An unfortunate milestone...

[HokieUmp]

I didn't get a chance to post this last week when it happened, but at the time, I thought "I need to post this under 'Milestones'."

After eight years, and about 550 games, I finally was hit by a batted ball as a base umpire. There's a reason why, but it still stinks that it happened, because I don't think I've declined in age/reflexes. Yet.

The primary reason is because I was working 1-man, and was behind the mound. This post is not meant to kindle a holy war about working solo. We have leagues that want to pay only one guy; our association, when that happens, wants us behind the mound, not behind the plate. When I worked solo in Australia, I geared up and got behind the plate - I prefer that. However, while I'm not an employee, merely an "independent (sic) contractor," I rely on my association to get games in the first place. Ergo, do as you're damn well told. So.

When I work solo like that, I prefer to stand almost directly behind the pitcher, and not that far from him. I know - probably not a great idea. But we're talking about young guys pitching (LL Majors in this specific case, and also for LL Minors, and sometimes PONY Mustang/Bronco) - they're not really at an age where they can legitimately claim I'm throwing them off their pitching game; frankly, most of the time, they're not on their pitching game in the first place.

So I'm about 48" from the mound. Had some close-ish hits up the middle, but nothing spectacular. Finally, about the 5th inning, kid hits a rocket up the the chute. The first bounce was maybe a foot or so in front of the pitcher, who both tried to glove it AND move out of the way, at the same time. Guess which one he was better at?

So it misses him completely, or certainly showed no signs of hitting him, and catches me in the leg, not too far under the knee. Only word out of my mouth: "Time!" And I just pointed to where the runners had to go. Only word in my head: "Sh1t." Not because it hurt - don't really remember feeling any pain at the time or later - but just because I ended up part of the play.

I did hear some buzzing on the benches about my placing runners, but no one came out. A coach did ask if I was okay, and that was that - play ball.

But it sucks. This year, I've had some absolute missles come through the B and C positions from high school age and older, off metal bats, and not been grazed. (At least once, I don't know how I didn't get it, but I just didn't.) Instead, like Goliath, I'm brought down by a little dude with a slingshot.

[grayhawk]

Seems understandable - some of those 12 year olds can hit the ball hard and with a pitcher moving in front of you, it's pretty hard to anticipate.

Why any association would prefer the one-man system be worked from behind the mound is beyond me. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 pitches in a LL Majors game, with perhaps half of those (or more) that are not swung at. So you have 100 calls to make that you are best positioned to call from behind the plate. You have quite a few less than that to make in the field and many of those can be called easily with a little hustle. Also, there are no leadoffs and very few straight steal attempts which makes it even easier.

Perhaps your incident should be used as an example as to why the solo umpire should work from behind the plate.

[Umpire in Chief]

The battle has been fought about where to be and we've lost. Last week in my solo mustang game I had a coach ask if I could do it from behind the plate any way.

I do think part of it is good intentions on the part of our commish making it "easier" for us by not having to plate up. But there are some leagues which have specifically specified they want us behind the mound.

Last year umpires had the option of where to be and I always took the plate (On a batted ball what is your first responsibility???) Apparently leagues didn't like some games being called from behind the plate and others from behind the mound and there were complaints.