Respect

[ALStripes17]

I get up to the pressbox at one of our districts youth complexes yesterday for all-stars and meet 3 umpires from a neighboring association:

1)my partner, mild-mannered, country guy, getting in to umpiring more seriously after 2 years or so just piddling.

2) the senior of the group, heading up the other field of the night, mid 50's, controlled conversations, seemed to be set in his ways from first impression. Has been around the park a long time

3) senior's partner for other field tonight, low 20's, clean cut (or doesnt have to shave), came across somewhat cocky, displayed some good rules knowledge in convo.

So all throughout the first game (i am BU), I'm giving my partner signals and you can tell he is somewhat lost, makes calls before pitch reaches plate, hadnt been taught. We talk bw innings and he asked me where I learned everything I knew being so young and I told him just from sitting down, studying, really knowing 'why' we do things - and of course, U-E!! Haha

2nd game of night I have stick. Other game gets done and between innings I see the other 2 umpires have come over and are watching me behind the plate. We talked afterwards and they had never seen someone do scissor stance before!! I had expected the senior of the group to downgrade it and talk down about the way I do things but he actually asked more questions about my mechanics than the other guys did.

It was a cool moment to have as a young umpire with guys I had just met. Learning and teaching on every outing. Felt like a small milestone for me after a good set of games.

[GreyhoundAggie]

That's cool. And at the risk of flaming:

 

Death to scissors!