littleleagueump

You can learn a lot from the guys that are regulars on here. The best part of this site is the situations and the comes the feedbacks from many amature umpires. It's great. I wish you the best of luck. It will be difficult not talking (coaching) to players while officiating a game. I coached a couple of years and it is hard for me. Sometimes I catch myself talking to pitchers telling them how to and what to do in situations where they are struggling. Good luck behind the dish. Take your lumps for the bad calls you will never make, you probably have given a few of them yourself.

I saw a display of very poor mechanics yesterday and with my back ground as an instructor in Little League, these umpires that work only for the money just really boiled my brain. I was walking from the parking lot to get ready for a game at the park and I noticed another game that I have no contol over was already being played. What started it for me was I know who these guys work for. They work for an association that trains them in clinics that last maybe 4 hours and them they are told to go call ball. They usually show up just in time to start play and some of them don't check equipment before the game starts. The part about the equipment if any of you know Little League is check for cracked bats, cracked or painted helmets and the catcher has a dangling throat guard on the double ear helmet that the catcher is supposed to use. The firt item as Iwalk from my truck was to see that the game was in progress, the pitcher was throwing pitches with noe runners on and the BU that was in the A position was on a knee! Next, isaw that the PU had his hands behind his back every the entire time. The catcher had a skull helmet on and NO DANGLING THROAT GUARD! I was non-the-less, very upset with these clowns. They just don't understand the liabilities that they are responsible for. They were informed by my DA that they were to correct the problem. What made it even worse is that the safety director of that league was a coach for the other team. Safety is a big issue on the field before you start a game. You are liable for everthing that can happen. Protect yourself or you can cause a lot of problems for youself. Good luck.

Good thing about Little League, all bats must say Little League Approved on them. Those composite bats are not all that great either. Warner Robins, the 2007 Little League World Series Champions played the state tournament in Brooks, Georgia,vVery close to my house. Every player had one of these bats. All new, all donated. They broke two of them. Shattered the composite material in them, aka graphite. Don't be fooled by them either. Ask theeduece, he knows too. I still need to train him.

The seasons aren't the problem too often here, it is when we start district tournaments. Huge thunder storms loom and tornado watches and warnings are all across the state. By the end of the tournament, we are usually a day behind.

You call an iff by the rule book. It dosen't matter if the the baseman bails out on the play. In that case, if the runners reconize it, they can bolt. It is in the rule book as everyone has posted. And iff is an iff, same as a foul is foul forever. Well, you know what I mean. You just better have a good story for the other coach if he comes after you. Good luck.

You need to judge on who you see is the most helpful with answering questions from others and giving advice. Take those who are the best and use them to your advantage. Any problems that need attention, submit them to these helpful people on their email address. I am not on her every day so if I was on thes panel, then you would need to send the problem to me via email.

Give me the specifics on this item you have. Is it a football girdle? Contact me on my email.

I got a call from one of my umpires (Buddy) and he called to discuss a situation that had happened on the field one night. He was calling the bases that night and his partner (Ted) at the plate had a play that mythed me. Runner on second, no outs. Count on the batter is 2-2. Batter swings a a terrible pitch, the catcher makes no catch. The batter was aware of the situation and begins to run to first seeing he was quickly aware that he swung at a really bad pitch. (This to me is the dumbest rule in the rule book, if you strike out, go to the dugout) The missed ball then hits the catchers shin guards and careens off him an hits the batter in the foot as he attempts to advance to first. The ball goes toward the on-deck circle and then is fielded by the catcher where he makes no attempt to throw out the BR because his coaches kept yelling that the batter is out. WRONG! Ted did not signal that the BR was out and when an explanation was given, that the BR was not out because it was not a batted ball. I had never seen this before and I had to give him my opinion of what happened. My opinion to Buddy was that it is a live ball, the BR is out. Three nights later while watching the humble Braves play, that same thing occured in the game. What are the odds this would happen, like seeing bigfoot in my yard. The BR swung at a bad pitch, the pitch was in the dirt, it came of the catchers glove and hit the BR as he attempted to advance to first. The PU immediately signaled a non-verbal safe call and the catcher got to the ball and threw the BR out at first. New on on me. :WTF

