I've moved up a step on the ladder!

[tjwoelfel13]

Very few people like to eat their pride and ask for and take advice.  

[Rulekeep]

Very few people like to eat their pride and ask for and take advice.  

I'll take advice on things like cooking crab or, like, driving.

[maven]

 

Very few people like to eat their pride and ask for and take advice.  

I'll take advice on things like cooking crab or, like, driving.

 

 

Why limit the skills in which you'd like to improve?

[Rulekeep]

 

 

Very few people like to eat their pride and ask for and take advice.  

I'll take advice on things like cooking crab or, like, driving.

 

 

Why limit the skills in which you'd like to improve?

 

I want to improve in umpiring, yes. I just want to do it my own way.

[maven]

I want to improve in umpiring, yes. I just want to do it my own way.

If that's a question of style or pace, it is unobjectionable.

 

If you plan to write your own mechanics manual and rule book, please send me a copy.

[Rulekeep]

 

I want to improve in umpiring, yes. I just want to do it my own way.

If that's a question of style or pace, it is unobjectionable.

 

If you plan to write your own mechanics manual and rule book, please send me a copy.

 

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say I can't clean the bases

[maven]

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say I can't clean the bases

It doesn't tell you not to dig a moat around the infield and fill it with sharks, either. It doesn't follow that doing so is a good idea, or even part of good umpiring.

[Rulekeep]

 

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say I can't clean the bases

It doesn't tell you not to dig a moat around the infield and fill it with sharks, either. It doesn't follow that doing so is a good idea, or even part of good umpiring.

 

Now, that analogy really just isn't fair.

[maven]

 

 

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say I can't clean the bases

It doesn't tell you not to dig a moat around the infield and fill it with sharks, either. It doesn't follow that doing so is a good idea, or even part of good umpiring.

 

Now, that analogy really just isn't fair.

 

 

I dunno: your claim suggests that the rulebook is the place to go to learn how to umpire. That's false, and my silly example merely exaggerates to make the point.

[BRUMP]

If its you vs the world, then the world is probably right

[Rulekeep]

 

 

 

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say I can't clean the bases

It doesn't tell you not to dig a moat around the infield and fill it with sharks, either. It doesn't follow that doing so is a good idea, or even part of good umpiring.

 

Now, that analogy really just isn't fair.

 

 

I dunno: your claim suggests that the rulebook is the place to go to learn how to umpire. That's false, and my silly example merely exaggerates to make the point.

 

I'm not the only one who sweeps bases...

[KLAH316]

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say I can't clean the bases

It doesn't tell you not to dig a moat around the infield and fill it with sharks, either. It doesn't follow that doing so is a good idea, or even part of good umpiring.

Now, that analogy really just isn't fair.

 

I dunno: your claim suggests that the rulebook is the place to go to learn how to umpire. That's false, and my silly example merely exaggerates to make the point.

I'm not the only one who sweeps bases... I'll kick the dirt off them when it gets to the point where I can't see them, but that's about all that needs to be done by the umpires.

[Majordave]

@Rulekeep

Do you work softball too?

Softball umpires swept bases and pitcher's plate when I was in Kentucky. They kept count on indicators while working bases too. I occasionally had partners who worked both baseball and softball and when I asked why they said it was expected of them in softball.

Maybe it was softball you worked last night?

That would explain the extremely anal behavior. Haha

If it was baseball you were probably hyper and nervous from the excitement of your first HS assignment. I know I can get bored on the bases at times.

[Rulekeep]

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say I can't clean the bases

It doesn't tell you not to dig a moat around the infield and fill it with sharks, either. It doesn't follow that doing so is a good idea, or even part of good umpiring.

Now, that analogy really just isn't fair.

I dunno: your claim suggests that the rulebook is the place to go to learn how to umpire. That's false, and my silly example merely exaggerates to make the point.

I'm not the only one who sweeps bases...I'll kick the dirt off them when it gets to the point where I can't see them, but that's about all that needs to be done by the umpires. THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING

[Rulekeep]

@Rulekeep

Do you work softball too?

Softball umpires swept bases and pitcher's plate when I was in Kentucky. They kept count on indicators while working bases too. I occasionally had partners who worked both baseball and softball and when I asked why they said it was expected of them in softball.

Maybe it was softball you worked last night?

That would explain the extremely anal behavior. Haha

If it was baseball you were probably hyper and nervous from the excitement of your first HS assignment. I know I can get bored on the bases at times.

I did work softball at one point in my life, but this was assuredly baseball. The ball was not green and there was actually some good plays.

[Majordave]

Hahahaha. I think those green softballs look like hedge apples. If you know what they are

[Rulekeep]

Hahahaha. I think those green softballs look like hedge apples. If you know what they are

I'm not THAT isolated...

[Majordave]

Sorry, I've never been to Alaska. I don't know what grows there.

