World Series - Game 2

[Thunderheads]

Ok, .... please read carefully and hear me out .... 

I'm a HS umpire and that's all I'll ever be, partly because that's what I enjoy and that's my inspiration.   I don't have the time or schedule to do College ball, so what I do I'm perfectly happy with.  And, to add ....  I do a decent job.

Now, ... I'll NEVER be at the level of the guys on the field right now, and 99.9999999% of all of us on the site won't either, however.  IF I ever got to do a game at the level of a plate in the world series, I certainly wouldn't have my hands in my pockets most of the night.  I feel Guccione did a fine job last night, no doubt, and he probably accomplished a dream last night by doing his first World Series plate job.   But, did anyone else notice this?  I know it was pretty 'raw' in Cleveland last night but would gloves be a good alternative?   I just think the hands in pockets thing looks as if you don't care.

Am I off base here, or was this noticed by anyone else?

Again, I'm not bashing Guccione per-say, but how does that 'look' to others?  Make sense?

I posted something similar on Facebook and you'd think that I called Guccione's mother a nasty name!  Geez  

Anyhow, thoughts?

[JohnMcSherry]

I have to admit that I noticed Guccione's hands in his pants pockets as well and it looked sloppy & unprofessional to me.   Last night was ideal for a plate coat.  But he could care less what I think and he did a great job back there last night.  Arrieta had filthy stuff last night and wasn't easy to track but Guccione was on his game.

[conbo61]

For whatever reason, there is a negative connotation associated with hands in pants pockets.  

I think it would have looked "better" if he were putting his hands in the pockets of a plate coat.  Think Steve Martin and Michael Caine in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".

At least those are my thoughts from the view on my couch at home.

[Thunderheads]

1 minute ago, conbo61 said:

For whatever reason, there is a negative connotation associated with hands in pants pockets.  

I think it would have looked "better" if he were putting his hands in the pockets of a plate coat.  Think Steve Martin and Michael Caine in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".

At least those are my thoughts from the view on my couch at home.

I agree there, and ....again ... MORE on your "thoughts from the view on my couch" ...I get that ...and that's why I preceded my post with who I am and what I do .... I think he did a nice job last night ...it was just an appearance thing for me ....

[conbo61]

2 minutes ago, Thunderheads said:

I agree there, and ....again ... MORE on your "thoughts from the view on my couch" ...I get that ...and that's why I preceded my post with who I am and what I do .... I think he did a nice job last night ...it was just an appearance thing for me ....

We should all do this well, whatever level we work.

 

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/zoneTrack.php?month=10&day=26&year=2016&game=gid_2016_10_26_chnmlb_clemlb_1%2F&prevGame=gid_2016_10_25_chnmlb_clemlb_1%2F&prevDate=1026

[stkjock]

FWIW - I didn't notice it from a non-umpires perspective.  Just looking at some video highlights, he never had them in his pockets when the ball was live that I could see.

 

[Thunderheads]

12 minutes ago, stkjock said:

FWIW - I didn't notice it from a non-umpires perspective.  Just looking at some video highlights, he never had them in his pockets when the ball was live that I could see.

 

nor would you really ....but umpires would.  Heck, however, SWMBO even noticed it!

No, never live, obviously, but just about everytime in 'pause' between pitches ...more early in the game than later, but basically all game

[scrounge]

I noticed it in passing but really didn't think it was any big deal. It was usually just between pitches and other non-important times. In those conditions, you do what you gotta do.

[Thunderheads]

4 minutes ago, scrounge said:

I noticed it in passing but really didn't think it was any big deal. It was usually just between pitches and other non-important times. In those conditions, you do what you gotta do.

Ok .... what about gloves?

[scrounge]

8 minutes ago, Thunderheads said:

Ok .... what about gloves?

Some guys don't like to use the indicator or handle the ball with gloves. I just don't see this as a big issue, personally. We're the only ones that notice these things.