I have been the UIC for 12 years for Senoia Area Little League and Griffin Little League for two years now. I recruit and train along with schedule for these leagues and Big League as well. I like to pick out my partners, it aint right but I don't like to work with umpires that are hard headed and don't listen to what I have instructed as a Little League Instructor. I have those who are more experienced, some just too damn old, that I do try to watch to see if they can change their mechanics and those that I have taken under my wing to shape into a mold that I like to see and then watch then become on ofthe better umpires in the district. I have one, he is one of the just too damn old ones that is an embarassment to see him on the field, or just know that he is making bad calls while I am on a different field or at a different park. Finally, after he umpired for 20 years at Senoia, last year I just quit calling him. He wasn't happy either but I and the league were. Don't get me wrong, he was reliable. His name is Richard. He came to the state umpie clinic and I was happy to see him there. He said he couldn't stay the entire clinic. I told him to stay here long enough to learn something. He approached my DA and told her that he just came to get his certification. He was told if he wanted to get certified, he would have to attend the clinic. He left. That is one of several reasons why I quit calling him. Another reason is the league and I were tired of all the bad calls and I was tired of him chasing me around the park yelling, "WHERE'S MY MONEY!" Money was the most important issue for him at the park, not the kids. He couldn't get around well either. I worked with him on game and the runner on first was attepting to steal second. Richard was sliding over into position to watch for the throw from the catcher. He got in too tight and was hit in the back of the leg by the thrown ball. Coaches were furious. He was in the line of fire and made no attempt to avoid the throw down. I was non-the-less, "PISSED!" I let him know about it after the game and he told me that is why he hates calling with me, I try to correct him all the time. Well, DUH!!!! Others think that because of a play like at the plate, the coaches or maybe parents thought the call was a bad call, the plate umpire feels the need to talk to the parents or coaches during each half inning to explain why he made such a call. If the runner is out, so be it. If the parents are just mythed and disturbed at the decision of the umpire, we can't make everyone happy. I called the state big league tournament in West Point Georgia in mid July 2008, and we were to start with 3 teams. The Saturday when we was to start the games, one team never showed. It was then between district 4 and district 7, best of three. I am a district 4 umpire. District 7 lost the Saturday game 20-6. I was not there for that game. Sunday's game was rained out so we had to plat Monday. I could only get myself and one of my other district 4 umpires to call the game. After the 4th inning, in between innings, I saw two district 7 coaches looking at the rule book at their dugout. I approached then just to be helpful and asked what was they looking for that I might be able to help. They said "nothing." Then on of them came to me and asked me if I was a district 4 umpire. "Yes I am but in this case, I am a Little League umpire. The cause for me being an umpire in district 4 should have no judgemnet on the outcome of the game." I called to my DA and informed her of it so that there would be no problems with this game. This team was trying to pass over the thought that I was trying to call the game for the district 4 team. "IT IS 19-0!" (NINETEEN TO NOTHING!!!!!) O M G !!!!!!!! The game ended with a score of 21-6. You talk about being pissed. My DA had to calm me down after the game. I had five people, in the score box directly behind me, their eyes are maybe 10' off the ground and then they are 35' behind me. That is a very good angle to see balls and strikes. They said that my strike zone was the best they had seen. It wasn't until the 5th inning before I called strike three on any batter in the game. On top of it all, after the coaches started to assume that I was trying to cheat them, they had a kid in the stands take his camera and try to get an angle with his camera to film my strike zone. What a joke! I have one umpire that is an air marshall. He rides commercial airliners all around the world with his gun. He is a cop in the ski. In 2007. I took a group of five, that includes me, 800+ miles to St. Petersburg Florida to the regional umpire clinic. Well, sure enough, he brought his gun. I told him he had better leave it in the van when we arrive. Little League will not tolerate a gun on the property. Sure enough, he had the gun hanging on the bed post. He loves his gun. He talks of his gun. If anyone gets out of line no matter where it is, he brags that he will get his gun and shoot em. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! He won't tell anyone directly that he will shoot them but he will tell who he is with about someone else. He is a dependable umpire but he is not the best decision caller. His judgements are not all that good and his mechanics are very unfamiliar. Another umpire I have is a school teacher. He is a great umpire, I mean good. Almost as ggod as I am. We tick together like a Timex watch. His mouth is the problem. If a coach comes out to ask about a call or a rule, he wants to get defensive and it appears he looks to try to toss someone. He likes to go to the winning teams dugout and inform them that if the get blah, blah, blah outs or something that they will win the game. WHO CARES! SHUT UP! Well, it is fall ball time and I have yet to call a game. Side work and hunting has kept me from it. I love it. I hope that any of you have a story as overwhelming as this one. Try to beat it or just share one of our own. Good luck and have a clean safe, fun ball game yall.

