New one on me

[Typhoon]

I was going to do an U13 game on the bases. The PU was a 16 year old doing his first plate. I was to do an informal evaluation. We have a little meeting before the game and he seems fine, only thing was, he didn't have a ball bag or a brush. Our association issues equipment to school age umpires and he wasn't given one. I said maybe you should have checked before you left the house. Anyway I lent him mine and it was off to ground rules. I waited to see how he did, He didn't do too bad but the HM asked him where the strike zone was? I had never heard that one before and then the rookie umpire who is a little bit flustered by this says something about kneecaps. That was enough for me I shut the kid down and told the HM if he wanted to know where the strike zone was it would be a good idea to read the rulebook. He said something about last week the HPU said the strike zone was....blah blah. I then said any more questions..no.. lets have a good game. The kid did a good job for his first plate and there were only minor things we had to discuss after the game, one of them being how to handle ground rules.

Tony

[Umpy]

I watched a high school guy go out to do his first plate on a Little League majors game where he had forgotten his cup and shin guards. Only forgetting a ball bag and brush seems silly in comparison to that one.

[NoCal Blue]

My usual response when this question flares its ugly head is "we're both going to find that out here in just a minute".

[umpcoachfather]

Coach we don't have time to line up all the players and have me show you, lets play ball.

[Jocko]

HC - "Where's the K-zone?"

HP - "Tell your boys to be swinging"

HC - "Fair enough"

An actual exchange I had at HP meeting a couple weeks ago