Thatsnotyou

If I really think I should have had one, I’ll see how the at bat plays out. Guy pops out, easy to let the catcher know before the next batter “hey I should have had that curve, I’ll get it next time”. Even if I have rapport with the catcher, I’d rather not admit I missed one and then the guy hits a game tying double. Nothing to gain there. As someone already said, that may get back to the coach or pitcher etc.

Wait, 7 = 90 but 12 = 130? That doesn’t make any sense. Even the 140 for 5 is still low.

I get the notion, but those aren’t mutually exclusive.

This isn't true. Length of games were too long and everyone knew it and tangible, impactful change was needed. The only way to change it was by introducing a clock and enforcing it, whether it was visible to the fans or not. Most people can figure out the difference between a 2.5 hour game with pace and a 3.5-4 hour game with no pace, regardless of if they can see a pitch clock somewhere. It's extremely noticeable. The game moves now, and it's apparent to even to those that don't pay that much attention to the changes and the rules and the clock. You're going to lose umpries, quietly, the more they have to deal with slow pace, walking around, 2.5 hour freshman games, and teams showing up late. Or they'll just choose a different sport that has a clock. So if you'd like to treat this as a fans = umpires scenario to get a clock in, by all means go ahead.

In regards to what color the umpires wear? No attention on my end. We have limited options (IMO mainly two). I basically wear black every game all spring. If someone thinks we’re biased because we’re wearing black and one team is wearing black…that’s absurd to me.

Oh some of them unfortunately get varsity games, just don’t dare give them the plate.

I can assure you I’m quite good at enforcing rules when necessary and practical, but thanks for the advice from your neck of the woods, the pace of play kingdom. But again, we need NFHS to go the college and pro route and break out a clock between innings to accomplish sweeping change. There is a reason they went to it even with enforceable rules on the books.

If you have black and “light blue”, in my book you’re fine. That’s what most guys around me wear 95% of the time. If you work a ton of midday games in the sun, at some point you can grab a cream if a ton of guys have it. Red is a clown color. I’ll never have it. The only guys that grind my gears are the “I only have navy” guys. Buy a second shirt. Preferably black. I can also predict what the rest of your uniform will look like when you only have navy. As for “light blue” (and even black to some degree) there are just too many options now. I’ll do my best to match up in a HS game as far as style and color. Travel and summer ball? If you have light blue or black, I have stopped caring if we match. It’s just not a big deal. Wear what you have and it’s likely no one notices or cares anyway. Same goes for hats. Wear black or navy, whatever goes with the shirt, but we may not have the same logo. Whatever.

You’re simply missing the forest for the trees here. Again, MLB (and college I’d guess) had “enforceable rules” there too, right? No one did anything about them. We’re in the same spot here. They need to come out with a POE and tell the base guy to carry a stop watch, signal etc. We can’t do as much with that between pitches, but it’ll solve the dead time between innings. If we can do that, it’s a start. I move the game along as best as possible and am attentive to everything at all times. But I don’t have a stop watch on the field. But I’d love to, if they came up with enforceable rules. Does your area use stopwatches? Your area is the only spot that knows how to handle pace of play?

No one is doing that, just as no one did it in MLB. One umpire making a point doesn’t solve anything, it just creates a problem. We need sweeping enforceable rules, just as MLB introduced.

Those time limits are about as enforceable as the MLB time limits before they went to a clock. Pointless. Teams control the pace much more than umpires. That needs to be the next rule change - stopwatch, time it, move on.

Your partner is type of guy that brags about never having ejected someone in their 20 years of umpiring. To which I always ask them how many they’ve missed.

I’ve also used “gyrations”. I like to test ‘em. ACT prep.

I don’t answer pitchers, even if their body language is good and their tone is nice. I’ll let the catcher know if I see him asking, if I already haven’t with the call of my pitch, and let him relay it. I don’t want to yell out locations (or worse, motion) to a pitcher. If the body language/tone are bad, and the catcher doesn’t jump on it himself (or a coach), I’ll tell the catcher to go out there and tell him to “stop with the histrionics”.

If you went the same way as the batter, I think it’s more likely he was trying to throw near the batter than you if he was trying to throw near anyone.