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I looked at the contributers and Mike Messick is a good guy. I met him years ago, always taught clinics with Andy K. I don't think I know the rest of the guys. Mike was always a very good rules guy. I haven't really haven't watched anything there but I'm sure it is geared to LL style mechanics.

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I just watched a video from there about umpire gear.

Gotta wear that combo hat and heather gray pants, and have an indicator on the bases.

And, that's as far as I need to go.

You don't have to wear a combo hat nor do you have to wear heather gray, it depends on what your partner is wearing although I fail to see what the big deal is about either. Yes they recommend an indicator on the bases but who's going ot know or care if you don't ahve one and again, what's the issue?

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Bill:

There is a running argument on the internet that you shouldn't use an indicator on the bases. If I am working a minor league park or a decent college field, then no it isn't needed. On cow pasture fields that we play on, meaning LL to HS fields with no scoreboards or kids running it, it is necessary to carry one on the bases.

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Bill:

There is a running argument on the internet that you shouldn't use an indicator on the bases. If I am working a minor league park or a decent college field, then no it isn't needed. On cow pasture fields that we play on, meaning LL to HS fields with no scoreboards or kids running it, it is necessary to carry one on the bases.

Yeah this is the first year my association has actually taken a stance on it and the concensus seems to be no indicator on the field. I personally don't care one way or the other and frankly if I feel like taking one on the field I will. It's about doing the best job umpiring not trying to emulate the pros.

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Why do you ever need an indicator? You have ten attached to the end of your arms.:agasp_:

I just touch the appropriate number of fingers to my thumb. Each pitch I make the effort to do this and it sticks. I started early this year and was going to try it on the dish. I stuck my indicator in my ball bag and was going to just reach in after each pitch. After 3 pitches, I quit using it. I haven't used it since.

At first I didn't think it would be possible. I would get the count from my indicator, give it to the pitcher, and then forget what I just gave. Without it, I seem to focus more. YMMV.

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  • 10 months later...

We're lucky to get volunteer umpires that aren't wearing a Mossy-Oak Jonh Deere hat backwards, along with jeans or shorts, AC/DC t-shirt and if we're really lucky, sneakers instead of flip-flops. So when I show up wearing my Flecheimer heather gray pants, my navy bue umpire shirt and combo-cap, I'm looking a lot more "umpire-ish" than everybody else.

BTW, Heather gray with powder blue shirt was THE standard umpire uniform for much of the life of baseball (was still the case back when I started calling LL games). The shirts weren't pull-overs either, but cotton button-up shirts. It's only in recent history that the various associations have begun allowing pull-overs and all of the other colors (Navy, red, cream, black, etc.). What MLB does, so the rest of baseball follows. Where LL volunteers are concerned, in our league, if we get umps that even remotely resemble umpires, we're doing well.

As for indicators (clickers!), a lot of leagues don't have scoreboards and have a mom, keeping the score book. I know if we have some wild and crazy action following a passed ball, I might forget to count the last pitch as a ball. When working Minors games, where every third pitch is a PB, and kids are running on each one, with the defense throwing the ball all over the place for five minutes, sometimes things get really nuts. I like my BU to have an indicator as a back-up in those situations. A subtle signal will tell me what he has for the count and help me out.

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We're lucky to get volunteer umpires that aren't wearing a Mossy-Oak Jonh Deere hat backwards, along with jeans or shorts, AC/DC t-shirt and if we're really lucky, sneakers instead of flip-flops. So when I show up wearing my Flecheimer heather gray pants, my navy bue umpire shirt and combo-cap, I'm looking a lot more "umpire-ish" than everybody else.

BTW, Heather gray with powder blue shirt was THE standard umpire uniform for much of the life of baseball (was still the case back when I started calling LL games). The shirts weren't pull-overs either, but cotton button-up shirts. It's only in recent history that the various associations have begun allowing pull-overs and all of the other colors (Navy, red, cream, black, etc.). What MLB does, so the rest of baseball follows. Where LL volunteers are concerned, in our league, if we get umps that even remotely resemble umpires, we're doing well.

As for indicators (clickers!), a lot of leagues don't have scoreboards and have a mom, keeping the score book. I know if we have some wild and crazy action following a passed ball, I might forget to count the last pitch as a ball. When working Minors games, where every third pitch is a PB, and kids are running on each one, with the defense throwing the ball all over the place for five minutes, sometimes things get really nuts. I like my BU to have an indicator as a back-up in those situations. A subtle signal will tell me what he has for the count and help me out.

What if the plate umpire really does have the correct count and the base umpire has the incorrect count.

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As for indicators (clickers!), a lot of leagues don't have scoreboards and have a mom, keeping the score book. I know if we have some wild and crazy action following a passed ball, I might forget to count the last pitch as a ball. When working Minors games, where every third pitch is a <acronym title='Passed Ball'>PB</acronym>, and kids are running on each one, with the defense throwing the ball all over the place for five minutes, sometimes things get really nuts. I like my <acronym title='Base umpire'>BU</acronym> to have an indicator as a back-up in those situations. A subtle signal will tell me what he has for the count and help me out.

What if the plate umpire really does have the correct count and the base umpire has the incorrect count.

I assume that he meant "as a backup" to mean when the PU lost the count or was unsure.

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I understand that not using indicators on the bases started with PBUC and many of us learn from MiLB umpires. Some of us have been lucky enough to actually go to school. My point is for pros, not using one is fine. If you wish to emulate the MiLB umpires fine, I don't care. However, using one does not make you a Smitty. Using it improperly by becoming so engrossed with looking at it that you miss things does. I tell my guys to do what is comfortable to them. I had an experienced umpire tell a first year guy that if he wanted games to get rid of it. I climbed up his ass when I heard that. I told him I didn't care what he did but when you have a guy trying to learn a new level, the last thing I want is him trying to work without an indicator and forgetting to umpire. I really get frustrated with guys that feel it is the end of the world if your BU uses one. I do and if my PU tells me to put it away, I will remind him to handle his job and stay out of mine.That's like I went to a game where I was observing but I was to be in uniform, preseason. I had a black cover and a black T under it. The PU says it would look better if I had a white shirt under it. I told him white is an acceptable color but I don't like it so I won't be wearing it. He very forcefully repeated himself, like I was going to go change. I didn't remind him I was there observing him, not viceversa. Instead I told him I didn't like it, I won't be wearing it, get out of my face.

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