Umpire Manuals

[sdix00]

Also i`m geting an e reader for christmas so dose any one know of any of the manuals are in PDF or electronic form.

Noooop. This has been my challenge.

The OBR, NFHS, NCAA, and LL RIM are in PDF and they convert to epub really easy (so I can listen in the car. Don't judge. This is my quiet time)

Everything else is on paper only because it's 1985 out here. So you are stuck scanning the books at work, which is illegal, of course. So you can only do that in theory, not in real life. And do it at work, where they have high speed scanners. Again, in theory only.

As for anyone who asks for the e-copy, I tell them they are on their own. I am a big Intellectual Property advocate and I believe that people need to get paid for their work. But when these writers and publishers don't keep up with the times and technology, it becomes very difficult to have any sympathy for them when someone copies the books so they don't have to haul 30 books around. (Yeah, over 30 books).

And when people ask me why I am ALWAYS reading my iPad, I tell them I am playing Angry Birds. :clap:

[mazzamouth]

Noooop. This has been my challenge.

The OBR, NFHS, NCAA, and LL RIM are in PDF and they convert to epub really easy (so I can listen in the car. Don't judge. This is my quiet time)

What program is that where I can put the rule books and make it so I can listen in my car..

[sdix00]

What program is that where I can put the rule books and make it so I can listen in my car..

Two options:

1. If you have a Kindle:

Simply copy the text from the PDF in to a text file and put it on your Kindle. Kindle can read text files, ePub, Word Docs, out loud (not PDF, tho)

If you want to get fancy, install Mobipocket creater (Full version required but still free). This will convert the PDF to ePub and preserve much of the formatting and make it much easier to read on the Kindle when you read it the old fashioned way with your eyes. This is worth it, IMO as I do lots of reading.

2. No Kindle, No Problem.

Get TextAloud. $30. Copy the text into TextAloud and it will create an MP3 file of the book that you can listen to on your iPod if you are hip or your Zune if you are not.

I recommend investing in the ATT Natural Voice pack for another $25. They sound incredibly real and they are pleasant to listen to. It's OK if you spend a few minutes making the female voice (Crystal) say sexy things to you. Everybody does that. Maybe just me.

[Thunderheads]

I'm glad I revisited this thread, ....very useful!

Additional question/query:

A partner of mine that I do the second-most amount of games with (all of fall ball) was asking me about books/manuals, and what is the best overall purchase. He saw that I got my Wendelstedt Manual, and posed the question.

Well, his question made me pose this

Now that the WUM is out ...and it can be added to the list of available manuals ....where does it stack up ?? In our area, we're primarily doing modified OBR with a smattering of FED/HS rules games.

So, aside from a 'rulebook' ..........along with the WUM, .... what's next? And for convenience sake, let's try to keep it to 2 or 3 books total.

1) WUM (because I have it)

2) ??

3) ??

I was thinking J/R, and the Max 2 man sys ...........thoughts?

[sdix00]

I'm glad I revisited this thread, ....very useful!

Additional question/query:

A partner of mine that I do the second-most amount of games with (all of fall ball) was asking me about books/manuals, and what is the best overall purchase. He saw that I got my Wendelstedt Manual, and posed the question.

Well, his question made me pose this

Now that the WUM is out ...and it can be added to the list of available manuals ....where does it stack up ?? In our area, we're primarily doing modified OBR with a smattering of FED/HS rules games.

So, aside from a 'rulebook' ..........along with the WUM, .... what's next? And for convenience sake, let's try to keep it to 2 or 3 books total.

1) WUM (because I have it)

2) ??

3) ??

I was thinking J/R, and the Max 2 man sys ...........thoughts?

