LTL509

Curious those that have it have you taken any shots and if so how did it go? I ask as I was looking at it on Ump Attire and there are 2 reviews that make it seem like it doesn't hold up very well on direct shots.

I appreciate everyone's input. Now I just wish there was an umpire superstore down the street so I could try on some gear but I think I'm locked in on F3 mask and shin guards and still up in the air on CP. Those that use the F3 mask do you switch out the pads or use the stock pads?

I have been lucky enough when I got back into umpiring 3 years ago a good friend that did some Big 12 ball back in the day but had quit about 10 years ago gave me all his old gear. It has done it's job but I've moved up into some higher levels and I know it's time to invest in myself. I am buying a new mask, cp, and shin guards. I am curious would you go with all one brand like Wilson or Force 3 for all 3 items or mix it up? I am currently leaning towards the Force 3 V2 mask, gold West Vest, and All Star System 7 guards. It really looks to me that its hard to go wrong with any Force 3 products or the Wilson stuff but I know many of you have far more experience buying gear over the years. Thanks in advance for the discussion.

Thanks everyone. Some great points made and good advice. Much appreciated.

So had this happen tonight and I would like opinions. Play at third Home team in field F5 misses swipe tag I'm in C right on top of it "Safe". Coach comes out of 1B dugout "did you call him safe? Yes coach no tag. F5 now chimes in I tagged his helmet. I say no tag, coach goes back to dugout. Bottom half of inning same team now has R2 steals third and he's gone not close for out 2. End of inning coach walks over to me and says " So you missed the tag on the helmet and you missed his leg getting under the tag at 3 rd." I say coach that's enough we are not debating safes and outs. He Calmly says I'm not arguing i say even asking is arguing and we're done. He says I'm not arguing again and I say final warning coach we're done. That was that but at the end of the game he asked my partner what my name is so I'm sure he's headed home to fire off an email. So what do you think? Should I have let him jaw a bit on me or warn right when he approaches the way he did? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Blue, my name is Blue.

still looking for suggestions on books if anyone has one I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Ive gone 250+ and not had one. I think once you establish a reputation as being fair, consistent, and helpful when needed it goes a long ways. I have partners that have 5 a season and after working with them many times I see why. Of course sooner or later they deserve it and will eject themselves but many times I have seen an ego get the better of a situation. Both the coach and blue.

I let my partner know since he likes to make all the calls for me he can do it the rest of the game. I'm gone!

Any good suggestions on rule books or guides that explain rules in a bit more followable way? I can read and reread a rule but sometimes it's hard to wrap my mind around it. However reading many case studies and Q and A on here I get it and have no issues. Thanks in advance for suggestions.

You were correct. One thing might be a one off but 2 of these types of things; he's got to go.

It looks like we are all on the same page. I've never done it and agree it was a bit of showboating. What I didn't bring up as it had no bearing but I thought it was funny, the Defensive head coach came out and could not wrap his mind around a run that counts but never touched the plate. Of course this was 13 year old fall ball so the coach was a novice but that is what really got me thinking why in the world would you even mention it, just starting trouble for yourself.

I am in C Runner on 3rd. Fly out to center, run scores, I return to A. Pitcher takes the mound throws pitch, ball one. My partner now steps forward and announces the previous runner missed home plate but since the defense did not appeal the run now officially scores. Ok so I have seen runners miss the plate and been called out on appeal and have had no appeal and play continue; however I have never stopped play and "announced" the runner missed plate and defense did not appeal. Between innings I asked why he did that and he made reference to the official scorer should not officially score the run until the attempt at an appeal expired. thoughts on this? Do you announce anything about a missed base? I don't unless appealed or asked about it.

Some umps in my area have numbers on their shirts and jackets, others don't. So if it's not required is this just left up to your personal preference? Might be they are required in other places they ump so it's already on their uniforms. Those of you that do, do you choose your own number or is it usually assigned?

Thanks for all the replies. If I had my way I wouldn't do that age group either. Our scheduler will have me on 14 Gold Gloves one night and 10 rec ball the next. She likes to give everyone "experience" at different levels. Ok it's my first full season back after 10+ year layoff, I will pay some dues. Scrounge you know why I do 10 year old games, I get older and the Mom's stay the same age. For those of you Dazed and Confused fans out there.

Ok, thanks for the clarification Matt. So if I'm an SOB that blew it that's the difference.

