Funny thing happened today

[wek29]

I have a 4 man county championship game tonight...and my mind is going to be on how dirty my base is. My mind is made up! I will have the cleanest base on the field!!! I pity the fool who gets it dirty!

[RichMSN]

It's not only dead, it's long buried.

[NCAAump2]

Scott, the point is that cleaning off the bases and the rubber with a brush as a BU is a SOFTBALL MECHANIC. If you're doing a softball game, brush your little heart out. The reason that you don't do it on a baseball field is the same reason as to why you don't stand behind the infielders all the time. It's not a baseball mechanic, therefore, it's not done during a baseball game. If you want to brush off bases and pitching rubbers, work all the softball you want. But during baseball games, keep the dang brush in your trunk.

[umpire_scott]

Scott, the point is that cleaning off the bases and the rubber with a brush as a BU is a SOFTBALL MECHANIC. If you're doing a softball game, brush your little heart out. The reason that you don't do it on a baseball field is the same reason as to why you don't stand behind the infielders all the time. It's not a baseball mechanic, therefore, it's not done during a baseball game. If you want to brush off bases and pitching rubbers, work all the softball you want. But during baseball games, keep the dang brush in your trunk.

I have already stopped carrying a brush for baseball games. But you have to admit it's not the same as standing in the infield versus outside of it. In softball you stand outside because the bases are only 60 feet apart and far more of the action takes place in the interior of the infield. If you stood inside you'd be in the way all the time. Those two mechanics are set up for the different games because of the differences in the two games.

The bases in softball don't serve a different purpose than the bases in baseball. So I find it strange that there is a difference in how they are handled. Just like a lot of baseball umpires think the strike mechanic in softball looks stupid (including me), I think it's stupid to not clean the bases in baseball. But as most do not do it, I don't either anymore. When the base gets covered enough I either ask a player to kick it off or if it's between innings I do it myself.

[RichMSN]

Scott, the point is that cleaning off the bases and the rubber with a brush as a BU is a SOFTBALL MECHANIC. If you're doing a softball game, brush your little heart out. The reason that you don't do it on a baseball field is the same reason as to why you don't stand behind the infielders all the time. It's not a baseball mechanic, therefore, it's not done during a baseball game. If you want to brush off bases and pitching rubbers, work all the softball you want. But during baseball games, keep the dang brush in your trunk.

I have already stopped carrying a brush for baseball games. But you have to admit it's not the same as standing in the infield versus outside of it. In softball you stand outside because the bases are only 60 feet apart and far more of the action takes place in the interior of the infield. If you stood inside you'd be in the way all the time. Those two mechanics are set up for the different games because of the differences in the two games.

The bases in softball don't serve a different purpose than the bases in baseball. So I find it strange that there is a difference in how they are handled. Just like a lot of baseball umpires think the strike mechanic in softball looks stupid (including me), I think it's stupid to not clean the bases in baseball. But as most do not do it, I don't either anymore. When the base gets covered enough I either ask a player to kick it off or if it's between innings I do it myself.

The proper baseball mechanic is that, after the plate meeting, the base umpire goes into short right field until the ball is thrown down -- then you jog into the A position. After each half-inning, same thing. Personally, I wonder how baseball umpires manage cleaning bases at all when we're never really close to them in the first place. And the pitcher's plate? The only time I'm at the mound is when I'm the plate umpire breaking up a conference (and that's rare).

[umpire_scott]

Scott, the point is that cleaning off the bases and the rubber with a brush as a BU is a SOFTBALL MECHANIC. If you're doing a softball game, brush your little heart out. The reason that you don't do it on a baseball field is the same reason as to why you don't stand behind the infielders all the time. It's not a baseball mechanic, therefore, it's not done during a baseball game. If you want to brush off bases and pitching rubbers, work all the softball you want. But during baseball games, keep the dang brush in your trunk.

I have already stopped carrying a brush for baseball games. But you have to admit it's not the same as standing in the infield versus outside of it. In softball you stand outside because the bases are only 60 feet apart and far more of the action takes place in the interior of the infield. If you stood inside you'd be in the way all the time. Those two mechanics are set up for the different games because of the differences in the two games.

The bases in softball don't serve a different purpose than the bases in baseball. So I find it strange that there is a difference in how they are handled. Just like a lot of baseball umpires think the strike mechanic in softball looks stupid (including me), I think it's stupid to not clean the bases in baseball. But as most do not do it, I don't either anymore. When the base gets covered enough I either ask a player to kick it off or if it's between innings I do it myself.

The proper baseball mechanic is that, after the plate meeting, the base umpire goes into short right field until the ball is thrown down -- then you jog into the A position. After each half-inning, same thing. Personally, I wonder how baseball umpires manage cleaning bases at all when we're never really close to them in the first place. And the pitcher's plate? The only time I'm at the mound is when I'm the plate umpire breaking up a conference (and that's rare).