I know a lot of guys have issues with J/R. But after looking back through the threads, there seems to be only 5 or 6 items in the J/R which are really debatable. As long as you are familiar with those 5-6 issues, I don't think it's a problem. 99% of the J/R is outstanding. It is, by FAR, the most helpful book I have ever read in helping me learn this job. As long as the new umpire was committed to learning, I absolutely recommend J/R #1. I am not speaking as any kind of expert here, obviously. I am speaking as a brand new umpire who had no idea which end was up and after reading J/R and working through the issues on this forum I feel I can put my rules knowledge up against anyone (who isn't on the forums). Regardless of the rule set under which you officiate, the J/R has tons of value. The rule differences annotations and references make this title appropriate for all levels.

Maximizing, at $70, is a HUGE investment, albeit for an outstanding title. However, for that same $70, you could pick up the CCA, PBUC red book, Evans Index, and Virtual Umpire Camp CD. There is too much bang for the buck in those four titles to justify purchasing Maximizing first.

Next would be the WUM I think. The WUM includes PBUC Manual AND MLB Manual interps, AND it includes Harry's Hints which address specific issues not covered in the rules by offering a rule interp AND the proper mechanic when appropriate. A huge feature is the 400 case plays. One feature not often mentioned is the history behind the rules. Since reading the JEA, I had heard most of this history before, however, it occurs to me that a brand new umpire would find this history very enlightening. The WUM is an extremely practical guide to running a baseball game.

After a new umpire has read these titles, and he is still hungry, I think the time is right for Maximizing.

BRD is just too well organized and way too useful and fascinating to be left out of this list. Get it.

[yawetag]

BRD is just too well organized and way too useful and fascinating to be left out of this list. Get it.

If there's a group of umpires who deal with different rules, especially if it's Fed and NCAA in the Spring, then OBR added to the two in summer, I'd easily put BRD second on the list. An umpire needs a strong foundation in one ruleset before they can become truly proficient in all three. OBR has the most training material available, so it's the easiest to learn, then base the changes off of it.

However, for a new umpire to our organization, I'd train them as much as I can in Fed (especially starting in spring), as that's all they'll see for three months. Then, we can concentrate on the major differences. I don't think a newer umpire should jump into WUM (or J/R, or even BRD) early on, as the detail of the rules will probably muddle together too much. Learn the rulebook, use case plays to grasp the knowledge, work games and learn from things that happen on the field (look them up after the game and commit the mechanics and rules to memory). After a season or so of "after-thought" training, delve into one of the finest instruction manuals available and learn the corners of the rulebook that you'll probably never see on the field.

All that said, for supplemental manuals:

1. WUM

2. BRD

3. J/R

If we're including mechanics books, throw them in above WUM.

[sdix00]

my new 4.7-inch rule and mechanics book. 8500 pages. . . 5mm thick.

[JaxRolo]

I'm jealous!!!

(null)

[johnnyg08]

That's it right there...that's doing it up the right way!!!

[grozzly]

_{I've just order the PBUC. Hard to find from France !!}  

 

_{Hope i'll learn lot of things (include my english...^^ )  reading this manual.}

[johnnyg08]

The PBUC manual is a very good manual.

[grozzly]

just received my Pbuc !! The seller asked 13$ to send it to France with a 25 days delay ou 35$ for a 1-week delay. I chosed the 1st option of course and got it in my letter box in 6 days.....

[BigUmp56]

In my opinion the best supplemental to the rules of baseball is The Jim Evans Annotated Rules of Baseball. It's the Holy Grail of umpiring books. Not only does the book give you comprehensive rulings and interpretations, it provides a historical perspective on how many rules came into existence. Good luck finding one for sale though.

 

 

Tim.

[sdix00]

In my opinion the best supplemental to the rules of baseball is The Jim Evans Annotated Rules of Baseball. It's the Holy Grail of umpiring books. Not only does the book give you comprehensive rulings and interpretations, it provides a historical perspective on how many rules came into existence. Good luck finding one for sale though.

 

 

Tim.

 

 

LOL.   This is the greatest book ever.  But you can't have it. 

 

Book of Secrets.