I've moved up a step on the ladder!

[grayhawk]

Didn't offend me at all @Majordave.

First, I want to reiterate that I don't look at it, nor do I need to since it's notched.

Second, it helps me stay focused since I don't have to wonder what the count is. Many umpires give the count infrequently, and I don't like to rely on the scoreboard, even when it's on.

Sometimes, the PU loses the count and I'm his backup. Doesn't happen often, but it's good that he can go to me with confidence.

Using it on the bases has become as second nature to me as using it on the plate. I don't miss anything out there because it's in my hand.

I don't care if others do or don't use them on the bases, as long as the negative effects you describe aren't happening. I don't find it to be an issue with the guys I work with.

[Rulekeep]

Hey once Greg Gibson lost count and he could have avoided a trip to the dugout and a five minute delay if Wendelstedt, Porter, or Layne had an indicator. Or a clicker, as the announcers put it. Just to make the professional connection to everybody.

[Dash Riprock]

The BU uses a clicker.  The PU uses an indicator.

[Rulekeep]

The BU uses a clicker. The PU uses an indicator.

Ack, my brain!

[HokieUmp]

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

 

That's pretty dangerously close to what I've told umpire_scott - on this very subject, for that matter.  I'm skipping "Ignore" and going straight to "Acknowledge."

 

And it's:  "If it's you versus the world, take the world plus the points." 

[LMSANS]

@Majordave, no offense taken.

 

An indicator is a tool that is available.  If you use the tool wrong, you get burned.  If you use it right, it enhances your ability to do your job right.

 

Indicator on the bases is required by my association, but I use in other games I do also.  I have gone a season (non-HS) without using an indicator.  I had no problem keeping track of the count and the outs.  I prefer to use the tools correctly.

 

I did in my early days of umpiring get caught looking and learned my lesson the hard way...R2, F2 tries a pickoff after a K and I was resetting my indicator.  Never saw the actually play, just R2 standing on the base and F6 tagging him...safe  .  DHC was somewhat upset.  

I subsequently notched my indicators and haven't looked at it to reset it since.

[bluejerred]

 

 

@grayhawk I couldn't give a damn about Alaska if there was a gun to my head.

The title of this thread is "I'm working HS now and I brush bases off JUST to annoy every. Other. User. On U-E."

Wrong. Funny, you should know the title because it's your thread, but .... it's "I've moved up a step on the ladder"

Well, you won't anymore if evaluators keep seeing you do this.

It's funny, you're 14, and you won't take advice from others with WAY more experience than you, and WAY older .... I don't get it. I'm too punkrock to accept advice, not learn as I go.

 

 

I agree with you Rulekeep on a few things.  There are some things that you have to learn as you go - such as who to accept mentorship from, developing wisdom through experience in the game, and so forth.  However, there are some things where having good mentors is advantageous - such as developing proper mechanics (sometimes you will be doing something and you don't even realize it until someone points it out) and advice on how to manage certain personalities (i.e. giving you a heads up on a redass coach they know from the past before a game, teams that have had trouble with each other in the past, etc.).  Seeking out good mentors, asking good questions, and remaining humble are signs of hustle to the veterans and assignors which helps build your reputation.  This was my first year working high school and I was placed in the playoff umpire list for my efforts.  Not because I was the best, but because of how I developed good relationships with other umpires and for hustling in all phases of the game (pre-game, game, and post-game).  Besides, part of the fun of umpiring is developing friendships with other umpires and sharing stories and experiences.

 

What's funny is that you received mentorship from the other umpires during your high school game and probably didn't realize it (being told "good job" is a form of mentorship).  You even accept mentorship on this site, otherwise you wouldn't start a post on how you got your first high school game at 14 (congratulations on that, by the way).  Be careful about learning too much on your own and letting everyone know about it.  Assignors listen to the proven veterans and if they don't want to work with you because you gave yourself the smartass label, moving up and getting games will be tough.  What's even worse is that if you do get a game with them, they will let you burn while they sit back and enjoy the show just so you can "learn on your own". 