[Rulekeep]

Oh, no, hedge apples don't grow here. But I know what they are.

[Mad Mike]

I think we have all kicked dirt off a base now and then. There is nothing wrong with that. However, don't bring out a brush and brush the bases off. And while we are on it, don't get caught wearing a ball bag on the bases (to carry your brush).

 

I worked with a guy that did that last week. I asked him why he was wearing it in pre-game. He said it was to keep baseball's dry because of a light rain. I told him I could handle that just fine. Needless to say, he wore the darn thing. He looked ridiculous. He also played groundskeeper by fixing the pitching mound between innings and filling up the holes the pitcher(s) created for themselves. It was annoying to me and the pitcher's who had to dig another hole. I finally told him in the 3rd inning to knock it off. He was clueless.....

 

Suffice to say, the advice we give each other here can be taken and used to benefit the game and the crew, or it can be ignored and we can sink ourselves and our partner. It's not the baseball way to do such things......

 

$.02!

[Majordave]

While we are on annoying "Smitty-like" actions by partners we've all had.......

 

When in Kentucky I worked a high school varsity baseball game with a softball guy who also worked some baseball.  The assigner called me beforehand to tell me to make sure the guy wore a baseball shirt (powder with navy/white trim) not a softball shirt (powder with red/white/navy blue trim) if we wore light blue AND to turn him in to the assigner if he tried to use an indicator on the bases.  

 

(Our assigner was very adamant that we were not to use indicators on the bases as there had been several complaints of base umpires missing balks and other activities while focusing on the indicator wheels.)

 

Sure enough the guy brought his indicator out on the field with him and was using it from pitch one often ignoring anything else while he got it right.

 

I went to him in the middle of first inning and asked if I could see it then I put it in my ball bag and said; "You don't need it.  I've got the count and I will NEVER ask you to help me out there.  Look for balks and other problems instead." then walked away and did not speak to him the rest of the game.

 

I told him afterwards that I would not be ratting him out but that the assigner had asked me to.  I also told him he was on the assigner's watch list for some reason.   I never saw him working baseball after that.

 

Personal admission of guilt:  I have brushed the bases many, many times.  Why you ask?  Haha, one place I worked quite often had magnetic bases.  The top of the base often came loose and the base portion that fit into the ground had large rubber nipples (yes, perfect playtex baby bottle style and size nipples-just like the real thing) sticking up with the bottom of the actual base having small holes that had to match up perfectly with the nipples to fit/set properly.  If sand or Turface/Diamond Dry got between the two there could be no fit.  To save time from someone coming out of the dugout bringing a brush to fix it, I carried my plate brush in my back pocket and swept the bases myself to speed things up.  So, there.  Now I feel better.

 

I have gone to my younger/lesser experienced partners from time-to-time to give them pointers such as not brushing bases or pitcher's plate, do not carry an indicator or wear ballbags on bases, etc.  Also asked them not to mirror back the count to me......Smittyish things like that.

[LMSANS]

I disagree with your characterization of carrying an indicator on the bases as. Smittyish.

I do agree it is Smittyish to look at it to the exclusion of doing your job.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[grayhawk]

In HS here, we are expected to carry an indicator in the bases. It's on our evaluation form.

I use the notched All Star indicator so I don't look like Narcissus looking at his reflection in it.

[Rulekeep]

How did this post turn from "I'm umpiring High School" to "I use indicators on the bases..."

[Majordave]

@Rulekeep. Welcome to U-E world. Everything gets hijacked here because most umpires are strong personalities with equally strong opinions and convictions.

@LMSANS

@grayhawk.

sorry if I offended you guys. If you are required to use it on the bases then by all means do what your assigner says and take all steps you can to ensure you see what you are supposed to see. However, what is the reason you are requires to carry and use it if you know? I was taught not to use it and the reasons were given to me by the assigner. 1. It's MY job, mine alone to keep up with the count as plate umpire. If the base umpire is asked what the count is and his is different from the plate umpire's count that opens a can of worms we don't need. (I've seen it. It makes you BOTH look like Smitty or Charley.

2. Base umpire has primary responsibility for pickoff coverages and some balks (step, pivot leg twitch, etc.) both of which he can easily miss while l looking at a damn indicator.) Again, I've seen it and it looks like Smitty/Charley is in the house.

3. The job of umpiring higher level competitive baseball like HS varsity, college and Legion/travel/showcase tournaments is hard enough without doing stupid, self-inflicted stuff like messing up counts and missing balks and pickoffs because of some guy focusing on the wrong thing instead of the primary thing.

So, again sorry if I offended you with the pejorative term "Smitty" but that's my opinion. And I'm stickin' to it.

I'd like to hear your reasons for thinking it's not. And please don't use because my assigner/evaluator told me to. That's the only reason the softball guys have given me.