"how long did it take you"......

[Quickstrike33]

being a catcher just about every season thru high school, i had the most difficult time training myself as an umpire, to take my mask off with my left hand. i think i went thru 2 ful seasons of rec ball before i made up my mind that i was going to put forth an extra effort to look the part and do it right...it really did take a while to click, but now it's second nature...i can't help but laugh inside when i see an umpire remove his mask with his right hand...believe it or not i saw a mlb umpire just last year do this...:HD:

[Stan W.]

I am also an ex-catcher...........and it took a long time for me to get comfortable with removing the mask left handed.....and I was very self concious about it.......I have my very rare back sliding times but I have had that habit broken for years now....

This was always one of those visual things that let you now that the umpire had some clinical training......but lately I have seen on message boards some very respected umpires say it matters less what hand you take the mask off with, as long as it ends up in the left hand......

However

Tell that to the 24 year old Evans school grad who works in the NY-PENN league , who was our guest clinician at our HS clinic......right hand mask removal = Original sin.....and woe be it to the lowly HS umpire who screwed it up.....

as an aside ... he was supervising on field mechanics.....saw me do my pivot and follow into second base.....told me I did a good job, but I needed to get there quicker......I told him I would work on getting younger for next year clinic.......

Edited January 23, 2009 by Stan W.
comedic purposes.....

[Quickstrike33]

like i said, it took a while to get in the habit of taking the mask off with the left hand. i think a lot of it was that i had my clicker in that hand, and could not grasp gripping/snapping the mask away from my face and up/over my forehead....to anyone having this problem, just keep practicing.maybe do it in front of a mirror...it will come the next issue will be to keep your hat on your head while taking the mask off!!!!!

[LMSANS]

:wow:

Good thing we're not on umpire.org!!!!!!

Most umpires use an indicator to keep track of balls, strikes and outs. Some even track innings or runs. This is usually kept in the left hand causing a learning challenge for handling the mask.

If you have a clicker in your hand, where is your indicator.

:clap:

[LMSANS]

I'm sorry...I couldn't help myself.

:tantrum:

[BrianC14]

Good thing we're not on umpire.org!!!!!!

Most umpires use an indicator to keep track of balls, strikes and outs. Some even track innings or runs. This is usually kept in the left hand causing a learning challenge for handling the mask.

If you have a clicker in your hand, where is your indicator.

:clap:

[Quickstrike33]

in most cases my indicator sits right behind home plate...she's the one with the marlboro dangling from her lips:smachhead::smachhead:

[jjb]

OK, in the interests of Full Disclosure, and since it's Friday, and I've just finished a tough week at my real job, let me admit, testify, and throw myself on the mercy of you brothers and sisters....

...I take my mask off with my right hand...

I know, I know, it's not "professional", it's not "umpire-like", and I've been chastised, ridiculed and generally tsk-tsked by evaluator and brother umpire alike. Beat me, yell at me, banish me to McGriffs. I've tried to do it with my left hand, but, as soon as I'm not thinking about it, my brain says "time to uncover", and my right hand goes up. It's a lost cause.

IN MY DEFENSE----this stems from over 40 years as an Ice Hockey Goaltender, where my right (stick) hand was the only hand with fingers.

AND, IN MY DEFENSE--- I have NEVER kept my mask in my right hand: it would cause me great bodily harm on my (hammer) Out Call. I have (to my kmowledge) always immediately switched hands, after removing it.

So, after hearing everything you have said, I will again try to take it off with my left hand. It will probably cause me to forget what I'm SUPPOSED to be thinking about, but, I'll give it a shot...

.., and maybe, someday, I'll be working the dish on the MLB All-Star Game, and you'll get to hear those immortal words from the legend Tim He-who-shall-not-be-named: " Joe, you can see that the Plate Umpire was TOTALLY out of position to make that call.....but, didn't he do a great job of taking off his mask"...

