Radie 88

This brings up an interesting question of the situation was slightly different... What is a fielder consider doing when he bails out at the last second if he loses sight of the ball... And I mean, last second... He's under it, waving people off... Loses it at the last moment and jerks to one side as he covers his head (or makes some other obvious "bail out" move) and obstructes a runner... When is he no longer fielding that ball? The MOMENT he bails, or does he have a half beat or so where he's still protected?

Wait.. what? I know I'm new to the terminology, but I really thought I had it down and understood... But if this description is accurate then I am WAY off... I thought whatever base you start the play at is what give you your R#... And I can't recall ever seeing a B3? (Batting 3rd in the lineup?) I would think this would be labeled as follows.. 1 out, R1, R3. R1 is running on the pitch, and F4 is breaking to cover 2nd. BR hits soft blooper toward 2nd base. Can someone point me in the right direction as to where I have gone astray?

Boom.

I wonder if the guys do the brand covering themselves or if the equipment guys do it for them... Since it's just cosmetic, I imagine most wouldn't mind having an equipment guy just deal with it.

@TheRockawayKid I'm a little late seeing this, but seeing as school is just about over.. I'll keep you in mind.

Stormtrooper gear would protect you... And while they do update more often then Wilson, it is mostly cosmetic changes. The real star of the show for any Star Wars/Umpire hybrid would be Mandelorian armor.

HA! I kept waiting for him to get down on his hands and knees and start blowing on it to keep it fair.

To be fair... It kind of sounds interesting. I mean, check out this one (of two) review: (emphasis mine) "Author Bill Deane tells you everything you ever wanted to know about the hidden ball trick in this thoroughly researched book.The hidden ball trick (HBT) is almost as old as baseball itself. The first recorded incident was on May 20, 1872. Deane has documented 264 cases of HBT. As Deane shows, the HBT can be pulled almost any time, and it isn't just rookies who are the victims. Veterans and future Hall of Famers have found themselves on the wrong end of the embarrassing HBT.Some players consider the HBT as "bush league," and from time to time, there has been talk of banning the play.Connie Ryan, who played in the majors from 1942 to 1954, said the HBT is a "perfectly legitimate maneuver. A runner and his coach have an obligation to be on their toes to prevent it from happening."Details of the individual HBT range from just a couple sentences to 200-300 words. To Deane's credit, he offers multiple newspaper accounts of the play, if they're available. He even corresponded decades later with some of the players involved to get their version.Deane enhances the book with chapters "Tricks Gone Awry," "Unsubstantiated Possibilities," "Odds and Ends," footnotes, a bibliography, an appendix listing all 264 HBTs and an index.Deane offers a variety of interesting tidbits, such as the HBT was successful three times on May 26, 1914, throughout the book.Although this isn't a book for the casual baseball fan, those with an interest in research and baseball history will find it well worth their time. Few subjects in baseball have been as thoroughly covered and documented by a single author." At least I find this interesting... Not $44 interesting, but interesting nonetheless.

Got to wait a few weeks to order. But I've been looking forward to it for months.. been following you on FB for a good while... Still want that hat with the normal UmpLife logo on it.

Hahaha! True story... 10 minutes after I made my post above, I was walking through my kitchen and I just stopped dead out of the blue and thought to myself "Maybe I'll like the clacking sound?" Now I'm REALLY climbing up the walls for this stuff to get here.

Yeah... My summer in LL had games spread all the way across the spectrum of level of play... And my experience matches up with what you say. The lowest levels of the league were just pelting me... And I was wearing an old catchers CP... complete with only one shoulder pad... You know for easy mobility when I need to throw down to F1. Though there was this one SMALL (8-9 maybe?) F2 that I probably would have picked to protect me in every game.. even with the 12 year olds. He was great. As for the throat guard... Yeah... I'm 6'4"... So my worry here is obviously the foul off the dirt coming up on me. Figured the 6 inch gave it a better chance to reach the CP. I've read the 4 inch can hit you in the throat still instead of bracing against the CP as I imagine it's designed to work. As I've mentioned before, I was a catcher my whole life. I'm used to getting dinged. A lot. Plus, when I played Hockey in HS, I was a big lumbering goon (think Brian Boyle) that was slow but immovable front the from of the net.. Took a good amount of deflected pucks in my day as well. But you're right... Still hurts. Ha.