Little League is a VOLUNTEER program. The thought of instant replays is crazy. UIC is right, there are 6 umpires there already on a field that is a little more than 200 feet. Let the kids play baseball. My biggest prize it to umpire a world series. I am in line for one now. It is a Senior League World Series that will be in Bangor Maine but the ultimate goal for Little League umpires is to get to Williamsport. How would you like to go to Williamsport, butterflies are swarming, it is like playing in the Super Bowl or racing the Daytona 500 as a rookie and you are on the pole. You get you schedule, your game is next, you call a great game, the home teams wins due to a walk-off homerun............... NO, WAIT! Instant replay show that it was a foul ball, the home teams then loses and you go home a GOAT. The laughing and criticism is endless when you get home. Your yard is rolled and during the games are not watched because everyone is busy watching and talking about you.

I have found that some fire/saftey/police can work the best. I haven't had any work for me in a while but I have worked games with them before. Former and current, not short time but long term military personel are good too. They can often work mechanics like a machine. Most of my umpires are just everyday, working whatever type people. I have tried to get HS coaches and others but have had no success. I have one school teacher. He is one of my best umpires but he likes to talk to coaches and players too much. It is going to get him in trouble. I have a federal agent that works airliners as his job. He is an air-marshall. He has the gun on the plane. He is an average umpire but his gun is his biggest attirbute. He brags about his gun all the time. He loves his gun. He will take it on the field with him if he could. The best umpires are the ones that you pick out. You pick them from the ball fields. They are coaches, former coaches and usually the best are the teenage players. These you can train to what you would like them to do in games and situations. There can be problems with scheduling them later in the season because they would rather party, mess with girls or just maybe football practice has started or that they have a job at McDonalds.

I disagree with a small part of what Stan W says as far as trainning goes. Starting out with a little mechanics and understanding the rules is okay. Let other quailified instructors train him, not yourself. You trainning him is about the same as a coach trying to get his kid to be the best but the kid isn't the best and then the parent/coach just gets frustrated, we have all seen that. Look over the instuctors shoulder a time or two but let your son do it on his own with others in a classroom atmosphere. One on one is not the best way alone but with multiple people in a clinic is better. Here is a mechanics power point presentation from Little League that should help too. Pass this along to everyone. http://eteamz.active.com/tellbaseball/files/LLUmpireTwoManRotation_Rev3[1].0.ppt

I like strikes and out myself, it gets you home faster. Most of all, the game is for the kids, not the coaches or the umpires to get paid. Call the game fair, down the line. Never short change a team because your favorite T.V. program is on in less than 30 minutes or you girlfiend has better things for you to do.

I am working with my second West Vest. The first was the cheap one and now I have the Gold. Both are very similar. They work great. Hardly no effects of getting hit by pitches, Doen't protect the belly button as much, you will get hit in the lower tummy but it is great. I got my first one to end getting hit on the collar bone. I have never about dropped to a knee from a hit until I got hit for about the thrid time there. You made a good choice. Now, there is maintaining your gear. I wrote a story of how is the best way to clean your gear. I used to was mine in the bathtub, others use febreeze. Febreeze will mask the smell, not clean your gear. I was at work one day. I thought of an unusual was to clean my gear. I took it upon myself to ask my wife, this is funny, when I got home from work one day, asking her if I could use the diswasher to clean my gear. She said yes, to my suprise. Shin guards and mask on the bottom and the CP on the top. NO SOAP NEEDED. The water is hot enough to do the job. Give it a try.