[Quickstrike33]

jjb, like i said, i thought i would never,ever catch on to it, but one day it just clicked...i think after that day, i may have lapsed 3 or 4 times but the split second i did, i caught myself and laughed at myself after putting my mask back on......trust me, it will become second nature after a while, then you'll think how easy it is now....

[Umpire in Chief]

jjb, it's a stylistic thing. The only people who will notice are other umpires. If you work at it you can beat the habit. It was explained to me that you want your mask in your left hand so that if you have to punch out someone in a call its bad to do it with your mask in your hand, and if you take it off with your right and have to transfer it you run the risk of loosing it on the transfer which would really make you look bad.

You hold the indicator with your bottom 2 fingers and grab your mast with your index and middle so you can have them both secure. Just practice, practice, practice and you will get comfortable.

[DonInKansas]

...I take my mask off with my right hand...

AND, IN MY DEFENSE--- I have NEVER kept my mask in my right hand: it would cause me great bodily harm on my (hammer) Out Call. I have (to my kmowledge) always immediately switched hands, after removing it.

I did the exact same thing my first three years as an umpire. Funny thing was, I never knew it was supposed to be done a certain way until a guy I worked with brought it up. It took me another two years to get through an entire season without using my right hand.

I find this odd, because I'm left handed.:smachhead:

[mstaylor]

It's funny because I started umpiring bases only. I had always been bat blind so figured I couldn't umire behind the plate. It worked well because I had a regular partner that hated bases so we made a good team. I mention this because I learned to use my indicator in my right hand. Well, one night I was the only guy that had any umpiring knowledge at all and was begged to do the plate. I finally agreed under deress. I found out I was good at and stayed back there. As a result of learning to use an indicator with the wrong hand, I naturally used my left to take my mask off. Of course, I imediately got dinged when I started HS and had to teach myself to switch hands with the counter. It took a while. :smachhead:

[dash_riprock]

It's funny because I started umpiring bases only. I had always been bat blind so figured I couldn't umire behind the plate. It worked well because I had a regular partner that hated bases so we made a good team. I mention this because I learned to use my indicator in my right hand. Well, one night I was the only guy that had any umpiring knowledge at all and was begged to do the plate. I finally agreed under deress. I found out I was good at and stayed back there. As a result of learning to use an indicator with the wrong hand, I naturally used my left to take my mask off. Of course, I imediately got dinged when I started HS and had to teach myself to switch hands with the counter. It took a while.

An indicator on the bases? That's a big no-no. The count is PU's job, and the outs are confirmed by all umpires (with signals) at least as often as every batter. BU has no need for an indicator.

[scobes7]

An indicator on the bases? That's a big no-no. The count is PU's job, and the outs are confirmed by all umpires (with signals) at least as often as every batter. BU has no need for an indicator.

I have heard no indicator on the bases...does this apply to all upper level games? Is it mandated?

[Majordave]

Softball umpires use indicators on the bases. I had to threaten a partner to put it up when we worked together once. He had been told before and really was not a good baseball umpire. I told our assigner and he no longer works HS baseball in our region.

So, if you want to look like a softball umpire or a rookie/newbie use one. Why do you care what the count is? That is plate umpire's job. What if you have a different count than your partner? Gives a coach something else to complain about.

Just don't do it.

[Umpire in Chief]

I have heard no indicator on the bases...does this apply to all upper level games? Is it mandated?

I've heard there are some associations which require base guys to keep one.

[BrianC14]

I've never understood why softball umpires have their base umpire use an indicator. Between that and the guy who uses a brush to clean off the pitcher's plate, there are few things that look so.... well, "Smitty".

[mstaylor]

When I started I was doing 60 ft LL so yes I carried an indicator at all times. Now it depends on the partner. If I know the guy behind the plate is good I will leave it in the bag, if not I will carry it on the bases. I realize many guys are bananas about this subject, myself, I'm a little more easy going about it. If my partner wants then I don't object unless I find he is a counter watcher. That is why guys get dinged about it, they spend as much time watching their counter as watching the game.

