[bkbjones]

Having lived in either TX Panhandle/South Plains and AZ, I know that you CAN have games where you don't clean the bases (first, second and third) if you can still see them. However, up here in the PNW there are more than a few umpires who eat up many minutes a game brushing them clean, flattening dirt, building roads and dams with Tonka trucks and whatever else. Of course when I don't jump on the lily white base bandwagon I have hell to pay.

My thoughts: too many folks are calling time out too damned often. Fastpitch is a live ball game, especially with two or more umpires.(One man, if I turn my back, I call timeout first. I also know how to backpedal.)