jonathantullos

Can anyone tell me how to get in touch with the high school baseball assignor for the Meridian, MS area? I've been trying to find a list but have nothing. OK to DM. Thanks.

Trying to help out a friend back home but we're both coming up empty. Does anyone know who assigns umps for the Mississippi juco conferences (MACJC and MissLou)?

Not in detail, just a quick reminder. Something along the lines of, "Don't forget that we are really watching any sort of taunting, that no jewelry is to be worn by any player, and we will be watching the pitcher closely." Coaches reading the rulebook is just as much an expectation for them as it is for us so we tend to assume that they have at least skimmed it.

Some other thoughts about the POE in general: Mostly, it seems like common sense. One thing I noticed about more senior officials in my association was they would remind the coaches of the POE during the plate conference so I began to take on the same practice. I anticipate more of the same this year. We don't have much trouble with the jewelry ban here but I've heard of some schools in other regions (mainly larger ones) where supposedly this has been a problem. I have never seen an anthem standoff at a high school game but we all know what happens when such a thing becomes an issue at higher levels. The taunting is more of an issue than anything but, thankfully, not a very large one. Bottom line: A simple reminder seemed to do the trick and I don't foresee that changing in my neck of the woods during the 2018 season.

If that's how things are in your area, thank God I don't work there. If we start picking and choosing which rules we will enforce, then coaches and players can pick and choose which rules they will obey. You do no one any favors by not making calls just to be in the good graces of a coach. That's a lesson I learned very early on.

ISO: Wheeled bag, the Wilson bag or similar. Would prefer less than $100 but let's see what you got and how much you want for it. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I understand that but, again, we can't intervene. It simply is not our place. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Serious question: Why is this a debate for us? And why would we intervene if an athlete chooses to kneel? That's not our place to correct that, that is their coach's call. My thing is, we are to remain neutral and this should also be a place where we remain neutral. Having said that, if the game I'm calling includes the national anthem (I've only been to one school in my HS region that had it), I will be standing. If someone else chooses not to, that's their choice and is between them and their coach.

Thanks for the help, all. I'm going to look for more info about camps that I may be able to attend.

I don't want to make a career out of it; high school will always be my primary level. But if I could do some college occasionally, like weekday games or some JUCO (more likely to do that if/when I move back to Mississippi), I would be OK with that. It's mainly to have the experience of doing it.

For those who are currently working in the collegiate ranks, I'm curious what the qualifications - both generally and specific to your association - are to get your foot in the door. HS experience? Umpire school? A minimum score on the test? Body shape (I only ask because I'm currently a big fella... I'm working on it but just trying to get an idea of what to shoot for if I hope to do some college stuff)? Thanks all!

I don't understand how you can come to that conclusion. FED rules state we have to ask the coaches if their players are properly and legally equipped. If we find later that they aren't, we can take corrective action up to and including restricting/EJing the coach. What would you propose we do in place of this requirement?

If you want to be an umpire, be an umpire instead of being a coach. Coaches don't "correct" umpires. If it's a one man situation, the call is final, period, full stop. You don't have to like it but that's the way it is. Coaches don't tell umpires how to do their jobs any more than umpires don't tell coaches how to coach. Bottom line: If you're a coach, don't "correct" the ump. It's a good way to get your day ended early.

As others have pointed out, there is no such rule in FED. Having said that, I would like to think that if a pitcher was hitting batters constantly, he may at least have a word with him.

I don't care what level I'm working... If I run a coach, he's gone from the confines of the field.To me, an acceptable distance is the bus. For tournament ball, the parking lot will do. Either way, an ejected coach is not going to be anywhere near the field. That defeats the purpose of ejecting when you have to.

Sounds like the coaches are the donkeys of the day. #heehaw Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

We will have to agree to disagree. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I think your idea of fun and mine are completely different. Showboating and taunting aren't on my list. Sad to see they are on yours. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I had a debate in a group on Facebook on this and wanted to bring this to you fine people. Hopefully the video can be seen but just in case... It appears this is a FED game. Kid hits a homer and as he leaves the plate area he does a bat flip. I said the kid should have been tossed for intentionally throwing his bat and because it also appears that this was an act of taunting. Some disagreed. What say you? https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1204004369722998&id=451763554947087 Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

So GHSA's trustees overturned a judgement call made by the crew. The basis of this was a video shot by a parent. I see several problems with this. GHSA doesn't accept protests. FED rules do not allow video to be used to overturn a call. Judgement calls cannot be protested in the first place. They also sent a clear message that they do not stand by their officials. I think I would no longer be affiliated if I were down there. Here is the link to a story. http://www.11alive.com/mb/sports/high-school/johns-creek-appeal/441798399 Thoughts? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

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As for the actual article, the umpiring crew is to blame for the game continuing to be heated. As I stated to @White47 if there is a bench clearing fight and you allow the game to continue, you're asking for trouble. Sounds like they got it in abundance. Every kid on that field should have been EJ'd. Sorry, not sorry.

First, let me say that if you're a teacher and you officiate a game in which the school where you teach is involved, that is a gross conflict of interest. My wife teaches and I asked to not be assigned to any games involving her school because I do not want there to even be the perception that I'm showing bias, not to mention it could potentially cause problems for her if I made a controversial call and someone decided to hold a grudge. But, hey, if you're willing to take that risk, go for it. How are you to judge what kid is doing what? You stated that you weren't going to sit back and take numbers, yet you somehow expect that you can judge between a kid actively fighting and a kid just trying to break things up? Hogwash. Such should not even matter. The way I understand the rules, it does not matter what a kid's involvement in the fight is. They are there, they are involved, they are ejected. Those are the rules, period, full stop. If you don't like it, don't ump. It's as simple as that. I also would not recommend getting in between any kids and trying to stop a fight. There's no way I would do that - that's the coach's job. You're also taking a whole lot of liability on yourself because all you have to do is put your hands on a kid and you have just committed felony battery. Let the coaches sort it out. That's their job, not yours.

You have got to be kidding. There's no way on God's green earth that I would leave any of those players in the game. If you continue a game after emotions run so high that it causes a bench clearing brawl, you're asking for trouble. Someone will get hurt. And do you know who will ultimately be held responsible? You. Because you didn't enforce the rules. I have seen what happens when an official does a piss poor job of enforcing such rules and things get out of hand. A good friend of mine paid the price and ended up having to get rehab. They're all gone. Consequences be damned. If someone wants to blackball me for doing my job, I shouldn't be associated with them anyway.

Oh, no, it wasn't for the statement that he should have been ran. As I'm sure you know, per FED rules, he should have been ran as soon as I noticed the tobacco can. It's my first year in this association so I really did not want to become "that new guy." Unfortunately, that bit me right in the posterior that is supposed humongous. Sorry that I wasn't clear.