aaluck

This all seems to be making something very easy, very confusing. If BU is in the working area, as he should be why can he not make all base calls? Why have folks running all over the field when we can have one guy in the working area making the calls? If the BU cannot get to 3rd on an overthrow (as in the OP) he needs to do volleyball from a chair.

Really? Maybe it is just me, but I think moving a game a couple of hours--that causes NO problems--is relevant. Also, you do not think the entire day accommodation on Sunday for Christians to worship is relevant? I'm starting to think that maybe I'm looking at this wrong. I guess I see the AHSAA differently. I believe they are there to ensure fair play and provide a service to the student athletes. I believe they failed on both just to prove a point. I guarantee that if this would have been the 7A football finals they would have found religion (pun intended).

I have a completely different take than supporting the AHSAA and quite frankly shocked at the likes and trophy. Here are the facts...not cherry picked: 1. The AHSAA knew BEFORE the scheduling of these games they could not play until after dark on Saturday. Despite that scheduled them for the early game they knew they could not play, instead of the late one--maybe a simple mistake that could have been corrected. 2. Their opponent and the two schools in the late game ALL agreed to switch the schedule. So, switching the schedule was not a problem with anyone from the teams in the tournament and had no effect on the AHSAA. In fact, the other three schools joined in the request for the change. This isn't Duke v. NC on a Saturday CBS game. 3. The AHSAA PROHIBITS playing any sport, any game, on SUNDAY. Why? What is special about Sunday? Could it be the AHSAA has no problem accommodating Christians that worship on Sunday, rather than Saturday? They block an entire day for 'regular Christians' and can't move a game two hours for these folks? 4. What harm would have been caused by moving the 1A game back, as opposed to not moving it back? If you move it back there is no harm--everyone gets to play at the times they are fine with--if not they are forced to either violate their beliefs, which by the way they didn't. 5. These kids worked hard to get to the spot they earned. To make them forfeit, despite the actual schedule reading "All times subject to change" is nothing more than adults acting like children. I understand that they signed the agreement and are bound by the rules. Does that mean that there can be NO REASONABLE accommodation made? When I show up at a baseball field and it has been raining and they are getting the field ready do I say "hell no, we are scheduled to start at 5pm and its now 5:15, Im out of here!" Or when a bus breaks down or gets stuck behind a wreck, do we not accommodate these situations by starting later than previously scheduled? Given AHSAA's position, from now on I will simply leave if the game is not started on time--regardless of the reason--as that is the contracted, scheduled time.

https://www.wvtm13.com/article/ahsaa-response-to-oakwood-academy-forfeit-in-basketball-tournament/39232824#

So, the AHSAA has once again made national news, for all the wrong reasons..... (sorry for the huge font, not sure why). All three other schools involved agreed that they wanted to switch so the team could play. Ill paste the news segment below.. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is “seeking answers” from the Alabama High School Athletic Association following Oakwood Academy’s forfeit loss against Faith Christian in the Class 1A Northeast Regional boys semifinal earlier this week. Oakwood Academy is a Seventh-day Adventist School. That church observes the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Oakwood Academy was scheduled to play at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Jacksonville State. School officials had hoped the AHSAA would flip its game time with the other semifinal game between Cornerstone School and Decatur Heritage, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

It's obstruction and unsportsmanlike conduct at the high school level, or below. Whether you decide to call one, both or neither is up to you.

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. We went over this at our last meeting. What constitutes a 'simulation' of taking the sign? Does he have to nod, shake it off (once, twice)? Hesitate a second, two, three? To me 'simulation' means nod, at a minimum....so what if he doesn't? Am I really going to stop the game and say "Hey, pretend you are getting the pitches from the catcher"!

I'm not sure if you are serious or not but I believe this is where the game is going...if it makes it at all. Games do die and others rise. Lacrosse and soccer were not even played in high school when I was a student (I'm 54). Now they are in most HSs now. There are video game 'sports' in HS now, yes video games. I'm not an expert on revenue, but television keeps most, if not all sports going. If folks quit watching (WNBA excepted, for some reason, NBA money I guess) the sport dies. Just look at the many football leagues that have folded, paying players basically nothing. I'd say baseball has about 15 more good years, maybe. Then it won't matter who/what is calling balls and strikes.

It really is. The guy has obviously put in a lot of work to get that that position--Im assuming these are their 'best guys'. Bad as it was I hope he gets another chance, and turns things around.

For fun I went back and looked at the locked Covid thread--about 20 pages. It was interesting to see how things have played out (so far) compared to what we all thought was going to happen. It seems about everyone was 1/2 right on the various discussions and their opinions. Here we are nearly two full years later and still dealing with the problem most (of the posts) thought would be over in 6-8 months. Kind of an interesting read.

Like you, I find that hard to believe. But, crazier things have happened. I'd like to hear the results of the investigation.

That's horrible. You can see this guy has a serious problem. He's running in full force with the sole intent of knocking this ref on the floor. Please keep us updated on what happens to him.

