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1st District behind plate for LL


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Sigh  2 yrs of bases 1st year was large learning curve 2nd year by the end I was figuring out I needed school and better "instruction"  not that the guys I was with were bad. Just figured in a class room setting its easier to learn make mistakes and move on than in a game which was how I was getting it done.  It was good VERY glad I went.  

now 3rd yr and  1st year having been behind the plate this year, I did like 3 maybe 4 games 2 man.  1st two were "learning" with one of the UIC in the district then after that I must have had 16 or so games solo this year,  I critiqued myself and chatted with that UIC for pointers and tips all along the way.  All was good did a handful of bases for him thru out the season too keeping the rust knocked off so to say.

So I chatted with UIC a week ago and he and I wanted to work as a tandem him plate and me bases thru this Tourney.  He lets me know yesterday I have to do PLATE on Thu ..  Yep now I'm poopin kittens .. ugh 

I know I can handle it .  Just nerves

gotta brush up on my tourney rules though know that.

going over my "speech" now.

Good "day, eve" Gentleman, Just want to start off with my name bases name and we are here # 1 for the kids and their safety and sportsmanship.  Want to be sure that both you have your kids ready to play, they are properly equipped and have no jewelry and or watches on.  Have you exchanged line ups and do you have any in-eligible pitchers.  Go over the ground rules and any issues with fencing"  Any issues please ask for time and approach myself or my partner if he made the call if we need to confer we will.  I ask you to come to us after time has been called and not yell across the diamond as some times its hard to hear with crowds and etc.  Any questions , Lets have a great game.

 

sigh.. ok.. tear me up..

 

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Get the coaches names at introductions. Good eye contact and firm handshake. Write the names down on lineups, if not already listed.

Let the game come to you, and let it become what it will become.  Try not to overthink or pre-judge.  When you are amped up, breathe and be sure to maintain your excellent, deliberate timing.

Most of all, have fun!

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You said you were doing the bases for this game? Then you stand on the fair side of home plate facing your partner who is behind home plate facing you. You don't say anything. UIC runs the pregame conference. 

As for the "speech"itself, If you are the plate Umpire, then it's your conference

2 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Just want to start off with my name bases name and we are here # 1 for the kids and their safety and sportsmanship.

Just give them your name. get their names. Shake hands.  No need for the rest of it. 

2 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Want to be sure that both you have your kids ready to play, they are properly equipped and have no jewelry and or watches on

"Coaches, are your teams properly equipped? All jewelry including necklaces and wristbands removed?"

2 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Have you exchanged line ups and do you have any in-eligible pitchers.

LL tourney this is usually done at the scorers table prior to the game. No need to bring it up again. 

 

2 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Any issues please ask for time and approach myself or my partner if he made the call if we need to confer we will.  I ask you to come to us after time has been called and not yell across the diamond as some times its hard to hear with crowds and etc

I've heard plenty guys throw this in their pregame conference. Level dependent. I guess it's not a bad idea at lower  levels. Shorter is better.

"Gentlemen, if there's anything you need to discuss with us during the game, please wait til action has stopped and ask for time and then we can discuss any issues."

Any questions?? Good luck guys.  

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How do you handle the partner who likes to interject during your plate conference?  As the UIC (HS and above), when I'm done talking I'll ask my partner if he has anything he 'd like to add. I've worked with most of our members and 9.9 times out of 10 they have nothing to add. Has anyone ever brought this up to them after the game?  Just wondering...

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33 minutes ago, Richvee said:

You said you were doing the bases for this game? Then you stand on the fair side of home plate facing your partner who is behind home plate facing you. You don't say anything. UIC runs the pregame conference. 

 

He was originally going to but due to issues overseas currently work has him strapped and he cannot do the game so I will be running the plate 

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5 minutes ago, urout17 said:

How do you handle the partner who likes to interject during your plate conference?  As the UIC (HS and above), when I'm done talking I'll ask my partner if he has anything he 'd like to add. I've worked with most of our members and 9.9 times out of 10 they have nothing to add. Has anyone ever brought this up to them after the game?  Just wondering...

I have been that other guy and I will note things like holes in the fence or such to add to "ground rule" concerns

 

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2 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

I have been that other guy and I will note things like holes in the fence or such to add to "ground rule" concerns

 

I absolutely have no problem with my partners' comments once I'm done.  Common courtesy I guess.

