounds high and hard back to the catcher. Runner coming home as F2 receives the ball off the backstop while on his knees in the RH batters box. He extends out and clearly has the ball and is nearly laying flat in the baseline...but not quite as he is trying to make a tag attempt at the runner. R3 hurdles him and makes a great swipe in to barely beat the tag and everyone can see that he got the hand in there! I point at the catcher and loudly announce that the runner is out for hurdling the defender. HTHC obviously wants to visit about it and agrees that I got the rule right 100% (which I appreciated because it got the crowd off me instantly) but wants me to answer the question, "What is my runner supposed to do there Bill?" Its a great question with an answer that just isn't very good...he can retreat or try and go around without going outside the 3-ft lane, or he can give up. HTHC was a pro about it...wasn't upset...just had a hard time with the conundrum.

Excellent transaction with Spiffdawg7 this week. He even shipped prior to Paypal so he could get the exact shipping...CP was here in 2 days! Thanks!

Happened to me last night...I'm BU and I'm playing my role. My partner goes through his stuff and is about ready to dismiss but he asks me, "Bill, do you have anything?" I just said, "Coach are all your players legally equipped?" He took it from there with the other coach. You don't want to be "that guy" like the guy in the OP...but if you have to step in, its OK. It can't be a habit.

Yes...now that you mention it, I saw the documentary about that.

Show the defensive coach the marks...walk him all the way down to first and let him see it! :-)

In short...you probably don't have BI unless the batter did something obvious to gain an advantage. It sounds like they had a real squeeze play on and by him missing the ball, he knows that the runner is in jeopardy. If its high level ball, the batter might do something to create a disruption. But if we are talking lower levels, the batter is probably focused on his own problem of not hitting the ball and is most likely not guilty of interference. It is your call. I've always said that if a coach really understood all that we have to process on a squeeze play, they'd never do it! Assuming the batter misses the bunt...we have a play with 1 and maybe 2 players between us and the plate, we have to judge a pitch location and an attempted bunt, and we have fractions of a second to deal with it all!

One other point...if you see space between the glove and the runner and you are going with no tag...be sure to sell that immediately. Give a couple of emphatic safe signs and verbally exclaim "No Tag-No Tag".

Yeah...he's gonna get the Joe West treatment. A 1-game suspension and a World Series!

Best wishes...I know its never easy to give this stuff up! I retired from basketball for some of the same reasons a few years ago. Thanks for sharing your slices of the wisdom pie here over the years!

I might not dump a pitcher for that...but I'm going all the way to the mound to have a private "conversation" if he does that to me!

Hirschbeck has earned the number on his sleeve...that pup hasn't and could have just as easily walked away as John. They are both guilty...but the difference is about respecting your elders and people who have earned their stripes. Even if JH missed the call, if he tells you to shut up, you probably better do it. He hasn't ejected a player since 2013...because he is respected.

jkumpire is a man of his word! Great experience on the sale of my UE CP...fast payment and great communication.

Runner is put out by what he did AFTER he reached 1B. If a clean throw to F3 would have clearly gotten the out, it is an E5.

IMHO, the BU owns the calls at 1B and most at 2B and 3B...and PU owns the count. Nothing good can come of two umpires with different counts except a fun story on the ejection thread. For two years I've left my indicator in my bag when I work bases and amazingly enough, I generally always know the count now. Not having that crutch considerably increases my concentration and keeps me much more in tune with the game. Plus, how can they argue with "I've got what he has coach." Now it is his and he owns it 100%...they can't play you against him. Those sandwiches taste awful! If PU loses the count, he can go to the book or go with what he has.

How many MLB injuries have we ever seen due to jewelry? I'm not picking a fight...but in reality, it is a very low risk item.

I won't go into the kill zone anymore thanks to this site...I will drop to a knee and find some little seam to try and get a look. I will ball pitches if needed. LOL...after two uncaught 86+ pitches to the bicep and bruising under my UE CP last week, I'm not sure there isn't a kill zone anymore!