JohnT

I agree that a bit of a downturn is a good thing from time to time. It keeps businesses and organizations honest, and filters out the bad ones. For example, Khoury League is the oldest youth baseball league in the country ( 2 years before LL). It used to be all over the country and now we are down to about 12 leagues in the metro east St. Louis. This is the same as weeding out businesses such as GM. Its a lovely thing we call in Econ 101 capitalism. I highly doubt we will make it and I think another organization is in our not to distant future.

In our league, if it is an adult cussing it is automatic EJ. If it is a player, that player gets a warning, and the next time its an EJ. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Thanks for the comments guys. I am looking forward to a better season this year!

The situation I remember most was an 11u game during fall ball. The whole coaching staff was a bunch of jerks, and ended up getting kicked out of the league at the end. (Not for this specific incident, just everything added up until something broke the camel's back.) The manager came out to argue balls and strikes with the home plate umpire. (Yea, thats a no-no.) So while the PU was occupied with that, the coaches in the dugout started to head towards home plate to join the manager. I cut off the coaches, told them to go back to their dugouts, and to "not start." Well, the one smart mouth said, "Listen kid, Im 35, and your 16. Don't tell me to not start." I ignored as I kept shoo-ing them back to their dugout. When they got to the dugout, the same smart mouth said, "Ok we are here, now get back to your position." to which I replied, "You don't need to be telling me what to do!" He then took my name and number blah blah blah. The manager ended up getting EJ by the PU for arguing balls and strikes. Poorly handled on my part? I think so. The coach brought the conversation to a personal level and I followed. But, I have learned my lesson.

As I am preparing for the upcoming season, I have begin to wonder about all the past opportunities I have had to eject, and haven't. Probably the most frequent opportunities, is age. I hear couple times a year, "Listen kid, your 17 and im 35, you don't tell me what to do!" I am assuming bringing up age like that would be grounds for an EJ?

:clap:

I have been told that every umpire, despite of his experience or lack thereof, should have goals as they continue to umpire in order to improve. Some goals will probably be minor things, and others (like myself) will have more major goals in order to improve. What are your '09 goals? Mine are: - Officiate at least fifty games this year. Before, I had burned out way to quick and ended up not doing many at all. Only way to improve is to keep doing it. - Become more efficient is softball. Even though BB umpires seem to look down on SB umpires, it seems like it would be a good fit for me. - Have a more consistant strike zone. Most of my troubles begin when I haven't done a game in a while, and I do the plate. I am just out of practice. - Work on game management. I need to put up with less BS and establish a reputation for myself as an umpire... not a coordinator. Yes, I need to eject someone this year. (Looking back, I have several opportunities a year that I don't take) - Have more fun! By the end of the game, and the season, I want to feel like I had fun! This past season, it seemed more like a job... While I was working the plate, I couldn't wait to get done with the game. This caused a widening strike zone, and several unhappy coaches/fans/players. What are your goals for the 09 season?

I, personally, do not like the HSM. I think that it is too bulky on my head, too hot, and too loud. I was forced to wear one as a catcher, and I did not like it at all. Traditional style for me.

Well, I am a Warner fan... so I'm gonna have to go with Arizona.

I am looking into getting another color or two to add to the shirt inventory. All I have now is the navy with white and red stripes, and the powder blue with the white and navy stripes. What colors do you have in your inventory, and which do you recommend for a "fun" color? Im thinking of getting a black one, but there are many options. :shrug:

I don't really consider myself a UIC. I just schedule, and I am at the park every night to filter bs complaints from valid ones, in which case I call, or get, a board member. When school lets out, I am at the park working on the fields every day until game time with my partner in crime, and then we work during the games. Sometimes I umpire, but I mostly stay there to make sure all the umps are where they need to be, and we don't have any bs complaints. In a league with 700 + kids, this is a full time job from April - July. Burnout is a high possibility I havent even thought of. Yet, I can't wait for the season to start during the winter... I just know Im gonna get sick of it soon after it starts.

Welcome! We have a helpful and experienced group here!

$35 for some select. $40 junior high - soph range $55 varsity level -coming from a fellow umpire who does these high school games.

Here is another question: Which youth league do you think is the best as far as rules, stability, etc?