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Pet Peeve....Why do we have to talk about every hole in the fence? It's real simple..If a ball goes under, through, over a fence, we have a book rule to govern it. I really don't need to know where the groundhog dug under the outfield wall, or where the landscaper ripped a piece of chain link. 

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42 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

He was originally going to but due to issues overseas currently work has him strapped and he cannot do the game so I will be running the plate 

Got it.

keep it short.

Introductions, lineups (if not done at the scorer's table), ground rules specific to the field. Players properly equipped. Sportsmanship, and If you want to add the ask for time and we'll discuss any issues...That's about it. 

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2 hours ago, ousafe said:

Get the coaches names at introductions. Good eye contact and firm handshake. Write the names down on lineups, if not already listed.

Let the game come to you, and let it become what it will become.  Try not to overthink or pre-judge.  When you are amped up, breathe and be sure to maintain your excellent, deliberate timing.

Most of all, have fun!

Good advice!  I am sill learning the 'let the game come to you'.  I like the way you put that.  One thing I'd recommend if you don't already do it - to help slow down your cadence on balls and strikes: watch ever pitch into the mitt, tell yourself 'ball' ort 'strike', then verbalize the call with the correct signal.  You'd think that would be too slow but let me tell you its fine and it will keep you from calling something too early.  Especially in LL where batters can somtimes not swing until its in the glove!

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PU is at PoP, UIC is across from him, coaches and players are in batter's boxes. BUs are on the sides of the UIC. UIC will go over most of it. Coaches will forget most of it. If I'm PU, I start with the kids, play fair, hustle on and off the field, help your catcher get on the gear, warm up the pitcher, but most of all, Have fun! Then on to coaches, All players properly and legally equipped to LL standards? (I require a firm, "Yes" on this, no mumbling etc.) Ground rules, usually OOB lines, remind them if the ball gets stuck or goes under the fence, not to dig, throw up the hands and wait for an umpire. If there is a question about a judgement call, request time and when it's granted calmly talk to the umpire that made the call. If there's a question about the rules, request time and when it's granted, calmly approach the umpire that made the call and request the PU. 

During pre-game, ask the scorekeeper how they want changes. The UIC should have gone over this, but most coaches won't remember. We use, Player Number is coming in for Player Number at Position Number. For offensive, just get the Player Numbers, Player Number is batting for Player Number.

As you increase in playing level, your tolerance for mistakes should go down. If an 8-10 coach comes out of the dugout, yelling "time" and walking to the mound, I'll grant time and head him off. I'll explain that he needs to request time first and when it's granted, he can leave the dugout and go out to the mound. If a LL baseball coach, pulls that same crap, he's going back to the dugout with a stern warning that he'll be restricted to the bench or gone, if he can't do it right. 

Make sure the UIC or yourself have time to do a proper equipment check. 

During the game, work on timing of calls, wait on catches. PU should have all catches and foul calls. During pre-game let the base umpires know to sell the call and not to call catches or fouls. Most important, keep the game moving. 8 warm ups for a new pitcher 5 for the same pitcher. I let the catcher know when he's got 2 left, then announce, "1 more" so the batter can be ready. Remind dugouts if the battery is not out and warming up, if the catcher was on base, get another kid with a mask and mitt out there. If a ball, goes out of play, let it go and hand the catcher a new ball. Remind the batter to keep one foot in the box. 

That's all I got for now. 

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On the topic of plate meetings, there's an acronym I learned somewhere on this forum that has served me well. 

ilegs

Introductions, lineups (exchanging and checking lineups, or confirming type of lineup depending in level of play), equipment (properly and legally equipped), ground rules, special circumstances (time limits, rules changes from what's posted etc).

I stay pretty strictly to this script, but you can add things if you really feel you need to, or if your league requires it. Keep it short, go over the required stuff, and use the coaches names as much as possible in your meeting, so you can remember it, and set the expectation that we're using first names. Coaches seem to appreciate the short meetings, and I find it gets us off to a good start.

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ILEGS is great. Never heard it, but it's the exact order I do things myself. For "Equipment," I'll add the "emphasize sportsmanship at all times" that Fed enjoys. And, as ground rules are discussed, I'll get the lineup cards folded correctly and placed in my holder.

I could probably write full posts on each section of the plate meeting and always thought it should be taught as part of training for newer umpires. So many get thrown out there with no knowledge of what's involved with a plate meeting, thinking it's taking a lineup card and stuffing it in your shirt and having a coach tell you where there's holes in the fence.

