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Update on our new umpire. Gave him another shot last night, schedule for 2 games - 6 and 7:30, working with me. 6:00 ... no blue. Working alone. Fun. 7:15 rolls around, and there he is. "Sorry, Mike - got stuck at work. Called you at work around 5:50, but you weren't there." 1) Yeah, dumba$$ - I was at the field by then. 2) My phone shows when I miss a call, even if you don't leave a message - you didn't call.
Well, the 2nd game is the older girls, so I grudgingly let him on the field. Reteach the A,B,C's, including the why's. Teach him where to move when the ball is hit. Newbie is a treestump when the game starts - stuck in A. 1/2 inning goes by, and I remind him that not only should he move when the ball goes in play, but he should start in different places depending on where the runners are. He moves a little bit this time.
Luckily, we have a forfeit on the other field, so I go 3 man on mine. Well, sort of. We go 2 man, with an added treestump of an umpire planted on the foul side of 3rd base, regardless of who's on base and where the ball is hit (even called a baserunner safe from back there on a passed ball - at least he moved his arms). We actually had, at many times, me at home, 1BU in B or C position, and 3BU in D position. Glad the UIC wasn't there ... oh wait - that's me.
Feeling perturbed, after an inning where the only baserunner was a walk, passedball to 2nd, passedball to 3rd, and 3 outs (the runner on 3rd never left), I go ask him - did you notice the runner missed third? (The runner never had a chance to miss third). He says "Yes, but I didn't know if I should say anything."
It was a nice last day for him.
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