I know the pitching plate sort of got dragged in to the conversation, but I've never made a point of cleaning a pitching rubber in baseball. There are far more foot violations in softball pitching that require a clear view of the rubber.

If you are in "B" or "C" it would be pretty easy to give 2nd base a quick clean on your way to short right. It would usually be 2nd base that would need it due to the frequency of steals. That is what usually caused the base to get covered.

[NCAAump2]

Or, when you're in short right field, where you're supposed to be, just a "Hey 2nd, can you wipe off the bag with your glove for me?" works just fine. No reason at all to go near the bases and look like a smitty.

[JaxRolo]

OH MY GOD!!! LET IT GO! It's ridiculous because it's a SOFTBALL mechanic on a BASEBALL field. It's not done in BASEBALL because it's just not. Who gives a s**t why?

You are grounded for life from ever discussing this again. The equine is not only deceased, but has been processed, manufactured at alpo, eaten by my dog, digested, and deposited in my neighbor's yard. Enough already.

Amen Brother!!!

[UmpJM]

So, I was working a summer HS Regional as BU the other day. Must have had a dozen or so calls at 2B, including 2 successful pick-offs and a runner thrown out at 2nd when the defense threw behind him after he rounded it aggressively.

After I called the out on one of the pick-offs to end a half-inning - no doubt prompted by this and the other thread - I noticed there was a fair amount of dirt on 2B. I thought to myself, "Gee, never noticed that before."

I did not feel the slightest inclination to clean it off nor instruct a player to do so, and jogged out to short right field. Couldn't tell you whether a player cleaned it off later or not.

JM

[umpire_scott]

OH MY GOD!!! LET IT GO! It's ridiculous because it's a SOFTBALL mechanic on a BASEBALL field. It's not done in BASEBALL because it's just not. Who gives a s**t why?

You are grounded for life from ever discussing this again. The equine is not only deceased, but has been processed, manufactured at alpo, eaten by my dog, digested, and deposited in my neighbor's yard. Enough already.

Amen Brother!!!

I'm just answering other people's posts. Why do you keep reading it? I have not posted one single thing on this thread that was not a direct response to what someone else posted. There is nothing that is requiring you to ever open this thread again. Yet for some reason you keep doing it. I'm not arguing that it's o.k. to carry a brush on the bases. So there is no dead horse that I'm beating.

I've made it clear that in this case I think softball got it right. To me cleaning the bases between innings is a more productive mechanic than standing in RF. But if the baseball people prefer me to stand in RF then when doing baseball that's what I'll do. I just find it humorous when the baseball people try to argue the merits of the mechanic, when there are no merits to it, other than "not looking like a smitty". In all my jobs I've ever had I was always taught to always be busy doing something productive.

It's just surprising to me that no baseball umpire has said that they agree that cleaning the bases could be useful on some fields, but because it's not part of the culture of baseball umpiring they are not going to do it. That would make sense. But to continue to argue that a cleaner base serves no useful purpose is just funny to me.

[umpire_scott]

So, I was working a summer HS Regional as BU the other day. Must have had a dozen or so calls at 2B, including 2 successful pick-offs and a runner thrown out at 2nd when the defense threw behind him after he rounded it aggressively.

After I called the out on one of the pick-offs to end a half-inning - no doubt prompted by this and the other thread - I noticed there was a fair amount of dirt on 2B. I thought to myself, "Gee, never noticed that before."

I did not feel the slightest inclination to clean it off nor instruct a player to do so, and jogged out to short right field. Couldn't tell you whether a player cleaned it off later or not.

JM

That is interesting JM. In all seriousness if you never noticed before then that is probably because I'm assuming you've never umpired softball. So just doing softball and cleaning the bases in softball probably makes it something that when I do baseball I notice it more as well. I never really thought of that. I wonder if I had only ever done baseball, if I would even pay attention to the fact that a base is covered in dirt. We do sort of become creatures of habit.

[JaxRolo]

Scott,

Don't get your panties in a wad. Just got back from Cooperstown. (never saw anyone clean the bases) I am catching up on some threads.

[Jocko]

Scott,

Don't get your panties in a wad. Just got back from Cooperstown. (never saw anyone clean the bases) I am catching up on some threads.

Boddie's cool, huh?

[umpire_scott]

Scott,

Don't get your panties in a wad. Just got back from Cooperstown. (never saw anyone clean the bases) I am catching up on some threads.

Why would I get my panties in a wad? I laugh every time I see a new post on this thread. Especially when it's Trout that grounded me from the thread. Maybe it's like a train wreck. . . you just have to watch?

