[Rich]

Originally Posted by LilLeaguer

Well, I admit I overstretched with my original statement. The opportunity to turn-about some phrases that were thrown in my direction recently was too strong a temptation. What I mean is that Tee would mismanage a Little League game (perhaps by ejecting managers as a reaction to his mistakes). This shouldn't really be considered an insult (though I'm sure that he would, if he saw it), because Tee doesn't want to be a competent Little League umpire.

So I'll put myself in a situation. Imagine that I jump into a NFHS game, arrogantly imagining that I have the skills, and I misapply a rule. The offended Manager comes out, we argue, and when I'm starting to feel intimidated, I eject him.

Has that been good game management?

The point is, having the guts to eject a manager is not (at least in my mind) the end of game management.

The eligibility rules in the book are not the difficult. LLDan will be able to master them in a year or two, if he applies himself. I know that on the field you can't determine where Johnny actually lives or how many innings he pitched on Tuesday, but an experienced Little League umpire should be able to apply the rules to the facts. Next year, for example, I'll know what the pitch count rules are, though I won't be actually counting the pitches.

Why would I, a LL umpire, CARE about player eligibility rules? I sure as hell wouldn't be trying to quote them to anyone. The proper answer is "you need to discuss with your district administrator."

We all have jobs. When umpiring, my job is "umpire."