Quote:
Originally posted by Dave Hensley
Quote:
Originally posted by tmp44
See this is what I don't understand. Let's say you're working the finals of a tournament (not LL, PONY for example), and the TD comes to you before the game and says,
"I know you're a base umpire today, but I want you to take your plate brush out there with you and I want that base kept clean."
Please tell me that there are people on this board that would comply. I know you may not like it, I know I wouldn't, but in all honesty, if you tell me that you would not do the game rather than clean off a base every once in a while, then I think you need to get your head examined.
IMO, we don't have the right to think that we're above the game. We are a part of the game; it's been that way for over a hundred years. Sorry guys, but if a TD tells me to keep the base clean, then I'm doing it; I won't like it, and I'll probably swear at him under my breath every time I have to do it, but I'll do it. Just my 2 cents.
P.S. Someone better go make some popcorn because I'm sure I just p!ssed a lot of people off.
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Think about your example for a moment and then consider, who is it really who is going against the 100+ year tradition of the game? Hmmm? How many professional umpires in baseball games played at the highest levels do you see cleaning off bases?
Where does it end? What if the TD demanded that the PU wear his cap backwards and his shinguards on the outside of his pants, becuase he thinks that looks more "traditional?"
An unreasonable request to me will be met with a polite but firm refusal. The next action is the TD's call.
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I agree with this, BTW, despite my last post.
But everyone's line is different. Tee wouldn't wear an adjustable hat and that wouldn't bother me a bit.
I worked a tournament a few weeks ago where I watched the third base umpire clean the base with a brush every inning. One inning he had to rotate to my base as I had gone out on a fly ball and after the out he pulled out his brush to do second base -- I told him that if he brushed it off he'd have to work it. I was only half kidding.
In LL, as has been mentioned before, they have safety bases with pegs that hold the base in place -- pegs that have to be cleaned out occasionally. I'm OK with that and having the umpires do that task, but that's not what we saw on TV -- we saw umpires brushing the tops of bases, which is not only unnecessary, but silly.
I'll kick some dirt off a base, but only when a player requests time to clean himself off and I want to divert a bit of attention from the player or find out if he's injured and needs additional time. But then it's just a swipe of the foot.
I was working an adult game on Sunday (playoffs - 3 man, I was working U3) and F5 asked if I wanted to clean off the base. I said, "No, I can see it, but feel free." He looked at me like I was from Mars and then brushed it off with his glove. I just shrugged.