Rainout Whining

[Rock Bottom]

6 straight days (9 games) of rainouts, and tomorrow looks unlikely as well. So frustrating. Just had to complain to people who would get it!

[Thatsnotyou]

I’m at five days in a row with snow/rain outs. Tomorrow may be playable. 

[Biscuit]

I've gotten pretty lucky with both my umpiring and playing schedule. Had a rough patch to start my playing schesule, something like 5/6 rained out, but since then, no rain outs.

Only one game (last night) umpiring, and we got a game in first. That game sucked. A lot. One if my least favorite games I've ever called. But we got it in. Naturally, it looked like the second game was going to be much, much better (we say one pitch, one sharply hit, and cleanly fielded ball before ether games got called), but didn't get to redeem the night with that game...

[Minnz]

I know the pain. Was scheduled for five games this week and will get one in. I have lost about 40% of my original schedule of HS and college to rain.

[JSam21]

How about a school not telling you that the game was canceled? That's always fun. 

[yawetag]

3 hours ago, JSam21 said:

How about a school not telling you that the game was canceled? That's always fun. 

Unless GSLAU's contracts have changed, that's a free game fee.

[udbrky]

Lost every game back to Saturday. Got a DH in an hour.

 

I always text my partner when games get canceled, since I've seen times where they didn't get the message.

[Minnz]

16 hours ago, yawetag said:

Unless GSLAU's contracts have changed, that's a free game fee.

All depends. GSLAU doesn't contract for MSHSAA games. Technically the schools and umpire do and assigner is hired by the schools outside of GSLAU or any association.

[yawetag]

On 5/4/2019 at 12:07 PM, Minnz said:

All depends. GSLAU doesn't contract for MSHSAA games. Technically the schools and umpire do and assigner is hired by the schools outside of GSLAU or any association.

Then things have changed.

My last year working games was 2017 and at the time, the schools contracted with either GSLAU or the assigner (can't remember - it was the first year they had the two split) had the contracts. You then worked as an IC through the association and/or assigner (again can't remember exactly for that year - definitely not the schools). The contracts definitely had wording on pay for canceled games.

I can't imagine you're working under personal contracts with each school. That would require you to find a school to contract with and work their games. The purpose of GSLAU (and the independent assigner) was to sign the contracts and supply officials for those games.

[Minnz]

8 hours ago, yawetag said:

Then things have changed.

My last year working games was 2017 and at the time, the schools contracted with either GSLAU or the assigner (can't remember - it was the first year they had the two split) had the contracts. You then worked as an IC through the association and/or assigner (again can't remember exactly for that year - definitely not the schools). The contracts definitely had wording on pay for canceled games.

I can't imagine you're working under personal contracts with each school. That would require you to find a school to contract with and work their games. The purpose of GSLAU (and the independent assigner) was to sign the contracts and supply officials for those games.

No it is the same as you describe it, though for HS season it is the assigner and his LLC the schools work with, but there is a lot of gray area if you will on rainouts, no show etc.  Bottom line is in MO the schools hold all the power the way they do it. Heck when they pay you less for a postseason game than regular season game that tells you something.

Non HS ball you are IC for GSLAU and GSLAU chooses to hire an assigner for their contracts they hold.

[kylehutson]

I've got my first rainout tonight in several (6-7?) weeks.

It's honestly kind of welcome after the 7 games I put in yesterday for a USSSA tourney.

[HokieUmp]

1 hour ago, kylehutson said:

I've got my first rainout tonight in several (6-7?) weeks.

It's honestly kind of welcome after the 7 games I put in yesterday for a USSSA tourney.

Not picking on you, @kylehutson, so I'll ask any of the "tournament guys":  how on Earth do you do that many games in a day, and then manage to walk?

