Brushing off a turf plate?

[834k3r]

I was watching a Legion state tournament game (I always like to watch my peers and see how I can get better) and the PU for the particular game I was watching brushed off the plate (it's a completely turf field).

Does anyone else do this?

[noumpere]

Was the plate just white paint on the turf?  OR was it a rubber plate?  The latter can get a little covered with the rubber pellets, and sometimes it's a way to talk to the catcher, or give the catcher or batter some time, or set the umpire's process in place

[834k3r]

13 minutes ago, noumpere said:

Was the plate just white paint on the turf?  OR was it a rubber plate?  The latter can get a little covered with the rubber pellets, and sometimes it's a way to talk to the catcher, or give the catcher or batter some time, or set the umpire's process in place

No, it was definitely painted. I thought it was a way to talk to the catcher as well, but he did it even when the catcher wasn't near the plate. My guess is the PU is a creature of habit, but I've never seen an umpire brush off turf plate.

[Jimurray]

19 minutes ago, 834k3r said:

No, it was definitely painted. I thought it was a way to talk to the catcher as well, but he did it even when the catcher wasn't near the plate. My guess is the PU is a creature of habit, but I've never seen an umpire brush off turf plate.

The turf stadium in my city has dirt around all the bases and HP. They just finished a SR. Legion Regional. 

[ErichKeane]

I've never done it on a painted-on plate, but I might do it anyway.  The between-innings (after throw down) brush off is a part of the 'timing' of between innings to signal/allow other umps/crew/fielders/batters to get in position.

I've DEFINITELY done it between innings for a wholely turf field (but rubber plate).. 

[ChrisUrbz]

Never have and never will

[stevis]

I do occasionally to get the pellets off our plate on our one turf field, but yeah, it's more a bit of habit than anything else.  Especially in the top of the 1st, it's just part of what I'm expecting to do to get going and it would "feel" wrong not to.

[wolfe_man]

I've done it - but it was done more so out of expectations and habit than out of need. 

 

They do get a bit dirty, but as soon you brush them off, those little pellets are back.  It's a never-ending cycle.

[The Man in Blue]

I have tried on an actual plate, but I find the pellets bounce back more than they get brushed off.  I hate the "foot rub" technique, but a slow "kicking" gets the pellets off much better.

On a tangent ... STOP PAINTING HOME PLATE AND THE PITCHER'S PLATE ON THE FIELD in order to save a few dollars.  Put in an actual hunk of rubber and make sure the damn thing is NOT two inches below the turf.  One complex I have been working has painted pitcher's plates which the pitchers cannot feel or push from.  On a couple of fields, the turf has bunched up in front of the painted plate (because there was not a raised plate to push from) and I know some of the pitchers are an inch or two in front of it.  I am not calling it. 

As for the appearance of brushing it off ... do it when your partner has to cross from C to A so all eyes aren't on him/her.

[Jimurray]

47 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

 

As for the appearance of brushing it off ... do it when your partner has to cross from C to A so all eyes aren't on him/her.

That shouldn't be a problem if he jogs as he is supposed to. But yes, we have some guys that get winded or just have bad knees that slow walk over there. Your's is not a bad technique for them.

[MadMax]

On 7/25/2023 at 10:54 AM, wolfe_man said:

but as soon you brush them off, those little pellets are back.  It's a never-ending cycle.

I’ll take the reappearing poppyseeds any day over the incessant, choking clouds of pulverized dust billowing up and settling after every pitch in “the dirt”, or the clinging, staining clay splashed about because someone sprayed waaaaayyyy too much water on the plate area. 

#LongLiveTurfPlates

[834k3r]

42 minutes ago, MadMax said:

I’ll take the reappearing poppyseeds any day over the incessant, choking clouds of pulverized dust billowing up and settling after every pitch in “the dirt”, or the clinging, staining clay splashed about because someone sprayed waaaaayyyy too much water on the plate area. 

#LongLiveTurfPlates

[wolfe_man]

15 hours ago, MadMax said:

I’ll take the reappearing poppyseeds any day over the incessant, choking clouds of pulverized dust billowing up and settling after every pitch in “the dirt”, or the clinging, staining clay splashed about because someone sprayed waaaaayyyy too much water on the plate area. 

#LongLiveTurfPlates

And we all said "Amen" to that!  

Plus, your shoes are still clean when you leave, your shins aren't some reddish-brown color, pants are still charcoal, etc.  I got spoiled this summer as I did two or three tournaments on a college turf field.

[catsbackr]

No.