 

Before working high school, I worked last summer and fall as a new umpire working 1-man games without mentorship in a men's league and scrimmages because I didn't know who to talk to.  I was valedictorian of the school of hard knocks.  It sucked.  It's not fun.  Don't do it.  It's not the proper way to learn. 

 

Just as an example of how mentorship can help you, I recently made a big umpire gear purchase that I posted about on this site (Umpire Equipment - "Just wanted to say thanks").  Initially, I was attracted to the bells and whistles of a certain type of gear.  However, the gents on here know a lot more about gear than I do.  I read posts, learned from their experiences, and instead of buying the gear that I initially was looking at, I bought gear that had a better consensus of performance among the veterans here and saved myself about $200 in the process.  Just my $0.02, so to speak. 

[Rulekeep]

Well, getting this thread BACK on the original topic, last night I worked a DH between Ketchikan and WJNU and nearly had my first HS EJ but luckily my much-more-organized-than-LL-or-softball crew mates got me out of the situation before it escalated too much.

And I'm not getting paid. Did I mention I'm not getting paid? Forty five dollars a game but I'm underage so it's "practice."

But I'll take the assignments. Much more room for screwing up in high school ball than little league and therefor I'm more likely to embarrass myself and never do something ever again.

[ricka56]

Just got back from 2 week vaction and this is the 1st thread I read. Awesome that you get to work HS games...not getting paid not so awesome. So they don't want to break child labor law by paying you, but they are putting you to work. I guess the experience is worth the exploitation and the small game fee lost. That said, working HS games at age 14 is a feather in your cap.

 

Glad to hear that your partners were protecting you from unruly participants, but you know you can hold the stop sign hand signal up to your partners when they approach if you want to handle things on your own someday. You might want to pre-game how much "help" you'll want from the senior guys...be diplomatic...play nice.

 

I'll bet those kids wouldn't have been calling you a potato if they knew that you have a history of HSMing those who try your patience.

[Rulekeep]

I'll bet those kids wouldn't have been calling you a potato if they knew that you have a history of HSMing those who try your patience.

Is anybody going to let that go?!!? And it's not a history, it was ONE GUY.

[tjwoelfel13]

 

I'll bet those kids wouldn't have been calling you a potato if they knew that you have a history of HSMing those who try your patience.

Is anybody going to let that go?!!? And it's not a history, it was ONE GUY.

 

Nope. 

[Rulekeep]

I'll bet those kids wouldn't have been calling you a potato if they knew that you have a history of HSMing those who try your patience.

Is anybody going to let that go?!!? And it's not a history, it was ONE GUY.

Nope. I didn't ask you, Waffle. =-=

:wave:

[Dash Riprock]

One of the most important milestones in my umpiring career was realizing how bad I was after thinking how good I was.  That's when I really started to learn.

[maven]

One of the most important milestones in my umpiring career was realizing how bad I was after thinking how good I was.  That's when I really started to learn.

 

Clinics help instill a little modesty of that variety, as well as some better habits.

[Rulekeep]

Psssh, I don't need any help knowing I'm a crappy umpire. :wave:

[ricka56]

 

I'll bet those kids wouldn't have been calling you a potato if they knew that you have a history of HSMing those who try your patience.

Is anybody going to let that go?!!? And it's not a history, it was ONE GUY.

Lighten up, Francis. It was a joke. If it was once, it is now in your history. Most of us have some embarassing thing in our history that our friends will jokingly bring up. I wish mine was a colorful as yours. If I had a "history" of whopping a coach over the head with a HSM when I was 14, I'd own it big-time, play it to the hilt and have a full complement of snappy comebacks. when someone brought it back up.

[Rulekeep]

I'll bet those kids wouldn't have been calling you a potato if they knew that you have a history of HSMing those who try your patience.

Is anybody going to let that go?!!? And it's not a history, it was ONE GUY. Lighten up, Francis. It was a joke. If it was once, it is now in your history. Most of us have some embarassing thing in our history that our friends will jokingly bring up. I wish mine was a colorful as yours. If I had a "history" of whopping a coach over the head with a HSM when I was 14, I'd own it big-time, play it to the hilt and have a full complement of snappy comebacks. when someone brought it back up. I was thirteen when that happened. And I WOULD own it except that would lead to much more drastic "accidents."

