Had a bad weekend on the field...

[noumpere]

Never brush (kick dirt) off the pitchers plate. If your doing it to a base its to give a player a minute or to say something quietly to a player. If it really needs to be cleaned then have a player do it -- hey 16, kick that dirt a little, will ya?

[UmpTTS43]

Do you want to be a baseball umpire or a softball umpire working a baseball game?

[LMSANS]

I do not work a lot of softball. Mostly just post season tournaments.

I refuse to carry a brush on the bases. I will not do it. No how no way.

I have nothing against others doing it. Not me!

I suggest that you don't do softball then. It is a softball requirement (ASA. NFHS, at least) that the pitcher's plate be cleaned every half inning. It helps with monitoring the illegal pitch.

[Jocko]

I do not work a lot of softball. Mostly just post season tournaments.

I refuse to carry a brush on the bases. I will not do it. No how no way.

I have nothing against others doing it. Not me!

I suggest that you don't do softball then.

your wish is my command. I HATE softball.

[JaxRolo]

I realize that it is requirement. I get put in Softball games during tournaments when they need someone with a good strike zone and can make calls on the bases. Not for my softball knowledge.

I don't do HS softball.

[Jocko]

I will do a softball tourney now and then, but I hate it. It goes against everything I've been taught. Every level I do, BU sets up inside. I feel out of position doing softball.

[noumpere]

I do not work a lot of softball. Mostly just post season tournaments.

I refuse to carry a brush on the bases. I will not do it. No how no way.

I have nothing against others doing it. Not me!

I suggest that you don't do softball then. It is a softball requirement (ASA. NFHS, at least) that the pitcher's plate be cleaned every half inning. It helps with monitoring the illegal pitch.

I agree if your going to take the game then work it under the rules and mechanics of that game. If you dont want to then just say no or see if the assigner can take someone willing to do so off a baseball game and then put you back on the baseball game.

[love2ump]

In Baseball never brush a base or pitchers plate.

[JaxRolo]

I do not work a lot of softball. Mostly just post season tournaments.

I refuse to carry a brush on the bases. I will not do it. No how no way.

I have nothing against others doing it. Not me!

I suggest that you don't do softball then. It is a softball requirement (ASA. NFHS, at least) that the pitcher's plate be cleaned every half inning. It helps with monitoring the illegal pitch.

I agree if your going to take the game then work it under the rules and mechanics of that game. If you dont want to then just say no or see if the assigner can take someone willing to do so off a baseball game and then put you back on the baseball game.

Guys I understand where you are coming from.

We have a shortage of decent umpires.

I will not take a plate brush on the bases. I'm to hard headed and it will not help me in my duties.

[Jocko]

I do not work a lot of softball. Mostly just post season tournaments.

I refuse to carry a brush on the bases. I will not do it. No how no way.

I have nothing against others doing it. Not me!

I suggest that you don't do softball then. It is a softball requirement (ASA. NFHS, at least) that the pitcher's plate be cleaned every half inning. It helps with monitoring the illegal pitch.

I agree if your going to take the game then work it under the rules and mechanics of that game. If you dont want to then just say no or see if the assigner can take someone willing to do so off a baseball game and then put you back on the baseball game.

Guys I understand where you are coming from.

We have a shortage of decent umpires.

I will not take a plate brush on the bases. I'm to hard headed and it will not help me in my duties.

I can see you out ther twirling you plate brush in "C", drop it, bend over to pick it up and miss an easy pickoff out at 2B. What a doofus! :-P

[RichMSN]

I despise softball in every way, shape, and form. I used to work the sport -- I was one game from a state tournament in the mid 1990s -- but only because my jerk assignor at the time required those who wanted good baseball games to suck it up and work softball too. Since I moved from there, I've never worked softball again (with the exception of one game here in Wisconsin that convinced me I was right all along).

I had a partner in a baseball game this year brush all three bases and the pitcher's plate before the game started. Just terrible.

[umpire_scott]

This is a really interesting and somewhat humorous thread. I have been almost completely convinced to never carry a brush on the bases when doing baseball games. I only say "almost" because in another thread I was told that baseball umpires NEVER use the left-hand out delayed dead ball signal, and then worked with an umpire on Saturday that used it. So I'm going to discuss both of these things with my UIC here to see what is expected in this area.

But I have a question regarding the militant attitudes towards these two issues.

1. Why not clean the bases and pitching rubber off between innings? To me it shows the fans and coaches a level of professionalism that you are staying busy and making sure that the playing field is as close to it's original condition as possible. I've not heard any reason for not doing it except that "it's not necessary" or "you won't be taken seriously". All common sense would indicate that you want to have a clean base so that you can more easily see the base on tag plays. It seems really dumb to risk not being able to see a base for no reason other than the ones given. I've played on fields where first base was covered in dirt (or more aptly brown powder) at the end of every half inning. I would have thought that I looked incredibly lazy for not cleaning it off between innings.

2. On the OBS call the delayed dead ball signal with the left hand out seems way more efficient, especially at the lower levels. I could definitely envision 10-12 year olds stopping as soon as they hear me yell out "I've got obstruction". Once again the reasoning against it is that "it looks stupid". It's also listed as an acceptable signal in the FED mechanics book.

