MObetterBlue

Bad days and good days should be left in the rear view mirror. Focus on the next game with the intention to make it the best one you've worked. That being said, I've been asked a few times to work some adult leagues and I have turned them down so far. I've been the overly competitive jerk whose life isn't going that well so I'll take it out on whatever obstacle I perceive (like an umpire). I wouldn't want to umpire that person I was. I was an idiot.

Close... I'm 48 so it's been a lot of work but a labor of love for sure. Very much enjoyed games. I had 28 games rained out and another 24 cancelled from an early HS league that. I won't be working this many games next year. This year was all about paying off debt (we'll be debt free except for the house come Feb.). Next year game fees are going to a cruise next July.

Last night I worked my 200th game of the season (then 201st as it was a double-header ). This was in addition to my full time job so it has been a busy, busy, busy spring/summer. Now there's a few weeks off and then bring on fall ball! I'm shooting for 300 games for the year. Obviously I'm a glutton for punishment.

Welcome! I worked the Slumpbuster this past summer June 12-14. Good times and pretty good baseball. It was very cool seeing teams from both coasts and many places in between. That's some pretty serious logistics getting all those games played. Well done!

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Perez is not a "little" guy back there to see around but it looked to me like that ball was going to get him either way too. I was also thinking TW pads. I'm loving mine ever more every time I take one of those (incidentally I had another last night).

Sorry, I should have clarified the rule set. USSSA tournaments so OBR based. I described the situation to one of our trainers and he said that, although it's probably the correct call - Balk, it may be grabbing the dirty end of the stick.

What about 3B? The situation I'm referring to would be, R1 and R3. I've seen some teams throw to F5 but he's walking off the base preparing for a throw to 2B in case R1 is stealing.

This is my second year with my TWs and I love them. I think it's hard to compare shots though. Between the eyes is going to disperse the impact throughout both pads. In the jaw is going to hurt because most of the impact is focused on the lower pad. We all have our preferences I guess.

The runner clearly has a lane here and the catcher has himself in position to get an out. If I were still coaching, I would teach a catcher to position himself out in front of the plate like this. Not sure where else he should be positioned. This contact was initiated by the runner, period. Slow mo or full speed. Still MC, all day. What I can learn from this...? I know I've had a brain fart or two while working PU. That said, I've NEVER been looking at my indicator while runners are moving. Honestly, how does this guy even know the runner touched 3rd? I joined this site not too long ago to make myself a better umpire. In this case, it's watching what NOT to do. This is a great example of why it's important to be on 3BLX and it stresses to me to do my job and pay attention. Hopefully this guy just had a bad play or a bad day and he used this to get better as well.

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Not sure why PU is looking at his indicator instead of getting into position on this. That left him way behind the play. Not sure why he didn't go up 3BX either... Either way, good bye and thanks for playing. MC to me all day long. He dropped a shoulder/elbow into the catcher. Come in feet first and we'd have a different story.

Friday evening July 3rd. HS league double header in St. Joe, MO. It was a beautiful evening and expectedly, there are fireworks going off all over in the neighborhoods surrounding the field adding to the "ambiance". Both teams are above average for this league and a lot of the players obviously know each other from the chit chat around the field. They're competing hard but it's very good natured so there's a bunch of good kids involved and they're having a great time playing ball. As a bonus, I'm working with my 17 year old son who's working his first HS level games. I'm BU in C with R3. A "kid" comes up who's about 6'4" and 275lbs and hits a shot to the right-center gap. I know R3 is gonna score so I just keep my eye on BR as he's chugging around first to see if he'll try for the double. Sure enough, he does. I get into position right before he slides into 2B somewhat awkwardly. Safe but barely. So he's sitting there on his butt with both feet on the bag gasping for air. Between gasps, he looks up at me and says, in a typical surfer dude accent, "time out bro". I had to turn away to contain my laughter as I called time. Not two innings later, a different big "kid" comes to bat and takes a pretty good shot in the ribs - HBP. As he's 3/4 the way to 1B, F3 offers him a hug, which he accepts, much to the entertainment of everyone in the stadium. Too funny! It was the most fun I've had umpiring a double header.