Any update on this?

Thanks for your replies everyone. This isn't the norm in our league atmosphere. In fact, we are towards the end of our process of cleaning up the crap in our league. We aren't really talking about malicious conduct here... that has been cleaned out. Im talking about the whining, the coach coming out to say he saw a play at second better than I did and that he got under the tag, im talking about all the groans and the "Come on blue" when im at the plate, and the comments from the third base coach about that last strike out on the way back to the dugout after the inning. When several of these examples happen a game, it gets to be not fun anymore. Brian, keep in mind I do about 20 games a year now... So its not like I go through a 100 game schedule a year without any ejs. This has been great advice so far. I was gonna take another hack at it this year, and see what happens, and if I have the same problems I was going to take a break for a while.

Hello everyone. Wow, this place sure has grown since when I first joined. Warren, thumbs up man! Over the past few years, I have been experiencing a problem so to speak. There are times when I dread umpiring... I dread being out in the field, and I simply cannot wait for it to be over. Obviously, I don't want it to be this way. Here is some background: I am 17 years old, and I will be 18 before the upcoming season. I have been umpiring since I was 13 at the local youth league. Three years ago, my dad became the President of that league, and I was ropped in and became umpire coordinator. Last year, I became a state-licensed official and started calling some junior high and some select ball. I have never ejected anybody as an umpire... only as a coordinator supervising our complex. Now, I love baseball.... I love everything about it. The crack of the bat, how the crowd goes nuts after a diving catch; I love the comradery of umpiring and the look of the umpire crew in full uniform. I know the rules better than most people in our league (me being coordinator, it is kind of expected), and I do not mind teaching umpire clinics for our league and applying rules there. But, when I am on the field, I cannot stand the bitching! It gets to me for some reason, and it seems like I get more than other umpires. I am not sure if it is because I am young or what, but I get it all the time. When I am working the plate, for example, people start complaining, and then all I want to do is get the game over with. I have caught myself making the strike zone bigger and calling more strikes in order to move the game along. This, in turn, is the source of even more complaining! It is frustrating that people have no respect! I consider myself a relatively mature kid for someone my age and always approach any situation with a calm head. It seems though, that the rats move past that and always find something to gripe about. As coordinator, I hardly ever schedule myself anymore unless I absolutely need myself to umpire, and I have taken my phone # off our state association site. But, here is the kicker: right now (winter-offseason) I absolutely cannot wait for baseball to start and get back out there. But I know that I will already be sick of it a few weeks after opening day. Sorry for the long post, but does anyone have any suggestions? Is it some feeling that I just dont want people to not like me? Or a feeling that I feel like if I get chatter, I feel im not doing a good job? These were all possibilities that I have thought about, but do not know how to correct. Thanks for being my psychiatrist! haha If you need anything else, let me know. John

I was a catcher, and I wasn't too bad either... I was the starting catcher and batted clean up on the JH team. I didnt try out in high school because I wanted to get more involved with the local league and umpire. Oh well.

Strike3urout, where did you live in southern Illinois? I live in Belleville...tend to work for the southwest league and i coordinate for Khoury League. And Bob Bainter, any relation to Gary Bainter? Small world! haha

I dont think that is true at all. I do think that while learning the game, you should stick to one or the other, but once you have become seasoned in one, why not add the other?

Pretty simple question. I am looking into buying my state association base hat. ( http://www.honigs.com/detail.asp?Cat=&Sub=&Item=322 ) I was wondering if I should get wool or mesh. What are the downsides and upsides to both, and what is generally worn? Thanks! JohnT

Just to echo what everybody else said...its fine. You will get over it and the coaches will get over it and so will the players. Tomorrows a new ball game! When I find myself anticipating, I just force myself not to. Its hard to explain, but I just dont think "he will be safe" just think watch...watch...watch...call it.

I use four dial. I never keep track of the innings, but i like the feel of it better in my hand. It seems easier to use for me for some reason. I am just used to it.

That is almost humorous. The fact that the TD made a big ejection mechanic is very funny. I probably would have been laughing... All jokes aside, that is a very petty thing to get mad about. Especially if there are lights available. I probably would have had the same reaction as the TD: Just get over it! But I would have just walked away sooner than the TD did.