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well got it done 

 

the speech before the game was done was a bit rough  I tried ilegs but could not remember the damn acronym. Game time was 1hr 10 min  niiiiiiice..

 

Had one hiccup..

4th or 5th inning I took one directly to the mask 65-70 mph up and in that the catcher reached up to snag and missed, I think he may have been crossed up and expecting a curve.

set me back for a minute I needed to shake out the cobwebs.. but felt ok after that. reminded me of a light "bell ringing" from HS football

a few batters later I signaled to my partner on the bases IFF rule and he did not repeat I got down and then it hit me. Only a guy on 1st not 1st and 2nd.   Pitch came in kid swung and missed, I stood up and signled to wipe off the IFF  ( LMAO)  I ducked down again and the catcher asks well what was it.  I say well he swung its a strike I dont have to say strike cause he swung I only have to signal it.  Yep dawns on me I did not show the hammer I rubbed my belly..  UGH  ball comes in he fowls it off I call foul and then call the count. 0-2  ..     embarrassed about the brain fart but otherwise the game went quick and clean and I got comment from the PA announcers/scorer that my outside corner was very very consistent and good.  I told him "thank you" 

I really appreciated that, the OSC is for me one that I struggled with hard in the beginning in of the year and I have tried to make it more consistent as the year went on.   That back up from someone sitting behind and above me was nice to hear.  It's really ironic he said that though cause it was his towns kids that were getting nailed by the other teams 2nd pitcher who was tossing a mean curve over that outside corner.  Although their 1st pitcher did nail a few fast balls on it too. But man that 2nd VT pitcher he was fastball in usually hitting the corner for a strike or a missed swing, then next pitch the big loopy deuce. did that 6 or 7 batters in a row. then on like #8 he changed it and thru the curve at the kid to swoop in and cross the inside of the plate.  REALLY buckled that batter.  sigh.. its nice to be umping kids who have decent talent and they make much less errors.  

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On 6/28/2019 at 11:56 AM, ArchAngel72 said:

well got it done 

 

the speech before the game was done was a bit rough  I tried ilegs but could not remember the damn acronym. Game time was 1hr 10 min  niiiiiiice..

 

Had one hiccup..

4th or 5th inning I took one directly to the mask 65-70 mph up and in that the catcher reached up to snag and missed, I think he may have been crossed up and expecting a curve.

set me back for a minute I needed to shake out the cobwebs.. but felt ok after that. reminded me of a light "bell ringing" from HS football

a few batters later I signaled to my partner on the bases IFF rule and he did not repeat I got down and then it hit me. Only a guy on 1st not 1st and 2nd.   Pitch came in kid swung and missed, I stood up and signled to wipe off the IFF  ( LMAO)  I ducked down again and the catcher asks well what was it.  I say well he swung its a strike I dont have to say strike cause he swung I only have to signal it.  Yep dawns on me I did not show the hammer I rubbed my belly..  UGH  ball comes in he fowls it off I call foul and then call the count. 0-2  ..     embarrassed about the brain fart but otherwise the game went quick and clean and I got comment from the PA announcers/scorer that my outside corner was very very consistent and good.  I told him "thank you" 

I really appreciated that, the OSC is for me one that I struggled with hard in the beginning in of the year and I have tried to make it more consistent as the year went on.   That back up from someone sitting behind and above me was nice to hear.  It's really ironic he said that though cause it was his towns kids that were getting nailed by the other teams 2nd pitcher who was tossing a mean curve over that outside corner.  Although their 1st pitcher did nail a few fast balls on it too. But man that 2nd VT pitcher he was fastball in usually hitting the corner for a strike or a missed swing, then next pitch the big loopy deuce. did that 6 or 7 batters in a row. then on like #8 he changed it and thru the curve at the kid to swoop in and cross the inside of the plate.  REALLY buckled that batter.  sigh.. its nice to be umping kids who have decent talent and they make much less errors.  

It took me a couple games before I wasn't stumbling through Ilegs. Just go over it a couple times, in the mirror, or just in your head, as if you were running a meeting. I always got through the acronym as I'm walking to the field. That seems to be the biggest thing.

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When I first started, I would make a card to put in my line up holder.  I didn’t know ILEGS, but the content was similar and pretty well kept me on track.  It also helped me keep it simple and not ramble on.  I found very useful for making sure I had things that seem to change with each tournament correct (e.g., run rule, courtesy runner in softball).  I’d even put my partner’s name on it.

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