BLarson

Perfect! Thanks...I just got a pair.

Some parents on teams (typically I do mostly travel select baseball) will ooh/ahh on every call against them...pitches thrown when on defense and pitches called when batting. It's just what they do.

I just worked security for the Eagles and Disturbed in the past month. I was happy to do the Eagles...I've missed them every other time they were in town. Disturbed was also very good...the most fire I've seen in a long time in a show....lots of fire. Next month we get Stevie Nicks and Olivia Rogrigo (which I'm going to skip...too many screaming girls). Bryan Adams cancelled. Not concert related...I'll be working first round NCAA basketball tournaments on 3/21 and 3/23...those are always fun to do.

Happens a lot in youth ball...where no one is ever thrown out at 2nd...and the pitcher is getting yelled at by everyone "He's going!" and if not experienced, probably steps off incorrectly for a balk. Especially runners on 1st and 3rd...the defer that steal.

You mean like this one? https://www.ump-attire.com/Products/A048P/Champro-Balls-First-4-Dial-Optic-Yellow-Plastic-Umpire-Indicator-3-2-2-Count

I really don't think MiLB is a way to grow a fanbase. Our AAA stadium for the Storm Chasers (Kansas City) is 9,000. Sure...it's a great entertainment for the value, but I don't see it as a vehicle to grow KC fans. Winning and having stars on your team does. Also...if you don't pay for some kind of streaming...it's hard find a games to watch on TV. I loved the days when the superstations WGN (Chicago), TBS (Atlanta), WOR (Mets) showed games...you could see a lot more games easily. There's just not that many games on the usual options...ESPN, FOX, etc... You have to pay a premium just to watch games.

At a local bar (not arena, or venue...a bar) in Omaha...many, many, many years ago (late 90's)...somehow we got Foghat to play there. We mostly had local cover bands every weekend...once in a while a local original band would play. One of my fellow bouncers got blindsided by a thrown beer bottle and was taken to the hospital. Everyone went bananas at the end when they played Slow Ride. My first concert was Kiss when I was 14...my mom drove me and my buddy and my 3 younger siblings 90 miles 1 way, went shopping/ate/waited for me and buddy while we were at the show...then drove us 90 miles back home. Fast forward about 40 years later I was working security here in Omaha at a Kiss show and Gene Simmons (who is 70+ and just got done playing for 2+ hours) stopped backstage and berated me for holding my flashlight the wrong way!!

+1 for the Cobalt.

I've worked security for our arena in Omaha (CHI Center) and before that our Civic Arena for the past 19 years or so. I've seen countless bands from all genres. I work the stage/barricade...coaches/parents are no issues after dealing and removing guests over the years. The top 2 questions I always get: 1. Do you ever get to meet "xxxxxxxxx"? No sorry, I show up go to the stage and work until the show's over and make sure everyone leaves...then we usually have to pickup the 500-1000 chairs on the floor on to racks. Do you think "xxxxxxxxx" wants to hang out with some random security guys...although I have met a few entertainers over the years...but very rarely. 2. What's your favorite show? I explain that the shows are all good and the people that come to see Barry Manilow, Morgan Wallen, Kiss, etc...are all there because they're big fans...I typically only talk to people in the first row, or in the pit (depending upon the show layout...and all of those people are super excited to be there...I tell them the shows I hated...not from a music standpoint...but from fan behavior...Lil Wayne and Jimmy Buffet (RIP).

8u machine pitch...I'm guessing there's obstruction on every hit ball.

That's pretty much the advisement of our UIC. Nobody said the can't continue playing...they just don't need an umpire to continue playing...your duty was completed as per parameters set at the plate meeting. A lot of time there's not a lot of game management by the winning team until it's too late...stealing every base, advancing home on passed ball.

I run into the same issue when it comes to run rules. At the plate meeting we clearly state what the run rules are and what the time limit it. 15 after 3, 8 after 4 for a 6 inning USSSA game. Either 1 hour 40 minutes or 1 hour 50 minutes...depending upon age and other factors. I've had 1 team get run ruled in an hour or less, but both teams want to keep playing to get work in pitching, more at-bats, etc... On one hand, I want to help them out but on the other hand we agreed on a set of parameters that ends the game.

What age is this for? When my kids played rec ball under the age of 8 we had a parent back there...because you know...catchers can't catch at that age.

We sorta have a field like that...not sure when this google photo was taken but all this year there were NO lines painted/chalked into the outfield...and there aren't any fair/foul poles

https://www.si.com/college/2023/07/19/suny-morrisville-football-unveils-playing-field-with-black-turf

We ran this play quite a bit of the time...it usually only works the first time, so we tried to get it right the first time. For us, we would have F5 hold the runner on, but come off the bag to take the throw to get R1 attempting 2nd...and then fire home if R3 takes off. We never executed it with F5 in a defensive position off the bag.

Most time they yell dumb things...like "that's a foul ball" over and over when it's a foul tip. Or "that's a balk!" when runner stealing 2nd/3rd and pitch steps and throws to that base to try to retire the runner. Most of the time it's ignorance on what they yell.

I have a "go" bag for different sports I officiate. For baseball, it's a baseball backpack. I keep my phone, sunscreen, bug spray, gum, extra indicator, snacks, etc... I usually hang it behind the backstop, out of the way of spectators.

@mac266 I know you don't like youth ball, but.... I had an 8U player come up to me this weekend while he was waiting for his catcher (he walked from the mound to me behind the play) and thanked me for being a great umpire. My heart dropped. I told him thanks for being a GREAT player.

...In a scrimmage... If it was easy, everyone would do it.

My friend and I do a lot of games together and we pre-game this a lot. It's hard to tell what happens on the front side (heck, even back side) of the batter. If I'm plate, and I have it, I call it. If he's bases, and he has it, he calls it. If neither of us call it, then it's live ball. We also had one of the know into fair territory where everyone kind of stood around until the defense figured it out from our silence. I was in C and see/hear it happen...partner could not, but knew enough that he heard bat as well. The Offense HC wanted HBP, but we explained it was off the knob (you could also tell by the body language of the batter he wasn't hit in the hands)

Honestly, that's chickensh*t that the fans did that to an 18 and 15 year old. Much, much improbably with grown adults. I think it's deplorable that adults try to intimidate teenage umpires.

I got my buddy into umpiring last fall/this spring&summer after coaching the last 5 years together. I tell him the things coaches/parents yell: "That's not you Billy" "He's got a big zone" (especially in the first inning) "He's calling the outside pitch" "Good take, that's xxxxx" Aren't really directed at you as the umpire, it's just stuff coaches and parents think they need to say to keep their players from getting discouraged. You know when they are directing their comments TO you.

I always thought associations should go to high schools when the kids are trying out and let them know:| You've probably been playing baseball of some form since your were 5 years old. You love/like baseball enough to try out for your school. Not everyone will make the team. Keep involved in the game by becoming an umpire It's going to pay better and better hours than most any other spring/summer job you can get. Our high school will get 100+ freshmen trying out for baseball...only 18-20 might make it. Some smaller schools will end up taking whoever shows up. Catching kids that played baseball that won't make a HS team seems the best pool to tap into.

I hear a lot of coaches tell their players to run regardless on strike 3 if the catcher catches it or not...you know, just in case.