[aceholleran]

I'll betcha I have done more small-ball games than most anyone in our august body of posters.

I have worked the Bristol ER, with an asterisk--it was in consolation games, back before there was pool play. No big deal. Have done four other ER tourneys, but in softball.

I, too, have a difficult time watching these games. Too many umps are using my regular-season li'l-squirt strike zone.

Hey, I'll give a LL tourney pitcher up to mid-stomach. Occasionally, when F2 grabs a curve with his fingers pointing down, I'll strike it. A nice couple of inches on the outside corner for a c*ckshot? Sure. OTOH, the plate guy I saw last week in Bristol balled 95% of curveballs he saw, and I had a vantage point in the VIP area behind the plate.

The mechanics--especially when guys use the same basic stuff for swinging and called strikes--drive me crazy.

I saw "Santa" in person at a CT-ME game. DISCLAIMER: I'm sure this old salt has been umpiring in East Petunia for 48 years, and that he is one swell guy.

BUT: This person has no business umpiring ANY baseball game at ANY level. The poor soul (U2 that night) had the mobility of a phone booth. He could NOT get into the infield (as they make these guys do) on ANY batted ball. He could BARELY bend over to adjust a base. PLUS, he almost got decapitated by a soft liner when he was in Deep C. Plus, the beard alone shows you how "dedicated" an umpire Santy was.

Before you small-ballers pillory me, I am more worried about Mr. Kringle's safety than anything else. But, I've said this before: Kids and coaches work too hard to get to this level of play to have Uncle Bumps waddling around on the field of play--even on a foul line.

A good bud (and excellent, all-level official) once worked in Bristol. He told me that out of the dozen or so umps there, only two or three "got it."

I know how to fix the regional umpiring deal, at least in 12U boys. But I'm not telling anyone for free. And W-port will never pay me for this, or for that matter listen to a word I have to say.

The best LL umps, IMHO, also do at least HS varsity and Legion ball.

As the WS unfolds, the embarrassment continues.

Ace