BLarson

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.

I don't think coaches know what it means to be "in the batter's box" A lot of coaches think he's out of the box if any part of his foot is out of the lines. I only get get this when we play on turf fields.

I don't see the reason why to manipulate the clock. At the plate meeting we announce the start time and the time limit. I don't need a timer for everyone to look at...everyone knows when the time limit expires. I believe transparency is the best. Yes...some inninigs will get started with a minute or seconds left. (On weeknight/non-tourney games I ask if they want to continue to play...tournament games we play until the time limit expires) I coached for a long time and I would want the opportunity to come back if I was the away team in a tournament and there's a minute or less of the time limit. I think it's unfair to deny a team that chance just because the umpires want to be done or to keep on schedule when we clearly haven't played the full time limit. In the long run I believe that all the games that run long are negated by all the games that are over early from mercy/run rules.

I had the same thing happen last weekend...of course it was his son pitching.

I'm sure someone will tell my why I shouldn't do this, but I just use armorall and a toothbrush and it cleans the white/black/mesh/leather just fine...and puts a shine on it.

Not sure about where the OP lives or the umpire situation where everyone lives but here in Omaha for non-tournament games 12u and below there will never be 2 umpires. Even on weekend tournaments it's very hard to field 2 umpires for every age group. There's just too much demand and too much of a shortage of umpires. I really don't get people: 12U Fall Ball Last game of the year 18yo umpire (regardless of age) Who acts like that?

I was doing a 10U championship game. R1. Less than 2 outs. R1 stealing on pitch. Batter hits line drive to SS which is caught for an out. R1 retreats to 1B. SS throws ball past F3 and goes under the fence out of play. R1 does get back to touch 1B. I award R1 3B and the entire defensive coaches and parents collectively state NO!!! The DHC comes over and I explain that it's 2 bases from TOT. He thinks it's only 1 base award on an overthrow. He is adamant that's the rule. We're standing by the 3B coach and tells me he's a HS coach and asks him if it's 1 base on an overthrow...he goes "Uh, that sounds right". I tried by best to explain 1 base on overthrow isn't a thing and finally said: If you want, go ahead and protest, let's get the UIC on the phone and let's take care of it. He says no and we proceed. Later in the game he came over and said he looked it up and I was right. I also had 3 other sperate parents (from both teams) come up and tell me I made the right call. I'm always surprised how ADAMENT every coach is when they tell me what the rule is. Same thing happens from time to time when a batter swings at pitch that hits him. The ones that don't know are ADAMENT they should get 1B. It always goes like this: Ball hits batter while swinging at the pitch. Me: Time. Strike. Coach: The ball hit him. Me: Yes it did. But he swung at the pitch. Coach: Doesn't matter, it hit him. Me: Sorry coach...it's a strike Coach: I've never heard that before.

Yikes...sucker punched.

In our area a lot of the organizations/teams/coaches/parent use an app that tracks lightning strikes and I believe we use 7 miles (could be 10). During non-tournament games and a storm/thunder/lightning happens I get with the coaches as we're the only ones around...during tournaments usually the director dictates what we do (if it's not obvious to everyone)

LOL...no. (I think they work black for every game except 1 or 2 where they wore light blue) Where I worked was the entrance to the field level on the 3rd base side. Besides the team entering/exiting, I check credentials and verify that only NCAA/CWS /ESPN credentialed staff are coming down. I get the color guard before the game, the umpires also enter and exit, we only allow NCAA/team/ESPN media in this area, trainers/medical staff, and various in-game promotions come through. There's also a police officer stationed with me. If there's something going on in the crowd that doesn't need immediate attention we call for other security to handle. The funny things I have to handle is the never ending kids (and adults) that come down to ask the ball girls for baseballs and to ask (sometimes yell) for people to stay off the dugout roof. This was my 11th CWS at the new park since it opened...I missed last year and obviously the 2020 year when it was cancelled. I do get to talk to the umpires that aren't working if they come down to my area.

When a game ends really early (like 30-40+ minutes) and 1 or both teams are playing again either in a double header or a different team comes in I ask them how long they need before the next game. They always say 10-15 minutes, but that never happens as all the kids/parents fee their kids or get food from the concession stand which may not be close and there's usually a line. It's always double the time...I just try to pick a plate meeting time that starts early but still gives all teams time. I find it more aggravating when a game goes way long and they want to mess around before starting the next game.

I was field level by the dugouts.

March 17 - today: 72 games umpired 34 games coached (14U) 15 games (all) working security at College World Series.

I do a lot of youth baseball. If a ball that is hit in play or thrown by a player that hits a kid on offense or defense and obviously in pain I kill it as soon as I can. When kids are hit by the ball during a pick off by pitcher and catcher you can usually tell if the kid is hurt or not and I call time immediately to make sure they are ok. I also had a pitcher take a line drive to the eye/face...none of us could run fast enough to the mound to assist him. I will never forget the sound that it made.

I was just wondering about this last night when I was gearing up...how would I replace these if they got broke.

I always think of it this way....every call...50% of the people will love it...50% of the people will hate it. Can never win....you do you.

Tell your wife...the first rule of umpiring, is we don't talk about umpiring. The second rule of umpiring IS WE DON'T TALK ABOUT UMPIRING.