Next time you know you are going to work with him, show up just in time for the game and leave you plate gear at home. OPPS!

I ain't you bigdog. In these days, people (coaches and parents) don't have time to do anything such as read a rule book or volunteer in the consession stand. All they have time for is making money, even if it requires not doing anything. They would rather go to the ballpark and have the league pay someone on the outside to do it all for them and then complain if they have to pay a little more to make it better or if they don't understand the rules. THEY DON"T READ THE RULES!!!! If their job was at stake, they would read the rules. If you had a rules clinic that all coaches were to attend, and you ws to give each person money and/or free lunch, they would show. We are a lazy society. Agreed?

That is neat. It is a tri-fold. I may get one or two myself. By enlarging the picture of it ans looking at it closely, you can write changes on the lineup sheets, fold the thing up and out it up. The one I have is good, but I have to fold up the lineup cards, put them back in the card holder and stuff it in my pocket. I think I like this one better. I will have to get one. Thanks strike3scott.

I need to buy stock in Honigs. I buy from the all the time. I WILL NOT............. wear a shirt unless it is Honigs or it ws given to me such as my regional shirts of from world series tournaments. Honigs has to me the best uniforms. The fabric on their shirts are good to me. Cliff Keen is too hot. The fabric is heavy and it makes me itch. Don't get the shiny shirts either. They are hard to find now and that is good. They are just about gone. When it comes to gear, well then I look to cat-sports.net. They have all Wilson/West Vest gear with very good prices. They sell mostly as combo packages. That is where you save.

Put you watch or cell phone in you pocket, set the alaem on it. That is the best option. Lugging extra and unnecessary equipment on the field is not good. Hanging items on the fence just gives you the opportunity to lose something. You need to keep all of your belongings on yourself at all times, like your mask. NEVER put it on the ground. But, on the other hane, there is an indicator with a timer on it. I can not remember where it is, but I do thing that Honigs has one.

In this case, REQUEST him to do it. Be blunt! I have many umpires that work for me in my leagues and I require them to communicate, work together as a team. We (you and I) as umpires are the third unknown and unappreciated team on the field. I have in my corp, a handful of umpires (about 5 or 6) that we don't need to do pre-game chats because we know what we do. We know what to expect of each other. Sometimes, we get funny, like when we do two outs, we put two fingers up behind our head like a rabbit, fingers in our nose or many other things. This is not recommeded by the way. LOL. You and your partner need to be on the same page, especially if you have never worked or have worked very little with this person. It could cause a problem in the game. One of you may get confused or in trouble on a call.

Need to know some of the Little League rules? Email me any time.

I had the same situation happen in a Little League jr. game one evening. Batter was hit by a pitch that hit the dirt first, the batter made every attempt to avoid the pitch. I called time and awarded the batter first base. The opposing coach came out to let me know that I can not do that. "Do what?" I asked. He informed me that due to the ball hitting the ground first, it is a dead ball therefore the batter can not go to first. This went on for a minute, it went around three times before I finally called to the batter now standing on first, "hey batter, this coach says you can not be on the base and that you are supposed to bat again." He started to come back but I stopped him. Then the coach said, ''blue, you don't have to get upset, all you had to do was explain it to me." DUH!! That is what I was thinking and what my partner standing 10 feet away was looking as if to say with his hands up in the air. After I went back to the plate to resume the game, the catcher who I have known for several years told me that I was wrong too. He said it isn't any different than a foul ball hittin the fence. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where do you people come from! The next week it happened again wth the senior league. Hit batter, pitch in the dirt, "time, go to first." Then I hear a coach from the dugout, "it hit the ground first!" Oh no, not again. The coach never came out but the pitchers said, "hey blue, the ball hit the ground first." I said "right, you saw that too, you have good eyesight, PLAY BALL!" I have been the UIC fo one leage for 12 years now and have absorbed another league this past year. I have tried for all of those years to make it mandatory for coaches to attend the umpire's rules clinic. I had a good turn out a few years ago but it is hard to get more than 3 to 4 coaches to show up and then they don't understand the rules when they are on the field. All they have to do is show up to these meetings and I will explain, help them. Simple enough?