Sounds like you made the right call. When I think I've botched it, it's pretty well been botched.

For the tournaments I work - pool play - Friday nights we can usually expect the HCs for the meeting as they usually have everything set up before they get there. Saturdays we may see ACs at the meetings because the HC might be trying to make some last minute changes or whatnot. It's never mattered because I make it very clear at the meeting that issues will only be discussed with the HC. Our coin flips are always at the plate meeting as well unless the coaches have gotten together beforehand and done it themselves. Either way is fine with me and it's never mattered which dugout they've found themselves in. It's always first come, first choice. Bracket play - dugout choice is moot as well because a team may have just played and then be waiting on a team from another field, not knowing if they're the higher or lower seed. In my few years, no one's ever requested to change dugouts.

Does USSSA provide that as an option?

Man that fires me up when catchers don't even attempt to catch that pitch. It's happened 5 or 6 times to me this year. The good catchers know not to let it by. The bad catchers I straighten out like you did - "You HAVE to catch that pitch!" Hijack alert - It's on my bucket list to cage dive with the great white sharks in Guadalupe.

You can't love umpiring without loving plays at the plate like this. Awesome! A somewhat technical hypothetical question however: Is he safe if he truly only touched the black part of the plate? I didn't think the black was in play for touching the plate so I'm hoping for some clarification.

​Batter was in the box and this was on the follow through of the swing only. He did not fall forward or backward. The bat and the batters arm contacted the catcher on his stomach. Not hard but enough to hinder the throw. This was OBR (U-trip) so I think I placed the runner correctly but what I called (batters interference) was incorrect. Thanks for the clarifications on this Grayhawk and Maven. It truly is a very complex call. At least I've only seen it once in over 300 games the past few years.

I did appreciate the music from Major League. Nice selection there. I do have to admit, if a coach starts cussing me, they're gone. If they've lost their composure to that extent in those circumstances, they forfeit their right to remain a part of the game. The redirect strategy is interesting and I'll certainly give that some thought. Not sure if it would have worked here. That guy had a full head of steam when he got to the BU.

The conversation seems to be relating to a throw to 2B as R1 is stealing. What if it is a throw to 3B as R2 is stealing? I had that situation last weekend as the B1 had a long, slow, protracted follow through on his swing. He made contact with F2 as he was standing and throwing. The throw got to 3B but the runner was safe and I had the him go back. I'm still learning and I indicated Batter Interference so I'm very happy to be picking up some more valuable info and the correct call for the situation. The coach was pretty incredulous on the call with the same "he's in the box" blather. Blah, blah, blah...

IT - Desktop Support I'm the lead tech for a team of 9 techs for a medium sized bank here in the Midwest. I think this probably makes me the biggest geek on the field...

Well done! I lost 25 lbs. from January to May as well in preparation for the season. It sounds like you're motivated to keep it off so that's a big part of the battle. If anyone's interested, I used an app on my phone called MyFitnessPal. I tracked everything I ate (and still do for the most part) and it allows to enter exercise as well.

At that point, once he started back for first, my curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to see if he'd make it. I see both sides as far as telling him to stay and not rewarding the ignorance of the rule. I guess not rewarding ignorance won out in this situation.

So a week ago I'm BU at a HS league in St. Joseph. R1 steals as the batter swings resulting in a foul tip. No throw by F2 so R1 is now R2. F4 asks me "wasn't that a foul ball?" After a second to compose myself and say "Nope. That was a foul tip." R2 hears the conversation and starts jogging back to R1. He makes it safely of course because no throw was made to get him out. I looked in at my partner for a few seconds, both of us dumbfounded, and we resumed the game. Not a word was said by either coach.