DevildogUmp

Hanging out at the local Triple-A park this weekend for 2 games and of course am watching the umpires as much as the game. Couple of questions if anyone happens to know the answer: 1. Batter requesting time - Plate gives time, points to the batter, and immediately gives the reset signal for the pitch clock. Elapsed time for the request, maybe 3 second. Is there any leeway on giving the batter more time before resetting the clock? 2. Catcher goes out to the mound and about 3 seconds into the 30 sec clock, the coach comes out and they reset the 30 sec clock when he stepped out of the dugout. Is there an amount of time the coach gets to make up his mind to have the clock get reset for the visit? 3. Non-pitcher defensive substitutions - is there a mechanic for alerting the box to the change like you do for the pitcher and batter, or is that just something they just expect the box to pick up on?

Whenever I see something like this, I wonder if the person thinks that mechanics manuals were written on the back of a napkin after a night out and not something that has evolved over years of experience by umpires. Any mechanics for less than 4 umpires is all about positioning to put the umpires in the best location for the most likely of plays. In this case, with R1 we have: 1. Steal of second (best IP is deep B). 2. Ground ball to the infield, start of a double play (best IP is deep B). 3. Fly ball to right field and U1 goes out (best IP is B for the tag up at 1st). 4. Fly ball to the 'V' (either B or C are about equal as an IP because you will be adjusting to the fielders) 5. Fly ball to left field (best IP is B for the advance on the tag up) 6. Hit to the outfield (best IP is B for the play behind R1 or on the BR) and all the way down here: 7. Check swing appeal for a lefty (best IP would be C) So, this person wants to dictate the inferior IP for 5.5 of the 7 possible plays with R1 to be in the best position for 1 very rare instance of a check swing appeal for a LH batter? I'm just going to ignore that "advice".

There is a difference between a high school game and a random tournament. I know who the head coach of my high school teams are (either I have had them in the past or because I jumped online to look up their name pregame because I want to be addressing them by name from the get go). Tournament game, the adult who comes to the plate meeting is the head coach for that game. I am not entertaining any other adult, I don't care what door their name is on. If the head honcho wasn't at the plate meeting, if he wants to come out and try the "I'm the head coach", then it is ok coach, you refused to come to the plate meeting, you are now restricted to the bench. If he doesn't agree, then he can leave and I am back to the coach who came to the plate meeting. END SCENE

A restricted Head Coach isn't talking to me. The restricted coach gets to do 3 things in relation to the game on the field: 1. Check on an injured player 2. Check on a sick player 3. Have a conference at the dugout. He doesn't get to argue/discuss calls because he doesn't get to leave the dugout for that reason and I am not going to the dugout to talk with him. He can relay his concern to the assistant, just like an assistant has to go through the HC normally.

FWIW, I'm probably going to let one assistant take on the ability to ask question(s) and have a discussion. 1. I'm not going over to the dugout to have a discussion with the HC. 2. As long as we are completely civil, I think the team still deserves to have an advocate with the officials.

What I want to know is why is the PU going all the way out to the fence? Make the guy not wearing all the gear jog out there.

I prefer to put the inexperienced guy at 1st. 1. U1 only comes in for R2. Let the new guy get comfortable with the system with the least amount of bouncing back and forth to the inside. 2. U1 (at least how I pregame it) makes the initial decision to go out for a shot to center, so R3 needs to be able to key off of that decision. I would rather the inexperienced guy makes a decision they are used to from 2-man. An experienced U3 can make the adjustment. 3. With no-one on, a good U3 can push back on U1 trying to come in and take the BR to second by mistake. 4. U1 has a little more time to recognize the rotation and get down to the plate. Or U3 can remind him with enough time to get there. While being on the plate is much closer to 2-man, I think an inexperienced guy gets a better feel for how the 3-man system runs as U1 because they aren't having to also deal with balls and strikes, lineups, substitutions, and all the other game management the plate deals with. This is especially true if the reason you are running 3-man is because it is now HS postseason and the pressure has gone up.

Correct, an ejection does not include an out, except for specific conditions (malicious contact by a runner).

I think (key here is think) that a MLB umpire would be looking for the runner to actually attempt to advance before considering obstruction. Usually, the runner is content with just sitting at the bag and letting the defender maintain the fake tag so it would be type B anyway, and without the attempt, I don't see a MLB umpire awarding an advance base.

No and Yes. Don't make the safety bag complicated. The only thing that has changed with the introduction of a safety base is the B/R must use the orange portion when the initial play is at 1st base. Touching the orange base is the same as touching the white base if there was no safety base.

One of the things I teach to new umpires working the plate in 2-man. With no one on and a fly ball to the outfield, you have 2 possible responsibilities and neither one of them involve the PU staying at the plate. Just bust out and start moving. Once you are 5-10 steps into the infield, glance at your partner. If he/she went out, keep moving towards second to take the B/R. If he/she came in, keep moving as far out as you can to be set for the catch/no catch. If you wait at the plate to see what your partner decides, you are already too late to cover your responsibilities. I'm not sure what type of training your association offers, but what you are looking for is something an association should be providing. In Indiana, the state allows for only 1 official 'controlled" scrimmage (between 2 schools) during the last week of preseason where teams usually will work specific conditions. Our association also works with local schools to work intra-squad scrimmages and work with live pitching in cages. We have also gotten permission the past 2 years to run special scrimmages for training with our new umpires.

@Velho Wow, how early do you get your postseason assignments? Sectionals in Indiana are in 3 weeks and the state probably won't release those assignments for another week/week and a half.

Maybe it isn't the same for all regions, but at each Regional tournament I've done lodging was provided and meals were either provided or they gave us a meal stipend. I've also had lodging provided for state tournaments when I traveled out of my local area.

MAC Incredible Indy 2-Umpire June 14-18 Westfield, IN CBUA/Mid American 3-Umpire Instructional July 16-19 Kansas City MAC Incredible Indy 3-Umpire July 5-9 Westfield, IN CBUA/Mid American 4-Umpire Advanced July 8-11 Westfield, IN Mid American Sept 10-13 Kansas City CBUA/Mid American 3-Umpire Advanced Sept 24-27 Kansas City CBUA/Mid American 3-Umpire Advanced Oct 2-4 Dallas, TX

This is why I wear my sexy, thick framed sports glasses behind the plate. I also keep an older backup pair of BCGs in the car for emergency use. Learned this the hard way when I lost my good glasses after coming off the plateand had to drive home wearing my prescription sunglasses in twilight.