10yr Tournament. VT local town traveling AS type team other Team local Baseball Club Team that fields a Team for every age group. I'm PU. VT has 6 mom's in lawn chairs from dugout towards plate and have been on partner and I every call (you know if it's there kid pitching it's a strike but if their up it's a ball). I ignore. BU has had a few calls that each teams HC came out for clarification on and a bit of arguing from each teams HC but nothing yielding a warning. Home team plates 3 runs to tie the game in bottom 6 (last inning for this tourney) and on to extras we go. Tension was running high. We are in the top of the 8th one down R1, R2. Ground ball to F6 who steps on the bag and the throw gets by F3. R2 is now coming home and I move up 3rd base line to get a better view. F2 catches the ball and swipe tags R2 on a banger that I punch out the runner on a very close call for out #3. VT HC was coaching first and starts yelling while jogging back across to his dugout "You blew it and you know it Blue." As he gets to his dugout and I walk up the first base line he does scream at the pack of Mom's that are still screaming at me to "Shut it, I will be the jerk here." And that was it. HT promptly comes out and BB, SB, Single game over. So no warnings issued prior to this but he did go the "personal" route I see so many of you talk about on here. So in that spot, tension high, tourney do you run him? Let it go? Warn? You make the call. Thanks in advance for your insight.

WOW! No matter how pissed I was the thought of cold cocking my partner never came to mind. That is a man that needs therapy and by the sounds of it may have received some courtesy of the state correction facilities.

Just saw the advertisement for the clinic in September. Fortunately I only like a few hours from it and was thinking about going. Anyone on here have experience with the clinic and if so what were your thoughts. I currently do youth and HS ball and am looking to gain experience and contacts to move up to college. Thanks in advance for the feedback.

The poke in the eye or next time maybe I will just eject my partner

Thank you everyone for weighing in. I will address a few things. The coach after not getting the response he wanted from me turned and yelled. I had no shot at stopping him. I agree to cut that off before it starts but I thought he was turning to head back to the dugout, not go the PU. Good point on the safe signal I did not signal anything could have helped. Good point. Lastly, no he never left behind the plate. Ok, so here is what we did right or wrong I post it here in the spirit of learning from those more experienced. After my partner throws me under the bus, I'm pissed. I absolutely never would have answered the coaches question and was in disbelief he did. So I head over and say what did you see. He said he saw F6 recoil like contact had been made. I say well I was right there and I don't have contact (or in my opinion hindrance) and it was a clean play. He says well I had interference. So at this point I have the PU publicly answering the call I made differently. So I turn to the coaches call interference on the runner, call him out, and place the runners on 1st and 2nd now with 1 down. Fielding team coach is happy, I head back to C and batting team coach comes to PU and wants to know why he was making that call which I did not hear the response. Two pitches later another run scores and 15 is run differential so game over. I grab my partner and tell him to speed it up cause I don't want the coach asking me why I didn't make the call in that spot. After the game we did discuss this at length and I believe that my partners inexperience led to our issue. He felt like when a coach appeals in a spot like that he's supposed to answer kind of like check swing. Of course from there some serious schooling took place. I should have stuck to my guns but if he really felt there was interference then maybe I could have learned something here. However, my main point was learning from you on what you do when that strange situation comes up when you and your partner goof in front of everyone and the best way to handle. Thanks again for all the comments.

My first post and let me say I enjoy the forums. Since my first post I will let you know my experience etc and then the scenario. I'm 42, umpired from age 13-21 youth ball. Jumped back in last year and doing youth and HS. The scenario below happened to me in a 10U AAA Gold Glove Game. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Home team is up no outs and it is a 17-3 ballgame bottom of the 3rd. I am in the C position. Batter hits a bounding ball towards F6 and the runner seeing F6 charging in and veers inside the lane to avoid contact with the ball and fielder. I had no contact made and in my opinion no interference. F6 misses ball runner scores, runner from first advances to 3rd, batter to 2nd. Here is where it gets interesting. HC from visiting team comes out and says runner interfered and made contact with F6. I say coach I don’t have that I have the runner avoiding fielder it was close but I have no contact. HC turns to plate ump and yells you saw him run into our fielder didn’t you and my partner kind of shrugs his shoulders and says yeah. So now in the middle of the field we have the PU basically saying he saw contact from behind the plate that I did not have nor did I ask help with. In this spot how do you handle what the PU did. PU is less experienced than I am so it wasn't a matter of experienced umpire taking charge in a hostile situation. I appreciate all opinions and look forward to the comments. I will update with how we handled it after I read your comments as I prefer this not to turn into picking apart what we did but rather learn from those more experienced.