Virginiabum

I got my second EJ last night in a 9-10 softball District Tournament game. (They call them All-Stars here). R2 had just doubled to lead off. She slid in early and had to crawl to the bag. (Throw came in to short, so no play on her). Next batter singles to right, and there's going to be a play at the plate. Throw comes in, runner slides and makes it 59 7/8'. I'm right on top of it and see the foot never make the plate. Tag applied, out called, and everyone erupts. Girl that slid hurt her ankle on the play, so coaches are out checking on her. I get out of the way and let them look at her. As the 1st base coach is coming down, the following exchange takes place. 1BCoach: "You're terrible. That was an awful call". Me: Consider this your warning. 1BCoach: "OK, but you're still terrible." I dumped him. Easy peasy.

Last night, I'm working 9-10 SB. Ball four - R2 steals third. As runner is troting to first, I hear a parent say, "Wow. I guess you can steal bases on a walk here."

Our LL baseball team made history last night. We don't have lights on our baseball field, (hey, it's a small rural community) so we usually cap our games at 5 innings due to darkness. It is a rare gem that we get 6, but sometimes it happens. This is covered in every scheduling we do, and also in my plate meetings. Last night, both teams throw their "aces", and it was very easy to get into a groove calling strike after strike. Kids were putting it in play becasue they knew it was going to be there every time by both sides. After 5, it's 1-1. Top of the 6th, VT pushes across a run to make it 2-1, only to have HT score with 2 outs in bottom of the sixth to make it 2-2 and push to extra innings. Both teams run the pitch count and have to switch pitchers. Theirs "2s" are just as good as their "1s". Strikes aplenty. We go to the 7th... HT R2 - 2 outs. Easy grounder to second. 2b looks the runner before fielding the ball. Ball goes under the glove and into RF. I set up for the play at the plate that never happens, as RF bobbles the ball. Game over, 3-2 HT. When the runner rounded third and saw the ball bobbles, he put his arms up in the air and trotted home like they'd won the World Series. Everybody was going nuts on both sides. What a game. BTW, we started at 6. I left the field at 7:35. 7 innings, 3-2 in 1:35. Probably won't get another one like that for years. Good times.

I applied all of the rules. CBO is permissible at this level, and LL addresses the rules if you agree to use it. That's why 4.04 is there... but I get what you are saying.

2 nights ago. 9-10 LLBB game. Teams are very young and both are learning the game. Both coaches are great, civil, and are sincerely there for the kids to play. Plate meeting, both coaches agree to use CBO. 14 on one team, and 13 on the other. They both agree, and off we go. Fourth inning, VT batting. Kid takes a 2-0 pitch on the bat handle, and the ball goes foul. He's shaking his hands from the ringer he just received, and it has opened a cut on his middle finger. He can't continue, and he doesn't want to. VT coach asks what to do. I call the coaches together, explain LL rule 4.04 on how to handle it, and we continue. It ended up being a 10-0, 5 innings in 1:15. VT coach stops me as I am walking off the field and thanks me for 1) Showing up all "decked out" (his words) 2) Letting the kids play. 3) Knowing the rules 4) Calling a great game. He also says his kids enjoy coming to "our field" because they know this will happen with me every time. That, my dear umpire friens, is why I do this - and why I love it.

There are so few volunteers in our league that not only am I the President, (this is starting to sound like an infamous commercial) I'm the UIC AND the Safety Officer. I once got an email about an upcoming Umpire Clinic in our area with the specific, all caps missive "NO LEAGUE PRESIDENTS SHALL ATTEND". I politely asked the sender what to do... with no response.

Had a 9 year old LF hold his hand up and apologize to me and the coaches as he ran off into the bushes. The VTC asked what we were doing, and then realized. He said, "Hmm... can't write PB in the book for pee break..." It took us all longer to stop laughing at that comment than it did for the kid to get back on the field from his break.

Hope it was a deep "dish" pizza.

Last night, I'm working the dish in a 9-10 LL SB game. I felt I called a good game, validated by this conversation, overheard as I am leaving the field: Girl: "How'd you like that game, grandma?" Granny: "It was good, but I don't like umpires like that." Girl: "What was wrong with him?" Granny: "He didn't give me anything to yell about." I laughed on the inside for a long while after that.

Hey gang. I have been reading and gathering tips from umpire-empire for about a year now. I enjoy the discussions, war stories, ejs, and all the other stuff that makes this community so unique. This is my 19th year of umpiring - all Little League. I have done district and state tournaments. I love my local league so much that not only am I the UIC, I am also the Safety Officer AND the President (as of this year, anyway). I have been paid over the years with water, Powerade, and hot dogs. I have seen my kids play, my buddies' kids play, their kids play... on and on. We live in one of the smallest communities in Virginia. Our 2 fields have broken scoreboards, and there's a tree growing in one of our foul poles. (If I ever write a book on my experiences, that's going to be the title: "There's a Tree Growing in Our Foul Pole: 101 Stories from the Diamond". I wouldn't have it any other way. Anyway, I look forward to continuing reading your stories. Now, hopefully, I can add to some of the discussions.