Right now, I understand why I'm still a weak little doe of a human - as they say, "cancer changes a man," and I'd argue chemo does even more.  I feel generally okay, and I'm out walking the dog for a couple miles a night, but I'm nowhere near what I'm seeing people put down.  Here, since the schools seem to have the umpire groups by the throat, the HS sked is primarily Tuesday and Friday, and then most of our assignments end up a DH of some sort - either a freshman/JV, JV/JV, JV/var or a varsity DH.  Freshman and JV games are timed, so you generally know it's about 1:45-1:50.  Two of those I can do, and did all this HS season.

I put my hand up to help our assignor with a 13U tourney, and said I could give him three, being all cocky from working two at a time.  It wasn't a mistake, since I made it, but after the hour drive home, unfolding out of my car was ........ interesting.  And those were all time-limited, no new after 1:40, so likely less than six hours on the field.

But even before The Cancer, I think I did no more than four in a day, and bloody well felt it.  How do you guys do it?  I hear people talk about five, six, seven games in a day, and doing it both weekend days.  What am I doing wrong, other than being genetically/athletically inferior to you all?  And how the hell are you fresh in those late games, more importantly - being accurate on the plate, or other calls?

[kylehutson]

First of all, I promise you're not a genetically inferior (aside from the cancer thing, which I'm not trying to downplay - that's got to be a killer physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and every other -ally). I wasn't even a varsity athlete in high school, thanks to asthma* and spending more time in the library than the weight room.

1) In my case, I was alternating between bases and plate, so I wasn't geared up for all 7 (though a guy on the field next to me who is fit and in his mid-20's did 6 in a row on the dish). So that certainly helps. I did 3 back-to-back plates once (showcase ball, so they were moving along), and I did it, but I don't have any desire to attempt 4

2) These are also time-limited, so you don't have any 4-hour marathons.

3) For me, it's much the mental challenge. Can I still stay as focused and "on top of my game" in game 7 as I was in game 1 or 2? I think those kinds of things will help me out when I'm in a bad situation. "C'mon, you've survived worse than this, suck it up."

4) Physically, yeah, I'm a little sore and tired today, but you'll be surprised what you can do when you don't have a lot of other options. Work still needs to be done, so I do it. And dang, the hot shower felt great last night, nearly as good as the pillow did a few minutes later. There have been days when I've pulled the car into the driveway, turned off the ignition and just sat there a couple of minutes working up the gumption to actually get up.

*which I've pretty much "grown out of" I have to take an inhaler usually 2-4 times per year now, and no other regular medications, but I'll still never be a long-distance runner.

[umpstu]

85 with a little wind tomorrow.  Oh, and a local pollen alert.  Guess I'll work 1st base.

[yawetag]

As a personal rule, I won't work more than two games in a day. Like @kylehutson, I start to see my focus dropping, especially if I'm doing the plate the second game. I had signed on for a triple-header this year, but only because it was timed games and we'd be out in 5-6 hours. Ended up losing the games, though. I would have rather had a third umpire and each of us work 2 games, even if it meant me getting games 1 and 3.

[Biscuit]

Honestly, as long as you're switching between bases and plate, 3 games insn't too bad. A 4th is iffy. If I get a game or two off in-between, I can do 5 without much problem. The guys that pull 17 game weekends? Nah, they crazy 

[urout17]

I feel your pain.  I worked in Illinois for years and it's one of the reasons we moved to Florida.

 

[DharnsIV]

I have a youth tournament in Branson Mo this weekend on turf fields. Not gonna be too hot this weekend so it shouldn’t be too bad. I have a total of 15 games over 3 days. This is the 3rd weekend I have done that many games and I survive. (Sore on Monday but it’s all worth it in the end) the max plates I’ll do in a row is 3. And I would rather be behind the plate than in the field

[Aging_Arbiter]

Just picked up a HS game from a rain out.  Depart in 30 min!

[wolfe_man]

Have a great game!

I'm on the plate at 5pm tonight. Weather is great last couple of days!

[stevis]

On 5/6/2019 at 6:27 PM, kylehutson said:

First of all, I promise you're not a genetically inferior (aside from the cancer thing, which I'm not trying to downplay - that's got to be a killer physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and every other -ally). I wasn't even a varsity athlete in high school, thanks to asthma* and spending more time in the library than the weight room.

