Pitching Machine games

[AJtheUMP]

First off let me say

Im not a big fan, but they let me work on my base mechanics and the league president at that field cant find any other umpires around here. (Minus a registered child molester. The parents were not amused.) So I help out. The kids get 5 pitches or 3 swings. I do not vocalize or signal at all I just count and let the coach at the machine know when he gets to 4 pitches or 2 swings. I was at another location and saw the umpire doing the standard point for strikes from A,B,C. Of course he was yelling "Strike 1 (2) (3)" also so I didn't give it much thought. Also my Dixie guy says to work outside the diamond in B and C. This is fine, but I have been moving to regular C when I have a runner at 3rd. Because I would rather have him frown then miss a play at the plate. Am I wrong in any of these situations?

[Mike Prince]

Here we work machine pitch from the home plate area, just like working the big diamond 1-man - we have to judge on if a pitch is hittable or not in case the machine throws a bad one. I don't vocalize strikes (only in 8U do we count swinging strikes) but will let the coach working the machine know when we get to the last pitch, when we count the strikes I will also let him know when we are at 2 without a vocal.

I don't work it much, but I don't mind it when I get the assignment as it's usually a pretty easy night.

[AJtheUMP]

Defiantly usually an easy night. I will see If I can move up by the plate or maybe even call from by the mound. I feel like "A" distances me from the game, even though there are no runners. I do look at it as an easy time to work on my mechanics, but as we all do I want to be at my best for them!

[Mike Prince]

Our league lets 2 coaches be in the outfield, so no way I'm going out there

On a small diamond (<70'), always on the outside.