cudo's to Rich for telling the pitcher what he needs to improve upon. Let's face it, guys -- we're not at the Professional level of baseball -- we're at a level where the coaches, and certainly MOST players, do not always know the rules. Sure, it would be nice to have the coach explain what the rules are to the kids, but it's also incumbent upon Umpires, and those of us that love the game, to supply MUCH needed knowledge to these kids (and their coaches) to help them learn. Trust me, all of them gain a new respect for you if you're willing to impart your wisdom, notwithstanding the fact that we're making our sport much better by educating players and coaches on how the game should be played. Kids need encouragement, and helping them understand what they did wrong in a proactive, rational and non-defensive way allows them to respect the Umpire for his knowledge, and take away something from the game.
Sorry for the soap-box.
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