[mstaylor]

Scott:

In baseball brushing the bases and rubber is not done. If you go to any clinic and ask about it, you will be told absolutely not. Go to any college, MiLB or MLB game and see if it is done. Softball sweeps the rubber because of illegal pitches. Why they do the bases I have no clue, the fact remain they do so when doing softball do it. Personally I hatte the softball strike/out mechanic but it is the norm in a softball game so it is the natural thing to do. They also say dead ball instead of time.

I will kick off first before an inning for superstitious reasons but I have never swept one. The arm to the left for obstruction is a Fed only mechanic, which is horrible. The reason they do it is all obstructions are delayed dead ball but to me that is no excuse. Announce the obstruction and figure out what to do with it after the play finishes. Some areas are insistent on using Fed mechanics and if so then that's what you have to do. Many states or local groups use either CCA or PBUC mechanics. You have to do what your local group says do.

[umpire_scott]

Scott:

In baseball brushing the bases and rubber is not done. If you go to any clinic and ask about it, you will be told absolutely not. Go to any college, MiLB or MLB game and see if it is done. Softball sweeps the rubber because of illegal pitches. Why they do the bases I have no clue, the fact remain they do so when doing softball do it. Personally I hatte the softball strike/out mechanic but it is the norm in a softball game so it is the natural thing to do. They also say dead ball instead of time.

I will kick off first before an inning for superstitious reasons but I have never swept one. The arm to the left for obstruction is a Fed only mechanic, which is horrible. The reason they do it is all obstructions are delayed dead ball but to me that is no excuse. Announce the obstruction and figure out what to do with it after the play finishes. Some areas are insistent on using Fed mechanics and if so then that's what you have to do. Many states or local groups use either CCA or PBUC mechanics. You have to do what your local group says do.

Michael,

I want to assure you that this is not me refusing to accept something. I really just want to understand this. I know that there many differences in mechanics and rules between softball and baseball. And it's obvious that since I've done much more softball then baseball until recently, my softball habits have crept into my baseball umpiring. I don't ever recall hearing that the bases or pitching rubber are never cleaned during a baseball game. So I've always done that. This weekend however, based on the talk on this board, I only kick cleaned them and only when necessary. But I did a tournament a few weeks ago at an older field. It was not well maintained and the dirt around the bases was lose and it was terrible. At the end of each half inning you literally could not see first base. If there was a steal of second you would not be able to find the bag after the slide. I'm just having a hard time understanding WHY the bases don't get cleaned when needed. Using higher levels is not a good example in my opinion because the quality of the fields is so vastly different that cleaning the bases is probably not needed. But during tournaments they use fields of all different quality and it seems silly to not clean the bases between innings.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Wait a second...when did they make softball an official sport? :fuel:

[SanDiegoSteve]

In many of my games, the bases get completely covered with dirt to the point you can't find them on some fields with sand and loose dirt. In these cases, like after a steal when the base becomes obliterated with dirt, I will kick the dirt off the base or at least the edges so the base can be seen. I will not brush a base or the pitcher's plate. Usually, I have a player police the bases if there is one handy.

[noumpere]

In many of my games, the bases get completely covered with dirt to the point you can't find them on some fields with sand and loose dirt. In these cases, like after a steal when the base becomes obliterated with dirt, I will kick the dirt off the base or at least the edges so the base can be seen. I will not brush a base or the pitcher's plate. Usually, I have a player police the bases if there is one handy.

If the players dont care then I dont care. If the players care then they can clean the base.

[umpire_scott]

In many of my games, the bases get completely covered with dirt to the point you can't find them on some fields with sand and loose dirt. In these cases, like after a steal when the base becomes obliterated with dirt, I will kick the dirt off the base or at least the edges so the base can be seen. I will not brush a base or the pitcher's plate. Usually, I have a player police the bases if there is one handy.

If the players dont care then I dont care. If the players care then they can clean the base.

This is an interesting philosophy. I wonder whether coaches are aware of this? As a plate umpire I always feel like I'm not doing my job if the plate ever looks dirty. Sometimes to speed the game up I look for opportune times to clean like between batters, after foul balls, etc. But once in a while the catcher will sweep it quickly with his glove when I'm waiting for one of those opportunities. I'd be interested in the thought process behind "plate must be cleaned, but not bases". I know that the plate is more important for the pitcher to see. But I wonder what coaches think when bases are covered with dirt and umpires are doing nothing about it? Are they aware that it's frowned upon by most umpires to clean a base?

[JHSump]

"Are they aware that it's frowned upon by most umpires to clean a base?"

In general, the coaches are not aware of many, many things that have to do with umpiring. That's partly because they are not really interested.

I, on the otherhand, am interested.

There are many umpiring tidbits that make complete sense when they explained. Often an explanation accompanies the statement (e.g., remove and hold your mask in your left hand, so you don't punch someone out and accidentally throw your mask). But sometimes we hear "You just do ________, not _________." And that's the end of the information. It would be nice, especially on a site like UE, if the explanation accompanied the information.