I agree completely and that was my point. Until they make it competitive (pay wise) folks will do the ball (sports) that pays the most. We have the same here, PG. $60.00 a game/5-6 a day, 7 days a week all summer into fall. I'd die behind the plate by day two!!! 😇

This is a great point as well. I like you have done some but probably not enough. We do put all unused gear in a box and give it away to new guys each year. I will also speak with the players about umpiring after they finish their baseball 'careers' in high school. I do the same with coaches to encourage their players to stay involved in baseball by umping. However, I will say that most of these younger guys have no interest. Like you, my son has been umping with me since he was 13 (now 22). Like your son he does HS, college and just graduated from the Wendelstedt Umpire School on Wednesday--didn't make it to the advanced school. But getting any of his teammates from HS to try it is impossible. We have both invited them every time we see someone. I will also say, if we are honest, that the money has a lot to do with folks joining. We do okay here in Alabama at $80 for a varsity game. But if that was say $100 I think we would see more interest as well. Look at it this way. We get $110 for a varsity football game that takes, at most, about 2.5 hours and $80 for a dual wrestling meet which almost always takes way less than 1.5 hours. Heck, some of these HS baseball games can take 2 plus hours--last year I cannot remember any games going under 2 hours.

Interesting comments so far... and what I expected to hear. Our most recent downfall in numbers started in March 2020. I remember the last games played in 2020 were march 15, when everything got shut down. Like expressed above we had a bunch of guys realize they had other stuff to do and didn't miss being on the field and didn't return in 2021. This is the problem we are having. Last year we had three young/new guys. One of them, out of necessity due to not enough umps for that day, had to do a game alone--we normally keep young guys with older/experienced umps. He never did another game. From that point forward that school got an ump we refer to as 'the ejector'--the coach didn't make it through another game, most games we was dumped by the second inning. However, making his life miserable didn't bring that kid back. What these parents and coaches don't seem to understand is, games cannot be played without umps. Umps do not want to spend their evenings being yelled at. I also do football and we are seeing the same problems. We are requiring schools to rotate varsity games between Thursday/Friday just to have enough officials on a particular day.

When looking at the title to the thread I think the same thing. There is no coach out of control--just umpires that are not in control.

-- Down 16 from last year. Think we had about 50-60 guys -- We have had to cancel six of our contracts (due to decreasing numbers) and those six are having a very hard time finding someone to do their games. -- We are also letting coaches know that all varsity non-area games are subject to one umpire if only one is available--giving them the choice to cancel the game otherwise. -- Most JV games will only have one umpire -- All middle school games will have one umpire Are any other organizations having similar problems?

Yes exactly

Yes. That's exactly what I was wondering.

Hey guys- does this rule apply to a force out at home?

Years and years. And yes all the zipper 'handles' are now zip ties and have been for a while. Other than that its still working great and been to WELL over 500 games.

Hey guys- I wear a bucket and pack a bunch of extra clothes in my bag especially if I am working travel ball. Currently I have a champro and I don’t have any issue with space but it seems to squish down my bucket. In the top compartment I have wood as the floor for a hard surface. Maybe removing the wood would solve my issue? What bag on the market is the most bucket-friendly without losing much, if any, space for clothes and accessories? Thanks.

Okay guys. I use a cup only behind the plate, never on the field. As most of us when I first started I had a junk whatever for the youth ball,I was doing and it worked fine. As I moved into bigger kids and high school I ultimately settled on the nutty buddy, which I love for the most-part. I use the jock, which is made by battle I believe. It has no pocket and the cup just slips between my shorts and the jock. The problem I have with that setup is 1) I hate having to completely undress to take the jock off between games; and 2) I have to constantly push the cup down as I get set. To me the BEST system would be a loose cup pocket inside semi-tight compression shorts…a cup on the plate and comfortable shorts in the field and no undressing between games—haven’t found anything like that. so my question is… what does everyone use here? Is there a good solution with compression shorts that hold the cup correctly AND are comfortable in the field? Has anyone found a jock-type system that is comfortable in the field and plate? id love any and input from everyone as to what you find works the best for you. Want to make a change this year if I can find something better

We do know. See, I believe it is inappropriate for me as an umpire to ever say "coach/catcher/etc, what are you appealing”? It is his job to clearly state his appeal and my job to rule on it. If I have to walk him through what he is appealing I'm not an umpire, I'm his advocate and that's not what they pay me to do.

Okay. I got a call from a younger official the other day and not sure I know this answer. NFHS rules...12-13 year olds. R2, line drive to first. R2 leaves at the crack of the bat, F3 catches the line drive, notices R2 breaking to 3rd. F3 airmails it over the head of F5 and it runs down the fence. R2 rounds 3rd where his coach yells for him to go back to 2nd. He returns to 2nd but missed 3rd on his way back--not sure anyone saw that miss of 3rd other than umpire. After the ball was retrieved, R2 is back standing on 2nd. Coach appeals him leaving 2nd early--while he is standing back on 2nd. Is this the correct appeal since he is back on 2nd? Should the appeal be he missed 3rd? This young official didn't want to hint that he missed 3rd on the way back. Can you call him out 'on your own' for missing 3rd, despite him being back on 2nd at the time of the appeal?