Thatsnotyou

I wear combos on the plate with Force3 shins. Skinny build. Like the skinnier look and don’t feel restricted or tight. Plate pants look like clown pants on me. I don’t have flat front yet but that will be my next purchase.

I wear Neleus Pro, bought off Amazon. Inexpensive and have lasted many years.

I’m a runner and have worn Hoka Cliftons as a base shoe for a few seasons. Glad to hear there are some others out there. I wear them on grass as well and haven’t had an issue. The black mesh can pick up some dirt on messy fields, but a quick water spray and wipe postgame and they are fine again. They are known for the huge stack height, so it may take a second to get used to jogging in them. Since it’s a running shoe that is made for 400ish miles, it should hold up for many, many seasons. The midsole in the new balance umpire shoes I had a few years ago disappeared rather quickly.

In my area, all underclass HS games are covered by one umpire. There aren’t enough for two, even if you’d prefer it. Maybe it’s not ideal, but it’s the reality. So, little kid tournament games can be covered by one umpire (put two on semi and championship if you’d like). I’d rather get more money for a game or two solo. I don’t really care what the TD pockets, as I’m pocketing more than I was previously. We’re not a union. Not working one man, or not working for a wage you think isn’t acceptable isn’t accomplishing much in the landscape of umpiring. It just means you are satisfied with your individual decision. Likewise, me working a solo game for more money wouldn’t change the landscape. It wouldn’t increase or decrease the number of umpires.

How is it a loss for me, the umpire, when I’m getting paid more for a game or two? Ok, I don’t have a partner at 11u. I’ll live. TBH, I’d rather not have a partner at 11u. As for the coaches, players, and parents? Not my concern. 11u is always overkill with two umpires, I don’t care the quality. The thing is, these teams all play league games with one umpire. Now a tournament needs two? The whole thing is silly. I can still give a professional effort by myself at an 11u game. In fact, depending on who else jumps out there, they may actually detract from the professionalism.

I’m not cutting off anything. I’m working a game and receiving more money. Why do I care about saving the tournament money? Because you can’t approach them with a simple “hey we’re going 1-man on these games”. That’s a negative. The positive? You’ll save money/reduce fees, and you’ll have more games covered. Now they’ll listen. If you want your games covered, pay more money. These tournaments with 2 umpires at 11u etc. is complete overkill. Pay a guy more to do a game or two and it’ll be just fine and you won’t scramble as much to find guys.

I’ve been thinking about the shortage in regards to my motivation to work more games, especially travel games when HS season ends. I’m not that likely to drive 20+ minutes away to do a single game for 70/75. That probably doesn’t have a time limit, and may very well be bad baseball. I’m out of the house for at least 3 hours. The ROI is bad. If it was 90-100? I’d be much more likely to take it. Everyone has a price where they’d go from “no” to “yes”. Every $5 increment captures more available umpires. I really don’t think raising some rates 15-20 will create a ton of new umpires, but I do think it will get current umpires to cover more games. It’s not a perfect solution, but it would help with coverage while we try to fix the “not enough umpires” problem. Turn some of these 13-15u travel games from two man to one man and pay me 100-110 and I’ll pick up more of them. It also saves the teams money. Win/win. Ok so the call at 2nd is tougher in a whatever travel game. So what? Or, instead of 2 man on 11u tournament games, let me do a DH myself, pay me 200 (or 220 which is 1.5x), and let the next guy do 2. I just saved the tournament 160-200 over those 4 games, and made sure the games were covered. I also like the idea of paying better, more qualified officials more. I’ve been a HS umpire X years at the highest promotion level? I’ve worked playoffs? Yeah, I probably should get more than year one guy. I’m simply doing a much better job. My services are more valuable.

I don’t like the look of it. It stands out too much - but not in a good way. I don’t know that uniquely colored harnesses can look good. It’s almost looks like underwear on your head. The blue pads are fire, but I’d go to a black harness.

This is only a time play in the sense that when this happens for the third out, nothing else after it counts.

This is incorrect. A following runner can’t score if a baserunner in front of him made the third out.

I’m fine with them on the belt if the alternative is putting it in the back pocket and pulling it out and replacing it every pitch. I think next time it happens I’ll give him a chance to wear it…or I’ve reached 20.