I can understand why softball umpires will sweep the pitcher's plate (to better judge illegal pitches). Why are the softball bases swept also? Just because the brush is available, and you might as well? And why don't baseball umpires sweep bases (if necessary)? One answer might be it's rare to need to, and so you don't carry a brush. Another answer could be "it looks bad" --- but that doesn't really answer the question. If it looks bad for baseball umpires to sweep the bases, why doesn't it look bad for softball umpires?

I understand why home plate gets swept (calling strikes and balls requires a clean plate).

If someone knows the explanation, what is it?

Do base umpires not sweep the bases (in baseball) because of a tradition established long ago (baseball is a very tradition filled sport)? Maybe Bill Klem said, "Don't do that!" Is it because the BU might drop the brush during a pickoff attempt? Is it because you can't keep your tuccus pointing away from the fans when sweeping each base (lke with HP)?

Is it because you are not supposed to carry anything on the bases? ...including an indicator? (Just kidding, don't get all worked up about that!)

Or, is there really no explanation other than "We don't do that, kid. So, stop."

There are probably other umpiring tidbits that get passed down, sometimes without explanation.

[mstaylor]

Steve, I live in a sandy area too. I used to kick bases off after steals or slides. Now I just tell the runner to take care of it.

JH and Scott, the plate should be kept relatively clean. If some dirt gets kicked on it and I can kick a corner on the way by, good enough, if it gets covered then I will sweep it clean. As long as I know where the edge is the rest sort of follows. The pitcher shouldn't need to see the plate at all, except to complain. He is supposed to be looking at the catcher's glove.

Bases are generally not touched by baseball umpires because on pro fields bases and rubbers don't get covered. At our levels were they do, you will get nasty cleaning bases so leave then alone, let the players do it. They messed it up and they are already dirty.

[mstaylor]

Scott:

In baseball brushing the bases and rubber is not done. If you go to any clinic and ask about it, you will be told absolutely not. Go to any college, MiLB or MLB game and see if it is done. Softball sweeps the rubber because of illegal pitches. Why they do the bases I have no clue, the fact remain they do so when doing softball do it. Personally I hatte the softball strike/out mechanic but it is the norm in a softball game so it is the natural thing to do. They also say dead ball instead of time.

I will kick off first before an inning for superstitious reasons but I have never swept one. The arm to the left for obstruction is a Fed only mechanic, which is horrible. The reason they do it is all obstructions are delayed dead ball but to me that is no excuse. Announce the obstruction and figure out what to do with it after the play finishes. Some areas are insistent on using Fed mechanics and if so then that's what you have to do. Many states or local groups use either CCA or PBUC mechanics. You have to do what your local group says do.

Michael,

I want to assure you that this is not me refusing to accept something. I really just want to understand this. I know that there many differences in mechanics and rules between softball and baseball. And it's obvious that since I've done much more softball then baseball until recently, my softball habits have crept into my baseball umpiring. I don't ever recall hearing that the bases or pitching rubber are never cleaned during a baseball game. So I've always done that. This weekend however, based on the talk on this board, I only kick cleaned them and only when necessary. But I did a tournament a few weeks ago at an older field. It was not well maintained and the dirt around the bases was lose and it was terrible. At the end of each half inning you literally could not see first base. If there was a steal of second you would not be able to find the bag after the slide. I'm just having a hard time understanding WHY the bases don't get cleaned when needed. Using higher levels is not a good example in my opinion because the quality of the fields is so vastly different that cleaning the bases is probably not needed. But during tournaments they use fields of all different quality and it seems silly to not clean the bases between innings.

I have a post explaining the cleaning process but I agree on bad fields, they need to be cleaned. The difference is in baseball we gets the players to handle it. I will kick first off because it seems when I don't, the inning goes to crap, my personal superstition. On a slide at a base I will simply tell the runner," Give me the base" meaning clean at least the two lead edges.

[grayhawk]

I was told early on that the dirtier the rubber, the better. Knowing exactly where F1 is positioned on the rubber only gives coaches one more thing to whine about. With a dirty rubber, you have plausible deniability.

Edit: Yes, I know what I just wrote.

[JHSump]

Steve, I live in a sandy area too. I used to kick bases off after steals or slides. Now I just tell the runner to take care of it.

JH and Scott, the plate should be kept relatively clean. If some dirt gets kicked on it and I can kick a corner on the way by, good enough, if it gets covered then I will sweep it clean. As long as I know where the edge is the rest sort of follows. The pitcher shouldn't need to see the plate at all, except to complain. He is supposed to be looking at the catcher's glove.

Bases are generally not touched by baseball umpires because on pro fields bases and rubbers don't get covered. At our levels were they do, you will get nasty cleaning bases so leave then alone, let the players do it. They messed it up and they are already dirty.

All that makes a great deal of sense! The discussion of the situation with bases is very good. Thanks!

[Jocko]

I kick off 1B out of superstition as well. It helps me get DPs.

I know. I know.

[Jocko]

*This post removed for "Abusive Behavior"*

Apparently, I offended someone either by using a homosexual euphamism, or refering to softball. Either way, I humbly apologize to anyone who took offense.