Ump Rube

Amen. Had something similar happen, he had 2-0 and I had 2-1. He missed the strike a pitch ago on the steal to 2B. I wanted to or even but ended up mentally .

Excellent read. So good that I won't make fun of the fact you used "An" instead of "A." :tantrum:

I think Tree has the right idea... Let me ask this question and see how this may/may not change peoples thinking: What is the difference between the following actions? (assume pitch is in K-zone) BR catches the pitch BR attempts to catch pitch and deflect it to F2's mit BR attempts to catch pitch and deflects it to the ground BR attempts to catch pitch and misses it completely BR leans into pitch and deflects it to the ground BR leans into pitch and misses it completely

Kyle, these are (supposedly I have yet to compare) a slightly darker red and with an "MLB style" black trim (think Polo Blue but in Red). I don't think I will ever use the red ball bag, unless I get to the MLB and have to wear a red hat on Memorial Day. I am just not a fan of not getting notified when items that I am supposed to receive don't get shipped and I have to make contact to check on them.

I know I am going to get it for this, but... yes. I made the mistake of looking at shirts online in front of my wife. At the time I only had navy & powder (navy/white) in my closet (read: the back end of my car). I was hemming and hawing on what to get next and sure enough I (attempting to earn brownie points, because I have only been married 9 months) said, "I can't decide you pick one." Well she likes red, and she saw the free ball bag... and the rest is history. Truth be told, I don't think it looks that bad. And I only get (read: have) to wear it at single-ump games, so not very often. And if I get brownie point off of it then it's fine with me.

Placed Order: 01:23 PM 05/15/2009 (2 shirts, 1 with numbers sewn on plus free ball bag) $10.95 S&H Order Received: Afternoon of 06/01/2009 Never received a shipping confirmation e-mail. Still have not received "free ball bag," I had to e-mail 3 days later to find they are back ordered and will go out when they come in.

Could be just us odd MN folk, but we have female stems on the bases and the male posts in the ground. That way the dirt doesn't get in the hole for the base. Downside, you have to dig out around the post a bit so the base can go down.

I believe the technical term (or maybe non-technical term) is Hollywood Bases. Anywho... In my experience the bases do not come out that often, and when they do it takes a hell of a yank. So with that in mind. No tag, no play, no out. No warning needed. Maybe, a hey let's try to keep the bases in the field ok? OR I think you need to rethink the meaning of stealing. Check with the field's managers (City, League, School, sometimes a travel team "adopts" a field) and have them check to make sure the posts are at the right height to the dirt level, and have them correct if possible,

Cranial-rectal inversion is a common occurrence in the United States. It kills thousands every year, and millions more suffer from it's symptoms. Please don't become another casualty of CRI.

Tell me about it, last night at my game it was windy, cold and (although not technically) it SNOWED! Small white objects came down, but no spots were left on my jacket, so it was really raining ice, but that is close enough for snow to me! During the 4th inning, I smelled something burning like a campfire I turned around half expecting to see some people standing around one, but there was none at the field... it was at one of the houses nearby. Only in MN, and maybe Alaska. :wave:

HIGH-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Relly-big shooooooo, relly-big. :smachhead:

I could just be dumb (as some RAT feel the the need to point out), but what is a "rubber conveyor"?

Please RefUmp, don't bring us good minnesotans in to this ok? Ya, sure, ya'betcha, dont'cha know! P.S. does that mean, he was not calling the middle out side strike and also calling 1 pitch up high? (As per the shape of my great state.)

Thanks for the nice review. I am looking for some new shoes for maybe this year, or next year. From what I have heard using model paint works well to black out shoes, but I have not tried this yet. I have a pair of beat up NBs that I was thinking of trying this idea out on. I will let ya'll know if I do and how it works.

The discussion I am trying to start here, is where we define his attempt ending. My thought would be once his bat and the ball have passed each other and are moving in different directions that the batter's attempt is over, even if his swing is not complete. In the OP, if the events happened as heard then I would think that the batter's attempt is over and the CI not present because he has not impeded the swing pre-attempt, but rather post-attempt. Thoughts?

What differentiates the bat hitting the mit after the miss... 4. In front of the batter (as in the OP) 5. In back of the batter (on the follow through) ? Just yet another thought here.

Although I do feel that you are following the letter of the law Brian, I will put this out there... If the batter has already had his attempt at the ball and has... Missed Ticked Hit the ball what difference is it that the bat now touches the catcher's mit? (I agree this is not possible unless F2 is up and in the other batter's box asking for the CI in trying to catch the pitch)

I really liked this idea from the thread on cleaning a WV Plat.: http://www.umpire-empire.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12428&postcount=2 I have found the the clorox wipes (or the cheaper Target brand version) work well, and would recomend them going forward. I would check the tags on your equip and see what the most abrasive cleaner they "allow" and use that to clean the pads, and then let them sit out in the sun so they get a lot a air.

I always return them from whence they came. Except one time that we could see the sheet of rain coming down the road and everybody ran for their cars. Normally I would be using "ran" as hyperbole, but in this case it is true. GLMs running trying to get to there SUVs before they get wet... worth the soaking. Maybe that is why I forgot the 4 balls in my bags until I got home that night.

Woa, you forgot the all important adjustable hat worn backwords given to you by your buddy when he quit 6 years ago.

My league conducts multiple coaches clinics that are geared to help them be better coaches (in-house league). But we do get time in those clinics to cover somethings that come up every year and also field questions. At the levels where we have balks (we add: player pitch (3/4grades), stealing after the pitch (5/6), leading off (7/8), and 7 inning games (9-12)) I spent 30mins covering what is legal and not. Most of the other stuff is dumb Qs like what's the K-zone (what's in the book?). We also cover in-house rule changes and FED changes from the previous year. We still get problems, but it makes life a little easier to be able to say we covered it in the clinic.

In my league we call balks on day of the regular season, but give them grace in the exhib. I don't know if it really helps or hurts, but it does somethin'.

I think they are a good idea when 1 guy in the crew is cold (read: pansy) and others are not, but want to look simillar. I seems to me that MLB has moved to this zip-off style and away from the full jacket. BTW, it is a zip-off sleeve so you can wear it SS or LS. I like them, wish I had one.

At least in FED (I have never worked OBR, my first copy should be on its way shortly so I can start to learn) the only time that running the bases backwards is not allowed is when it is considered to be a travesty to the game (or is it of the game, I dunno). Absent any other oddities that are being left out, I just don't know. But I do love the announcer moving up by not only misapplying, and misnaming rules, but now just making them up "deceitful move in avoiding the tag" thats a good one.

Don't forget these greats: Back. BACK! You've got the pitcher, I have the 1B-men. BACK! Go. Right here. BACK! Still has the ball, still has the ball, still has the ball. BACK! Watch the coach. BACK! So I think that !