[DonInKansas]

My two cents:

When I have a partner carrying a counter on the bases it makes me nervous, especially if he/she's a counter watcher. It makes me second guess whether I've got the count right. I don't tell guys to pocket it since it happens fairly infrequently.

[BrianC14]

My two cents:

When I have a partner carrying a counter on the bases it makes me nervous, especially if he/she's a counter watcher. It makes me second guess whether I've got the count right. I don't tell guys to pocket it since it happens fairly infrequently.

LOL - this reminded me of this happening to me last summer.... I had a partner whose credentials / experience were, shall we say, "questionable" (the mirror biker sunglasses and the shiny light blue shirt should have been a clue, though, but I digress).

I've got the dish, and during the plate conference I notice he's got an indicator in his hand. After the conference breaks up, I ask to see it... he hands it over, I click it around a few times, as though it's the coolest thing I've ever seen... then I put it in my pocket and told him, "You won't be needing it. Now, let's get 'em going." :)

[Majordave]

I told my softball/baseball partner when I saw him using it in the first inning to put it up, please. We did not need two counts on the field. I also reminded him that our assigner had specifically told us and made a point to tell this guy in front of all of us to not use indicators on the bases. He got it out again in bottom of the first and missed a balk playing with it (to compound matters he also had bad eyesight-needed bifocals and did not wear them). I called the balk and signaled for a meeting, again. I told him that if I saw it again I was going to stuff it up his ass after the game. I did not see it again. Thankfully. I'm not sure this guy ever washed his own ass. Needless to say he was done as a baseball umpire after that game. He was only there for the check anyway.

[UmpTTS43]

There are guys around here that will just take the indicator away, chuck it over the fence, and resume the game without saying a word.

[Dragon29]

When I started I was doing 60 ft LL so yes I carried an indicator at all times. Now it depends on the partner. If I know the guy behind the plate is good I will leave it in the bag, if not I will carry it on the bases. I realize many guys are bananas about this subject, myself, I'm a little more easy going about it. If my partner wants then I don't object unless I find he is a counter watcher. That is why guys get dinged about it, they spend as much time watching their counter as watching the game.

Same here - I work w/a wide variety of different skill levels both on the bases and behind the plate. I used to want to use it; some PUs didn't care and some did.

For me, the cardinal sin is being a 'counter watcher'; if you're going to carry/use one on the bases, for God's sake don't be staring at it all the time and never, never, never move a count until after the PU has announced the pitch or you'll make him look like an ass when you go to 'correct' yours.

Anymore, I only use it when the PU specifically requests that I do. I always bring it w/me in case the PU's breaks.

[BrianC14]

Same here - I work w/a wide variety of different skill levels both on the bases and behind the plate. I used to want to use it; some PUs didn't care and some did.

For me, the cardinal sin is being a 'counter watcher'; if you're going to carry/use one on the bases, for God's sake don't be staring at it all the time and never, never, never move a count until after the PU has announced the pitch or you'll make him look like an ass when you go to 'correct' yours.

Anymore, I only use it when the PU specifically requests that I do. I always bring it w/me in case the PU's breaks.

Ah, yes, the tell-tale "CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK" sound of a base umpire who's lost the count.

I mean, come on - if you don't have it with you, none of these silly things will be taking place.

When I'm on the dish, I have my spare with me. (Last season, I went 3/4 of the season without using an indicator at the plate at all).

[LMSANS]

Softball umpires use indicators on the bases. I had to threaten a partner to put it up when we worked together once. He had been told before and really was not a good baseball umpire. I told our assigner and he no longer works HS baseball in our region.

So, if you want to look like a softball umpire or a rookie/newbie use one. Why do you care what the count is? That is plate umpire's job. What if you have a different count than your partner? Gives a coach something else to complain about.

Just don't do it.

tread lightly:BD:...what is wrong with looking like a softball umpire?

My association wants the BU to have an indicator. nuff said.:)