BT_Blue

Im in too as your Portland, OR rep if you will have me Jim. We can discuss when I call and place my order for the polo blue and the black shirts in February. Do you know when in February you will get them (early, late, etc.)? Also wondering if you guys are thinking about doing a larger version of the Ultimate Pro Ballbag? I found that I had trouble caring the preferred number of balls in the one I have (oh that reminds me, I need a navy one of these too...LOL). Still sad I am missing you in LA this weekend but look forward to seeing how well you did. Ill have to get into some of my friends down there to check you out...

Ive used those vaccum style bags while traveling and the work great. Havent gone anywhere where I would need to use it for umpiring... at least not yet. Hopefully I can find a job so I can make enough money to attend the BBUC camp in Sacramento in November... I would use it then.

Yeh, I now get a close up view of that train wreck living in Portland. We get all the Mariner games on FSN Northwest. Should be an interesting year.

My only issues is that I want to use it to keep up on info that I am missing by A) not being on a college staff this year and not making it to any of the NCAA meetings. I guess, if I look at it a certain way, that when I do get into the college unit next year (cocky right?) then I would be working D3 and there is at least one D2 school the association covers... so that would count... right? Also, like I posted on another thread on here... the $100 isnt so bad. I figure that you get 60% of it back in material things. $20 for Honigs, $20 for the CCA manual (which the state of Oregon uses for HS as well as college ball), and $20 for the rule book (which I already got one for last year). So all in all, the test, videos and other content all come out to about $40 in the end. Thats not bad. Still not TO pleased about having to pay for it now, but what can you do right?

And thinking about it, the NCAA Baseball site now through Arbiter Sport, it only costs about $40 for the content, if you pay the full $100. I came to that with the thinking that you get the $20 for Honigs, the CCA manual is about $20 and the rule book is about $20. So that would be $60 out of the $100. Sound about right?

SERIOUS! I wanted to get the updated info for interpretations this year so that I am up to date for when I try and get into the college unit up here... Man! How much HS stuff do they have... $100 seems really steep.

Sorry I took so long to give my thoughts on the new Honigs CP. And here it is DONT DO IT!!!!! Its incredible but when I tried it on it was not a bad fit. Nice and tight like how I like my CPs but I decided to give it the ol "punch yourself in the chest" test right on the new sternum pad on the CP and man if it didnt hurt... a lot! Now I dont know if it was my personal dislike of the Honigs CPs or what but man, I wouldnt want to walk out on the field with that thing. Im to afraid I would get seriously hurt... and thats no good. If someone else goes and takes a look at it go ahead... buy it if you want, but this, in my mind gets nothing more than the low safety rating we would give on of the old roll up +POS protectors most of us started with.

Ok, when it comes to that time I am totally stealing this from you!:HD:

This is correct. You now see stuff like the Big League LL world series finals on ESPN2 along with stuff like the Cal Ripkin and Babe Ruth championships. Its going to be interesting to see what happens but I think the change to the more mid sized base paths is a good thing and will only help LL (I for one have always been worried that when I have a son and he goes from being a 12 yr old in LL to a 13 yr old with full sized bases, there will be problems and it might discourage him... when I have a son...)

Well, not making the meetings this year is now a moot point. I didnt make it on the roster of the local college association. However, I fully intend on joining the roster next year so I have to keep up with whats happening. Has anything for this season been posted on Eofficials yet?

agreed, but the above interp. is nice to have though.

:Spit_20Laugh:God made two of them?:bang:

Well a lot of us do travel ball or CDP and you can always tell who the little league teams are because they struggle in the more open format with longer base paths. Honestly, its really been a long time coming.

Did anyone go to the NCAA meeting in Dallas that just happened this past weekend? I cant make down to LA for the west coast clinic so I wanted to know what, if anything, was new for this year? Also heard that Jeff Henrichs had a good time talking about himself during one of the break out sessions... wish I could have been there... love hearing the war stories.

Yeh, this will be my first year umpiring outside of the great (big) state of California. I dont have much experience umpiring in the rain, but Im going to get it this year. Its going to be nice, I get to work on a major weakness which is figuring out when the ground is to wet to play or the rain is coming down to hard to continue. Its not something I have really had to deal with working in SoCal. Oh and for the record. I too lived in NoCal. Born in SF, raised in SJ and Tracy, CA.

Excuse me sir but thats Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Im just glad he decided to finally add back his in ring name...

Thats it, Im leaving! Never to return! Gone forev... on never mind. I know your working hard so Ill stop. :(

ah, that too. I just took it for granted that the guy knew what he meant. Also, I should be the last person on here complaining about spelling.

Well that doesnt do us any good for this year, now does it? LOL I really want to go but being jobless its kind of hard.

Man, I was raised in Tracy and had been bugging the tar out of Scott Ehrett to come out and do a Gerry Davis clinic in the Central Valley. Then I move to LA and from there to Portland, OR and now you tell me they are doing a clinic there. ARGH! Anyways, the MLB clinic is great fun. I have only done the on field stuff on that final saturday which was some what cheap ($10-$15 because my HS association got me in for that) but I have always wanted to do the week long class at the Hilton in downtown Long Beach. I just got the BBUC information for the NCAA clinic in Sacramento. Dick Runchey is the keynote speaker and I know a bunch of the guys that are instructors there (evidently, MLB umpire Laz Diaz will also be attending but I dont know in what capacity). The cost is $525 which includes lodging (talk about a great deal). If you PM me I can send you the info on it that I have.

Exactly. I had a guy in a Pony game that set up a camera right behind me and I asked to exchange info so I could get a copy of the game. I havent seen myself work a game on video in years and would kill for the chance. Sadly I never got a hold of the guy but I am hoping I can find someone up here that would do it. As for worrying about some knucklehead coming back at me about ONE call that happened a week ago. Im no interested in talking about the past and if he wants to go on and on about it then so be it... he can do it from his car in the parking lot! Oh, I forgot to do this as its something that I have been looking forward to doing for some time... woo hoo... well actually its now 505 posts but still.

The Poly-wools ARE the real deal and something that, if you are working NCAA ball in the western half of the US, you will be wearing. I am considering buying a pair of base and plate pants in the ultimate style from Honigs just so I have a pair of pants I dont mind getting dirty here in the Pacific NW for JV HS and then using my polys for varsity and NCAA ball. Im also considering getting a pair of each for the Davis pants just so I can make sure to match my partner if he has decided to take that rout. Call me crazy I guess. Oh, and t-minus two days till Widac, myself and another HS umpire here in Portland take the hour trip to the Salem office. Man I cant wait.

Why cant I nominate this post for post of the month? Its well thought out, informative and completely answers the OP's question.

yeh, I was having some issues with the spelling too. But knew what it ment. :no:

No, I think I said it like I meant to. Alomar's suspension didnt start until the following season which is why the MLB umpires were upset. The powers-that-be in MLB wanted to make sure that the AL playoffs remained interesting and honestly, whats a better human interest story and the controversy that surrounded that whole thing.