A 10/11U travel game needs an umpire. It doesn’t need two.

I get the whole “don’t work solo” thing, but it depends on the level. I really don’t need much help on a 10U game. Two umpires is overkill. You don’t even need to rotate since the field is so small. Anything 60/90, absolutely. 54/80? Probably there too. Smaller than that, I’ve never felt that I couldn’t handle 98% of it. Frankly, that’s good enough. Furthermore, that’s an age level where I’ve never seen anything close to a fight between players.

As a HS umpire, I don’t care about trying to match the brand of pants with my partner. There are too many brands and materials. If we both have charcoal, in my book we’re good. We can’t be expected to own every pant type out there. I’m all for appearance, but the pants thing, to me, just isn’t a big deal unless someone is rocking heather.

Then why do we rotate with R1 only? Again, only difference is a plate touch on a guy walking home. The other things you covered - guys without equipment moving, shorter distances - still applies. I thought one of the points of rotating is also to stay ahead of the runners, not chase them to a base. If you push with R1/R3, U3 is chasing R1 and U1 is chasing BR. Perhaps this should be crew dependent based on who can really move and perhaps who can’t quite as well.

Again, I fail to see how this is much different than 1st only. I get it, a plate touch with a guy walking home. Is that worth sacrificing what we gain when we rotate with 1st only? Honest question.

The reasoning is pretty obvious, no? On a clean base hit, the PU isn’t really doing much at home. It’s the same as 1st only with a guy walking home.

I disagree. I think this primes umpires to get things wrong. Blank slate - call what you see. If you’re thinking strike strike strike, you’re more likely to have a gross miss. If you’re thinking out out out, you’re more likely to bang a guy out that wasn’t.

At least in our state…. On a hit…R1, R3 is the exact same as R1 only, so it’s a rotation with HP up to 3rd, it’s not a slide. HP shoulder glances to watch the touch at the plate.

Telling an 11 year old to swing outside the fences at a classic park district field - right next to fans, while possibly standing on blacktop - is absurd. Just move them to the other side and move on. Yes, I usually have to tell a hitter to “stay on your side” until the inning starts a couple times per game, but that’s not hard to do when I’m standing on the foul line and see them coming. We get it - by rule, it’s wrong. Who cares, especially when it’s for safety. In an 11 year old game with tight fences, I’m not there to show everyone how well I know the rule book by enforcing the on deck circle. Just like I’m not there to call a balk on said 11 year old when he does something only I noticed, and there was no advantage gained or affect on the play. Umpire the level in front of you, in all ways.

I tell myself to slow down the timing a bit, giving me more time to see the pitch/receive and process. I also try to get down and set earlier. Many times I’m getting down a touch late later in the game, especially from the windup. Get down a fraction earlier so I’m set for the entire pitch. Just focusing on those couple things can usually bring me out of it.

I used to be somewhat the same way with fans. Then I started telling myself that these are just the same idiots that yell at (insert MLB team in your state here) games at MLB umpires…they are clueless. So I started to find them more amusing than aggravating. Once you can start to internally laugh at them, you’re golden. But it took me many years to get there. Some of that may be getting confidence. It sounds like you’re there, more or less. You know you’re good. Try to find the fans adorable with their ignorance. This works to some degree with players/coaches.

My point is that you’re just watching the actual pitches, not calling them. On most pitches, there isn’t a decision to be made on the bases. On the plate, it’s seemingly every pitch. To put it another way, I’ve never come off the bases mentally exhausted. I’ve come off the plate mentally exhausted plenty of times. It doesn’t mean the bases are easy. But it doesn’t require the same level of focus and decision making (by pure number). Rotations, base touches, tag plays, if there is IFF…you’re still doing that on the plate too.

Though you have to focus on the bases, it’s not nearly to the same level as behind the plate. On the bases you’re mostly watching the game, waiting for action (after thinking about rotation or situation). Behind the plate you have to be mentally locked in every single pitch. Have to know every single count. Guys plate dodge because they don’t want 7 innings of being locked in to every pitch, especially with the risk of one gross miss sinking their credibility.

I always ask the fielder asking for time “for what purpose?” or “why?”. 9/10 they don’t have an answer and just stare and shake their head, as now the umpire is just a mean guy. 1/10 they say to throw the ball back to the pitcher. “So throw it back”.