@codizzle The buckles really were just a MINOR issue that didn't really factor into the decision. In fact I didn't even notice them until a few days ago despite doing research for weeks. Just listed it as I was typing. I'd be fine with them, really. Just used to the old style since I was a catcher for so long. As for plate shoes, you missed me saying it early in my original post (it's okay, I'm long winded) but I bought those last year, and yes, NB.... Right before the V3's came out (shucks!). Love them.

@codizzle Again, based on just reviews, descriptions and pics... The main thing was not having a hard shell on the ankles. It sounds silly, but I did a school project on the ankle WAY back in high school and ever since then, I've had a terrible fear of anything happening to my ankles. I understand that the F3s have some really sick padding there (looks like a damn golf ball) which is awesome, and probably wouldon't be a deal breaker by itself, but I am also not a fan of the snap buckles and I REALLY wanted a 3rd knee. Seems like the Golds scratches my itches better then the F3 on Leg Guards. So unless I come across someone who has the F3 And will let me try them out, I don't know if they make the upgrade list.

Hey @Majordave Any interest in selling these?

Quick backstory in bullet form: - I've known the game of baseball like the back of my hand since I was 3. You could argue that Hockey has somewhat stolen my heart, but this game was my first love and I still follow it religiously. - My father was an umpire and I grew up watching the game from both the player and umpire perspective. - I've lead what many would call a "hectic" (though not entirely terrible) life and have never had a chance to really put some roots down somewhere enough to start Umpiring. The point of all of that is to say that I've ALWAYS been an umpire, I'm just now getting a chance to really be one. I'm not someone who is "trying this out" for a bit or doing it just to make a few extra dollars. This is in my blood (as I assume many of you feel) and now that I am settled, I can start my journey right, which as we all know, involves gearing up properly. Last season I worked about 50 Little League games using the leagues gear (except for NB Plate Shoes, which I purchased) which wasnt the best. Heck, I even used one of those big external "pillow" pads with the handles for a while (which admittedly brought back memories of playing with similar ones my dad used to have, but I digress). The assignor of the league is associated with a popular and successful Umpiring Association in NYC and suggested I sign up with them to take the next step and do higher level games. Obviously, it was time to invest in myself for this season. I looked into various starter packages but none of them really did it for me. I did A LOT of research online, especially here. I read virtually every review of every piece of gear in my price range. I read every single article on Ump-Attire and watched every single video on their YouTube channel. In the end, the decision I made was based on what I have seen mentioned in here COUNTLESS times: "Get the best that you can afford". I know that buy writing these next few lines, I am establishing myself as an arch enemy to @MadMax, as I know he thinks this is one of the worst things a new ump can do but let me explain myself... I purchased the following: (obviously from @JimKirk's amazing U-A) - Wilson Dyna-Lite Aluminum Mask with Memory foam. - 6" Throat Protector - Wilson West Vest Gold CP (12 3/4") - Nutty Buddy and Jock - Wilson West Vest Gold Leg Guards - New Balance Base Shoes (Mid Cut) - 2x Balls-First 4 Dial (Yellow) indicator Total: $497 In the next few weeks, I plan on purchasing a proper equipment bag (I got something that will work for now) and one of @Razzer's harnesses. Maybe even the Force 3 thigh pads. My reasons for doing this are: I want to feel protected. But I still couldn't get the BEST stuff on the market. This basically eliminated F3 for the time being... Despite MM's stance, far too many other people speak highly enough of the Wilson Gold and Platinums that I settled on those.... I have spent my life as a catcher and have also played Football and Hockey, basically I have spent my whole life strapping things to my body. Comfort was never going to be an issue so I knew I was going Gold over Plat based on reviews and my preferences. I feel like this will work for me because I won't be seeing really high level ball for a few seasons and I think this will cover me pretty squarely until then. At which point I plan on upgrading to mostly F3 gear (still not sold on their leg guards though). I do worry that maybe I should have dropped an extra $40 on the F3 Defender as an obvious upgrade to the Dyna-Lite but I needed that money to go to decent base shoes. I also wish I had the cash to do this month's ago so I could have gotten more feedback, but it is what it is. Anyone want to chime in here? Tips? Suggestions? Critiques? FYI - I already have ball bags and brushes and pants from last year. No need to suggest those.