 

[SeeingEyeDog]

I mean...if we are a few minutes from hitting the time limit and the coach doesn't have the good sense to burn 2 mound visits and make a pitching change to put us over? Then yeah...I'm brushing the plate that I haven't brushed all game and doesn't currently need brushing.

Some times The Game helps us...some times we have to help The Game.

~Dawg

[Aging_Arbiter]

ONLY IF.......my partner, who may be a little "older" and need some time to transition from C to A.

 

More of a "hey, did that guy just brush off a turf field plate" distraction.

[JonnyCat]

Yes, I brush the turf plates. I don't know how it is in other areas, but our turf has a bunch of rubber pellets that get all over home plate. I like a tidy plate.

Not only that, but brushing off the pate is part of my start of the inning routine. My routine is the same every time, which includes brushing off the plate, whether it needs it or not. During an inning, I'll do it as needed.

However, it's not like anyone should get heartburn if a PU brushes off a turf plate. I'd rather they brush off a plate even if it doesn't really need it, instead of never brushing off a plate, or just giving it a wipe with the shoe, which I see far too often!

[The Ripper]

59 minutes ago, JonnyCat said:

Yes, I brush the turf plates. I don't know how it is in other areas, but our turf has a bunch of rubber pellets that get all over home plate. I like a tidy plate.

Not only that, but brushing off the pate is part of my start of the inning routine. My routine is the same every time, which includes brushing off the plate, whether it needs it or not. During an inning, I'll do it as needed.

However, it's not like anyone should get heartburn if a PU brushes off a turf plate. I'd rather they brush off a plate even if it doesn't really need it, instead of never brushing off a plate, or just giving it a wipe with the shoe, which I see far too often!

Same, I brush out the rubber pellets too, can’t stand them on “MY” plate. 
 

BTW, what type of brush does everyone use, and does anyone else cut the brush in half or in circles to give it style or to fit it better in their ball bag like me.

[JonnyCat]

3 hours ago, The Ripper said:

BTW, what type of brush does everyone use

I use the black plastic ones like shown below. Lightweight, inexpensive, and fits better in my bags. I don't like the wood ones. Too chunky for me and doesn't fit in my inside pockets of my bags.

https://www.ump-attire.com/Products/A044P/Plastic-Umpire-Plate-Brush

 

[Kevin_K]

Sometimes the plate on a turf field needs to be brushed off because I need to have an eye to eye conversation with F2.

[SeeingEyeDog]

18 hours ago, JonnyCat said:

I use the black plastic ones like shown below. Lightweight, inexpensive, and fits better in my bags. I don't like the wood ones. Too chunky for me and doesn't fit in my inside pockets of my bags.

https://www.ump-attire.com/Products/A044P/Plastic-Umpire-Plate-Brush

 

I love the feel, the look and the tradition of the wood handled brush but, the thin plastic ones slide in and out of the ball bag much more easily...completely agree here.

~Dawg

[Richvee]

1 hour ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

I love the feel, the look and the tradition of the wood handled brush but, the thin plastic ones slide in and out of the ball bag much more easily...completely agree here.

~Dawg

Wood handle only for me. And now with a pair of UmpLife bags, getting it in and out of the pocket is even less of an issue. 

[834k3r]

On 12/10/2023 at 12:34 PM, The Ripper said:

Same, I brush out the rubber pellets too, can’t stand them on “MY” plate. 
 

BTW, what type of brush does everyone use, and does anyone else cut the brush in half or in circles to give it style or to fit it better in their ball bag like me.

I've used the wooden handle brush, but last year I incorporated a plastic vinyl tool to scrape mud off the plate (spring HS sports, amirite?), similar to this:

The plastic "squegee" works tons better than brushing the mud.

This year I'm going to try out a Japanese-style brush I saw on the Jungle-themed site:

[umpstu]

2 hours ago, 834k3r said:

I've used the wooden handle brush, but last year I incorporated a plastic vinyl tool to scrape mud off the plate (spring HS sports, amirite?), similar to this:

The plastic "squegee" works tons better than brushing the mud.

This year I'm going to try out a Japanese-style brush I saw on the Jungle-themed site:

Might cost a little more but it's a great brush.

[Biscuit]

Only problem I have with the wood brushes is they can get stuck in the inside pocket if I don't have at least 3 baseballs in my ball bag. To fix that, I sewed the inside pocket ablut half way up (measured where I should with my brush), and now it sits perfectly. Bristles are half an inch below the top if the bag and the brush comes out cleanly everytime.