[conbo61]

My gosh, I would hope that any MLB umpire who kept his hands in his pockets during a live ball would not be selected to work a World Series.

Just my $0.02.

[BigUmpire]

Maybe he had the bottom of his pockets cut out.

[conbo61]

Family site, Biggie, family site...

[dl1340]

I notice this on the first or second batter last night and had to wait until they showed it again to make sure I was seeing correctly. I think gloves would have been a better option.  I thought I saw the hands in pockets a couple of times right until the he got ready to get down in stance

[yoitsrc]

I think guccione should have worn a plate coat or better under layers.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[maven]

Really, Jeff? That's your takeaway from game 2?

[Thunderheads]

18 minutes ago, maven said:

Really, Jeff? That's your takeaway from game 2?

takeaway?  No .... but it was the first thing I noticed when I got home and saw the game .....    why?  Am I to assume you're ok with that?

Why is it that  'one' comment on an entire game is a "takeaway"?

[dl1340]

Heck in one of the divison series the home plate umpire had old style shirt with small white stripe on the sides and all the other field umpires had new shirts with grey stripes. I look and notice stuff too from major league games

[Umpire in Chief]

I thought Guccione called a great game last night. The game itself was very long and kind of boring...

I too noticed the hands in the ball bags, but maybe it is because I was once dinged for having my hands in my pockets in between innings.

 

 

[BT_Blue]

I think we all have gotten pegged for this by an evaluator at some point in our amateur careers. I know I got pegged for it down in SoCal and then after I moved north because I wasn't used to the weather yet.

Would gloves or a plate coat have looked better? Yes, of course. Heck... Maybe a second ball bag just for hand warmers might have worked as well. Gooch is the only one that could answer any of these questions.

Also, Jeff wasn't the only one on FB that notices this. My feed was FLOODED with these kinds of posts. I think he was at 94.7% accuracy on his pitches last night and this seemed to be the one complaint I constantly saw (besides people bitching about the maybe fair/maybe foul call by Randazzo late in the game.) Vanover had a better game (97.1% accuracy) but saw WAY MORE bitching online about him.

[Thunderheads]

6 minutes ago, BT_Blue said:

I think we all have gotten pegged for this by an evaluator at some point in our amateur careers. I know I got pegged for it down in SoCal and then after I moved north because I wasn't used to the weather yet.

Would gloves or a plate coat have looked better? Yes, of course. Heck... Maybe a second ball bag just for hand warmers might have worked as well. Gooch is the only one that could answer any of these questions.

Also, Jeff wasn't the only one on FB that notices this. My feed was FLOODED with these kinds of posts. I think he was at 94.7% accuracy on his pitches last night and this seemed to be the one complaint I constantly saw (besides people bitching about the maybe fair/maybe foul call by Randazzo late in the game.) Vanover had a better game (97.1% accuracy) but saw WAY MORE bitching online about him.

Mind you ...... I also thought he had a good game and remained consistent through a long and cold game.

[BT_Blue]

Really long and really cold!

[Thunderheads]

1 minute ago, BT_Blue said:

Really long and really cold!

....why gloves ...in my mind, was an obvious choice ....I've seen Gerry Davis wear them on a WS dish before ......

[maineump]

I think gloves look ok for the plate, and here in the NE we learn to use our indicator with gloves on, out of necessity.

As far as hands in front pockets, I never do it, but I am not doing the plate in the WS. I have put my fingers in my back pockets between innings 

He was only wearing 1 bag, so you notice his hand in his left pocket. I have seen, and have put my hands in my plate coat pocket and even ball bags (between batters), when the wind is blowing. It did look windy last night, and it had to be cold with game time temp at 47. He may have had hand warmers in there too -

I think he called a great game, and didn't give the impression of being too laid back. He was trying to stay warm in a long game.

[LittleBlue]

I thought he had his right hand in his ball bag which to me looked really bad. I don't do that on the amateur games I do and for the World Series I think it looks really sloppy. Then again he go where he is doing what he does so I guess if it works for him then it works for him.