Will definitely be doing this when my new mask and throat protector arrive in a few days.

Came across an interesting article on an Umpiring FB page: Hey, ump! Why'd you eject that player or manager? It's an interesting piece with former MLB ump Jim Evans. The entire thing is pretty great but one part in particular caught my eye: “We’re trained at the beginning to use our diaphragm and not just our larynx or voice box,” he said, noting that, in addition to verbal calls, umpires can use more than 60 physical signals. Does anyone want to assist in listing every possible physical signal? (I'm guessing that "pointing" will cover several of these) I'll update the post with any answers and kick it off with the basics: 1) Safe 2) Out 3) Foul Tip 4) Foul Ball 5) Fair Ball 6) Home Run 7) ... 8) ...

So are you saying that this is a timing play? Lets tweak the scenario a bit... Let's say BR doesn't even leg out the fly ball and immediately abandons/deserts, way before the throw comes into 2nd for the force... Is the force off? Your use (and bold) of the word "until" makes me think it removes the force. Personally I think I'd have called it exactly as Wild did.

This one is probably pretty infamous around discussions between umpires, so most of you probably know it by heart, but here's the video anyway: My father was an umpire, so I've always had a good handle on the rules and basic umpiring stuff, but it wasn't until I started calling games myself that I've begun to take notice of the really finer points: mechanics, timing and advanced positioning.. Those kinds of things. I've been watching a lot of famous plays to see how these things were handled by the respective umpires. This one had me a bit confused. But not for anything to do with what occurred at 3rd base... My understanding (and I could be wrong, causing myself the confusion) is that on an obstruction call, the umpire making the call indicates that obstruction happened but that as a play moves to another base and another umpire, that 2nd umpire has to first rule on what he saw at his base, then factor in the results of the obstruction. So looking at this play again, shouldn't the PU have called the runner out on the tag and THEN awarded the run on the obstruction call? Unless I'm missing something, he seems to have noticed the obstruction call by the 3U and called the play safe based on that. Whats the proper way to call this? If he did this correctly, I'm pretty shocked as I can imagine any number of things can go south quickly. Also, I know that the results of an obstruction call is at the umpires discretion on what would have happened had the obstruction not occurred, but on this play, which umpire decides that?

This one required so many things to go wrong that I can't imagine it happening very often... Calling a LL Majors game by myself (scheduling mishap by the assigner)... AT is at bat and down by 1 with a R3... The inning had already seen a weird situation when the coach removed his best F1 with a 3-2 count to keep him eligible for their next game (despite me assuring him that he can finish the AB and still be elligible). It was already a long inning and I suppose this caused a bit of confusion for everyone (as you'll soon see) That batter was eventually walked... Now it's R3 and R1... Next batter hits a line drive to F1, who makes a nice stab and throws to F3 for the double play... This is where it all went to hell... The HT left the field and the AT started to take the field.. I look down at my indicator and have that double play as the only 2 outs of the inning. But both teams are heading on/off the field... I figure there is no way that they are all wrong and I am the only one on the field that is right, so I assume I just forgot to click my indicator on a previous out... I step out to check the ball on the mound, now completely surrounded by the AT taking their positions, at which point the AT coach realizes that there was only 2 outs. He comes out to talk to me and while doing so, instructed the kid that was the R3 to go and stand on the plate... we confer with the HT teams book and sure enough.. only 2 outs.. But the AT wants the run to count. I look at the kid standing on the plate and he is holding his glove with no helmet or hat on. I rule that even though it's on the defense (HT) to know how many outs there were, the AT still took the field and that since the R3 had no helmet and WAS HOLDING HIS GLOVE, that he must have returned to the dugout, thereby giving up his chance to score. I really wasn't sure what to do. After conferring with both coaches, I returned the HT to the field and the R3 back to 3rd. The AT coach was livid and kept making a big deal about it. He's one of our "problem coaches" so I didn't let it get to me, but I'm still pretty fuzzy on the correct call... After the game I was discussing it very nicely with an unbiased spectator who brought up that the AT coaches whole argument was that it was still a live ball even if the HT leaves the field and the AT takes the field. I wasn't sure how that works, because I know there is no "automatic time out", but I said that if it was still a live ball then the R3 should be out for entering the dugout and the HT shouldn't have gone back out to the field. Any and all comments are welcomed to help me sort this out. I'm not sure that I got the call right, but I think I made the "fairest" call I could make, given that it is LL.

