Where should I put my water bottles?

[JHong]

Working rec league game around the bases tomorrow and i was wondering where the best place is to put my plastic water bottles during the game. Some umpires put it in the home team dugout but I've never liked that method. Others stick it into the fence and thats what I do. Just wondering what you guys do.

[LMSANS]

I stick it.

[conbo61]

34 minutes ago, LMSANS said:

I stick it.

Apologies in advance.  I couldn't resist.

[noumpere]

I always used a 1/2 gallon (or so) thermos and used a bungee cord to hang it on the fence -- in DBT if possible.

[jjb]

Put it in a dugout, and you'll never know if someone spit in it. Put it on the ground and a live ball will eventually hit it. Hook it to a carabiner and hang it from the fence. Find the loudest mouth fan and hang it in front of him; he loves that. 

[Rock Bottom]

I bring a small cooler (see link below for this year's version, mine is a couple of years old), and hang it with carabiner clips. Put my wallet in there, car keys, pen, hand warmers for cold games, ice pack. It's perfect.

https://www.costco.com/California-Innovations-Titan-16-can-Zipperless-Cooler.product.100488860.html

[MadMax]

12 hours ago, JHong said:

rec league game around the bases tomorrow and i was wondering where the best place is to put my plastic water bottles during the game.

Anywhere you d@mn3d well want to. It's rec league... who cares?! They should be thankful they have an actual breathing umpire!

With that said, just don't make a project out of it. As you go up in terms of skill-level and intensity of game, the more support from host / facility / teams (home) you should get, and the less you have to bring onto the field. Here in Arizona, despite the insistence of several of my JuCo -level colleagues, I always bring water, because I cannot trust that the host team will provide water in a "detached" manner (bring a bottle to me, as opposed to force you to enter the dugout). Depending on the intensity / prestige of tournament, we sometimes have to fend for ourselves, while other times, we have a "Rover" bring us water, ice, cooling towels, etc. between innings as needed. It's a tradeoff – the more prestigious the tournament and the support provided, the less conspicuous they want the umpires to be (as in, they don't want to make it look like the umpires are camped out for the day on that one field). Unless I actually see the support system, I always bring my insulated water bottle (with carabiner clip) and hang it on the fence, whether I'm PU or BU; the need to hydrate is imperative.

When I did, and do independent pro summer leagues, I have a much cheaper water bottle that the home team is obligated to fill and make available to me. I'm looking forward to the day when the "Minor League" dogs bring water bottles out to us. Then I'll know I've really made it!

[Mudisfun]

I bring 2-4 16oz water bottles on the field every game, depending on how hot it is... I just stack my mini-bar against the backstop, normally where it meets the 3rd base line fencing. If it gets hit, oh well. 

Bases, I just stick it in the fencing a little down the line from 1st base.

[beerguy55]

[Thatsnotyou]

16 hours ago, Rock Bottom said:

I bring a small cooler (see link below for this year's version, mine is a couple of years old), and hang it with carabiner clips. Put my wallet in there, car keys, pen, hand warmers for cold games, ice pack. It's perfect.

https://www.costco.com/California-Innovations-Titan-16-can-Zipperless-Cooler.product.100488860.html

I have to ask - you need your wallet on the field?

[noumpere]

3 minutes ago, Thatsnotyou said:

I have to ask - you need your wallet on the field?

I thought the same thing, along with car keyS (plural), hand warmers AND ice pack (one or the other), pen (just carry it and a piece of paper in your pocket)

[MadMax]

17 minutes ago, Thatsnotyou said:

you need your wallet on the field?

Depending on where you/we are, it has come to that. Tournaments are notorious for prodding umpires to "camp out" on fields to rattle off 2-6 games at a go. And, the parking lot is often not within visual range... of anybody. Here in Phoenix, there is a 3-field complex that is infamous for having its parking lots prowled by lowlifes who break into cars (or find cars left unlocked) and completely clean them out. In broad daylight!

Sure, if you park in a secure location, or you can store your gear bag in an actual locker room or umpire change room, or some kind of central hub (groundskeeper's shack, etc.) then you really can be confident in taking as little as possible to the field. But if you can't run that risk, then valuables must be kept close at hand somewhere.

[Rock Bottom]

2 hours ago, Thatsnotyou said:

I have to ask - you need your wallet on the field?

I don't "need" to access it on the field, but it's safer in the cooler pocket than it is in the car.  

[Rock Bottom]

2 hours ago, noumpere said:

I thought the same thing, along with car keyS (plural), hand warmers AND ice pack (one or the other), pen (just carry it and a piece of paper in your pocket)

LOL!  I didn't mean to imply that you'd need hand warmers and an ice pack at the same time!  Just that it has pockets to put stuff you'll need.  And I do put my pen in my pocket, but I also carry a spare.  

[Rock Bottom]

1 hour ago, MadMax said:

Depending on where you/we are, it has come to that. Tournaments are notorious for prodding umpires to "camp out" on fields to rattle off 2-6 games at a go. And, the parking lot is often not within visual range... of anybody. Here in Phoenix, there is a 3-field complex that is infamous for having its parking lots prowled by lowlifes who break into cars (or find cars left unlocked) and completely clean them out. In broad daylight!

Sure, if you park in a secure location, or you can store your gear bag in an actual locker room or umpire change room, or some kind of central hub (groundskeeper's shack, etc.) then you really can be confident in taking as little as possible to the field. But if you can't run that risk, then valuables must be kept close at hand somewhere.

While I primarily do games in nice areas, even there the parking lots are known to be places for break-ins, and as you said, in many cases they aren't even close to being in visual range of anyone at the field.  Bringing a small cooler is easy - and I know I won't leave it at the game (like too many umps -- none on this board or my associates I'm sure -- who leave half empty/empty water bottles stuck in the fence).

[boyinr]

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/igloo-05-gallon-sport-jug?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqIWJ6cbn4QIVRVcMCh1i7Q2REAQYASABEgJDzPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This. $5.99. Hangs on the back of the fence. 

[beerguy55]

23 hours ago, Thatsnotyou said:

I have to ask - you need your wallet on the field?

I've played in facilities where you don't want to leave a damned thing in your car.

[stevis]

23 hours ago, Thatsnotyou said:

I have to ask - you need your wallet on the field?

I take Lyft or a cab to a fair number of my games.  So yeah, wallet/phone stay in the cooler (not coming out during the game, natch) so I have a way home after.

[kylehutson]

On 4/23/2019 at 4:39 PM, Rock Bottom said:

like too many umps -- none on this board or my associates I'm sure -- who leave half empty/empty water bottles stuck in the fence

whistling nonchalantly

[catsbackr]

I am sure I am in the minority here, but....

 

I have NEVER brought water or drinks to the field with me.  EVER.

[Rock Bottom]

17 minutes ago, catsbackr said:

I am sure I am in the minority here, but....

 

I have NEVER brought water or drinks to the field with me.  EVER.

Really??  How about on 95* sun-scorched mid-day game?

[catsbackr]

Nope, I usually get water from one of the teams or I can go a couple of hours without water.

[Mudisfun]

On 4/25/2019 at 7:41 AM, catsbackr said:

I am sure I am in the minority here, but....

 

I have NEVER brought water or drinks to the field with me.  EVER.

Last summer doing games in 110+, that would have not been an option. One of my buddies was removed from a game and attended to by medics who happened to be parents at a game... 118 in the shade and he went down hard with heat exhaustion, almost heat stroke. Everybody's body reacts differently to the heat.