1) In my case, I was alternating between bases and plate, so I wasn't geared up for all 7 (though a guy on the field next to me who is fit and in his mid-20's did 6 in a row on the dish). So that certainly helps. I did 3 back-to-back plates once (showcase ball, so they were moving along), and I did it, but I don't have any desire to attempt 4

2) These are also time-limited, so you don't have any 4-hour marathons.

3) For me, it's much the mental challenge. Can I still stay as focused and "on top of my game" in game 7 as I was in game 1 or 2? I think those kinds of things will help me out when I'm in a bad situation. "C'mon, you've survived worse than this, suck it up."

4) Physically, yeah, I'm a little sore and tired today, but you'll be surprised what you can do when you don't have a lot of other options. Work still needs to be done, so I do it. And dang, the hot shower felt great last night, nearly as good as the pillow did a few minutes later. There have been days when I've pulled the car into the driveway, turned off the ignition and just sat there a couple of minutes working up the gumption to actually get up.

*which I've pretty much "grown out of" I have to take an inhaler usually 2-4 times per year now, and no other regular medications, but I'll still never be a long-distance runner.

Sucks to your ass-mar!  (From a fellow asthmatic in mostly the same boat)

[HokieUmp]

On 5/6/2019 at 5:27 PM, kylehutson said:

First of all, I promise you're not a genetically inferior (aside from the cancer thing, which I'm not trying to downplay - that's got to be a killer physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and every other -ally). I wasn't even a varsity athlete in high school, thanks to asthma* and spending more time in the library than the weight room.

1) In my case, I was alternating between bases and plate, so I wasn't geared up for all 7 (though a guy on the field next to me who is fit and in his mid-20's did 6 in a row on the dish). So that certainly helps. I did 3 back-to-back plates once (showcase ball, so they were moving along), and I did it, but I don't have any desire to attempt 4

2) These are also time-limited, so you don't have any 4-hour marathons.

3) For me, it's much the mental challenge. Can I still stay as focused and "on top of my game" in game 7 as I was in game 1 or 2? I think those kinds of things will help me out when I'm in a bad situation. "C'mon, you've survived worse than this, suck it up."

4) Physically, yeah, I'm a little sore and tired today, but you'll be surprised what you can do when you don't have a lot of other options. Work still needs to be done, so I do it. And dang, the hot shower felt great last night, nearly as good as the pillow did a few minutes later. There have been days when I've pulled the car into the driveway, turned off the ignition and just sat there a couple of minutes working up the gumption to actually get up.

*which I've pretty much "grown out of" I have to take an inhaler usually 2-4 times per year now, and no other regular medications, but I'll still never be a long-distance runner.

Oh, I don't take it as downplaying.  Actually, as cancer goes, this wasn't .... so ... bad?  That really does seem like a strange sentence to type, but it's sort of true.  I mean, it WAS cancer, but I'm on three different FB groups for my deal, and I know it could have ended MUCH worse than it did.  Post-chemo, it seems like my feet bother me more, but that could be diabetes, and I have increased tinnitus - and that might not be the chemo's fault either, since the drugs I was given aren't known for that as a side-effect.  (It could be just being 53, having played the drums through college, and making Bad Choices regarding radio volume in the car sometimes.)  But just had my second CT scan in the last eight months, and it was good enough for the doctor to lengthen the intervals.  So, moving forward there.

And I know you weren't talking the plate for ALL the games mentioned.  I'm just talking that many in general.  Even when I wasn't a shadow of my former self, the idea of 5+ sounded hideous to me.  Yet I see people doing it all the time, and sometimes those kinds of numbers of BOTH days of the weekend.  For me, that's just a recipe for disaster.  I think my focus would waiver, intentionally or otherwise, to where it would lead to trouble on the field.

Of course, with numbers dwindling, and fewer young'uns getting into it, people making that kind of effort are still needed.  I'm just amazed it can be done.