... a youngster amazes me with their fairness and maturity, especially compared to their coaches. Calling the Senior Girls softball All-Star game.. HT is protecting a 2 run lead in the last inning, with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs... A hard hit ground ball bounces off of the pitcher and deflects back towards the plate, F1 fields it and makes the throw home (most likely her only play at that point). The throw beats the runner by several steps, tag is made and I make the out call. I was in a good position but the R3 and F2 obscured my vision of the ball getting knocked free.. I saw it a half second later and instantly changed my call to 3 loud and obvious safe calls. The coach of the HT is pretty annoyed and wants an explanation. I give it to him. He wasn't happy but maintained his composure so I let him talk a little bit (I generally give guys a long leash if they are not yelling). Walking back to the plate, I knew I had made an error by making my out call too fast (still my first year and I suppose I was excited by how good of a game it was, my league routinely sees 27-3 games) and in my head, I was getting a little down on myself for the mistake... When I get to the plate, the F2 looks me square in the face and says "Good call, blue. I dropped it". This little girl (13, maybe) made my whole day. It was made all the more special in that she was the F1 for a few innings and seemed frustrated by some of my ball/strike calls. She didn't let that stop her from being fair and respectful. The next batter hits a sinking line drive to F3 and the HT still wins by 1 run. The HT assistant coach rushes the field, points to me and says "That's for making that bad call". I didn't even care, that little girl still had me feeling great.

How's this for an unprofessional move?... I need to have my phone on me in case of emergencies. I also use it to tell the time. I'm slick enough to be able to take a quick peek without even taking it out of my pocket... However in one of my games, I was discussing with one of the coaches that we were coming up on the time limit and he asked me what time it was exactly. So in a lack of judgment, I took my phone out to show him.. I forgot that this is the image on my phones lock screen: Luckily the coach was cool and told me he'd ask me what time it was every time I call one of his games.

That box is nowhere near where it should be... From this angle, it should be hanging slightly over the right (as we are viewing it). Not much. Just a bit. Definitely not dead on... Or as the thumbnail from the video is showing, hanging over the left of the plate.

I still play in a beer league softball game, and having been a catcher my whole life, that's where I still play (though I am 2nd on the depth chart at each infield position). We've been in the league for many years and know all of our umps pretty well, especially me. I know I can mess with them a little and we all have fun with it. They all had a hearty laugh when I told them that I was umpiring Little League now. One even (playfully) said that he expects me to keep my mouth shut now that I know what it's like on the other side... I told him (also playfully, but totally meant it) that he better get thicker skin because I'm coming at him harder then ever.. Nothing I said to him in the 7+ years we been going at it compares to my first month of calling Little League games.

Where do you guys stand on small talk with Catchers? I was a catcher my whole life (and always wanted to be an ump) so I always talked to the plate ump. Nothing too distracting. Just a word or two here or there if something funny happens or something like that. Right now, I'm busting my ump cherry on Little League, so I don't really want to say anything to the kids... However after each game, I do thank the catchers for "protecting" me, even though most do a terrible job of it. But they are kids and they appreciate me saying something nice to them.