[RichMSN]

Scott, the point is that cleaning off the bases and the rubber with a brush as a BU is a SOFTBALL MECHANIC. If you're doing a softball game, brush your little heart out. The reason that you don't do it on a baseball field is the same reason as to why you don't stand behind the infielders all the time. It's not a baseball mechanic, therefore, it's not done during a baseball game. If you want to brush off bases and pitching rubbers, work all the softball you want. But during baseball games, keep the dang brush in your trunk.

I have already stopped carrying a brush for baseball games. But you have to admit it's not the same as standing in the infield versus outside of it. In softball you stand outside because the bases are only 60 feet apart and far more of the action takes place in the interior of the infield. If you stood inside you'd be in the way all the time. Those two mechanics are set up for the different games because of the differences in the two games.

The bases in softball don't serve a different purpose than the bases in baseball. So I find it strange that there is a difference in how they are handled. Just like a lot of baseball umpires think the strike mechanic in softball looks stupid (including me), I think it's stupid to not clean the bases in baseball. But as most do not do it, I don't either anymore. When the base gets covered enough I either ask a player to kick it off or if it's between innings I do it myself.

The proper baseball mechanic is that, after the plate meeting, the base umpire goes into short right field until the ball is thrown down -- then you jog into the A position. After each half-inning, same thing. Personally, I wonder how baseball umpires manage cleaning bases at all when we're never really close to them in the first place. And the pitcher's plate? The only time I'm at the mound is when I'm the plate umpire breaking up a conference (and that's rare).

I know the pitching plate sort of got dragged in to the conversation, but I've never made a point of cleaning a pitching rubber in baseball. There are far more foot violations in softball pitching that require a clear view of the rubber.

If you are in "B" or "C" it would be pretty easy to give 2nd base a quick clean on your way to short right. It would usually be 2nd base that would need it due to the frequency of steals. That is what usually caused the base to get covered.

I wouldn't even notice the dirt on the base unless the base was completely covered to the point where it wasn't functional as a base. 2nd base is still out of the way from my path from B/C to right field, anyway.

Worked with breakaway bases tonight -- the ones with magnets underneath. 11 year olds playing a game that felt like it was 11 years old. Once a player told me the base wasn't quite on the magnet properly. I said, "Well, go ahead and put it on." Kind looked at me like, "Why didn't I think of that myself?"

[mstaylor]

I did have one situation where a dirty base was a problem. It was probably 15 or 18 yrs ago in a 16 to 18 yr old game. Lead off got on base, tried to steal second. A smart aleck SS completely buried the base between innings. He complained to the BU that he couldn't call the runner safe because the base was covered. The umpire told him if he wanted to play games and bury the base then the runner will always be safe. Never saw that trick again.

[Welpe]

Kind looked at me like, "Why didn't I think of that myself?"

Probably because he's had a fair amount of umpires that'll go over, grab the base and put it on.

[JHSump]

Here's another twist on this stuff.

I had to eject an assistant coach because of this base business the other day. 11U baseball game (just so we are clear). BR slides into 2B, dislodges it. Ball gets away, he takes off for 3B. I'm BU. I move into position to make a possible call at 3B. Meanwhile, I'm hearing people from different directions telling me that the bag at second is loose. Of course, I'm ignoring that. When the action is over, BR is at 3B, and I look back at 2B. F4 is putting the base back into position. Not exactly simple since there is dirt in the way, etc. I go over and watch, giving him a few words of encouragement. AC on the defense yells out from dugout asking why his player is doing this. I ignore him, as the player is doing fine. My partner quietly says, "That's not our job coach." He should have ignored the AC also, I think. But, what was said, was said. Now AC starts asking loudly, "What is your job?" to my partner and then to me. I tell AC to be quiet...but he continues to ask, I give him one more shot at being quiet, he doesn't take it, so ... "You're done!" His response was, "You've been done all day." But, he leaves, and we never saw him again.

Moments later the TD shows up with a little trowel and fixes the base properly.

After the game, the manager of that team apologizes to us for his AC's behavior. (He only got that chance to apologize because we have to stick around to get the managers to sign the card ).

Anyone else have a similar story?

[JaxRolo]

Scott,

Don't get your panties in a wad. Just got back from Cooperstown. (never saw anyone clean the bases) I am catching up on some threads.

Boddie's cool, huh?

Yeah Boddie is the man!

[gatoremt]

Scott,

Don't get your panties in a wad. Just got back from Cooperstown. (never saw anyone clean the bases) I am catching up on some threads.

I spent 4 days peeling the paint off of the home plate on field 21. It drove me crazy. Way to much paint on the bases.

[JaxRolo]

Scott,

Don't get your panties in a wad. Just got back from Cooperstown. (never saw anyone clean the bases) I am catching up on some threads.

I spent 4 days peeling the paint off of the home plate on field 21. It drove me crazy. Way to much paint on the bases.

I know what you mean. It was layers thick. Not even maintenance cleaned off the bases before painting them.