Just don't write to SI about it when I become a major leaguer.

[Mark Pepper]

I'm too punkrock to accept advice, not learn as I go.

 

I'm impressed.  When I was 14 I wasn't even close to mature enough to umpire any level of HS baseball.  Feedback is a gift--you can accept it or reject it at your own risk.  Just don't get too punkrock.  "We wear caps and sleeves at this level, son!"

 

Oh, and stop cleaning the bases.

[Rulekeep]

 

I'm too punkrock to accept advice, not learn as I go.

 

I'm impressed.  When I was 14 I wasn't even close to mature enough to umpire any level of HS baseball.  Feedback is a gift--you can accept it or reject it at your own risk.  Just don't get too punkrock.  "We wear caps and sleeves at this level, son!"

 

Oh, and stop cleaning the bases.

 

I wear sleeves and caps. If one more person calls me son I'm gonna lose it it typical punk fashion, though.

[Majordave]

The phrase we wear hats and sleeves....son is a quote from the movie Major League.

He's not calling you son. It's just a joking way of telling you to try and look like you belong to the group you've chosen to associate with.

[Rulekeep]

The phrase we wear hats and sleeves....son is a quote from the movie Major League.

He's not calling you son. It's just a joking way of telling you to try and look like you belong to the group you've chosen to associate with.

The struggle is so, so real...

[Mark Pepper]

 

 

I'm too punkrock to accept advice, not learn as I go.

 

I'm impressed.  When I was 14 I wasn't even close to mature enough to umpire any level of HS baseball.  Feedback is a gift--you can accept it or reject it at your own risk.  Just don't get too punkrock.  "We wear caps and sleeves at this level, son!"

 

Oh, and stop cleaning the bases.

 

I wear sleeves and caps. If one more person calls me son I'm gonna lose it it typical punk fashion, though.

 

Of course you wear caps and sleeves.  You wouldn't have been selected for HS level if you didn't.  It was supposed to be a joke in reference to the punkrock pitcher (Ricky Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen) in Major League.  As well versed as you are in baseball I'm stunned you didn't recognize the line!  You need to learn the classics.  Please tell me you've seen Bull Durham...

[Rulekeep]

I'm too punkrock to accept advice, not learn as I go.

I'm impressed. When I was 14 I wasn't even close to mature enough to umpire any level of HS baseball. Feedback is a gift--you can accept it or reject it at your own risk. Just don't get too punkrock. "We wear caps and sleeves at this level, son!"

Oh, and stop cleaning the bases.

I wear sleeves and caps. If one more person calls me son I'm gonna lose it it typical punk fashion, though.

Of course you wear caps and sleeves. You wouldn't have been selected for HS level if you didn't. It was supposed to be a joke in reference to the punkrock pitcher (Ricky Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen) in Major League. As well versed as you are in baseball I'm stunned you didn't recognize the line! You need to learn the classics. Please tell me you've seen Bull Durham... I've heard of it but no, I haven't seen it. Surprisingly, I'm not one for baseball movies, really.

[Majordave]

Hmmmm.  

 

A person who umpires, makes films/video compilations themselves about umpiring and baseball yet does not and has not seen, nor does that person like baseball movies......... jury is still out on you kid.  

 

Just kidding.  Be who you are.  You give us lots to talk about.

 

 

Hmmmmm!

[Rulekeep]

Hmmmm.  

 

A person who umpires, makes films/video compilations themselves about umpiring and baseball yet does not and has not seen, nor does that person like baseball movies......... jury is still out on you kid.  

 

Just kidding.  Be who you are.  You give us lots to talk about.

 

 

Hmmmmm!

Uh oh.

 

I like SOME baseball movies...Eight Men Out, Bang the Drum Slowly and sadly The Rookie but the rest of my family doesn't like them, so I don't get to watch them.