[PeteBooth]

The most recent thread concerning F3 blocking First base on a pickoff attempt prompted me for my thread.

In today's environment Umpiring is more difficult than when we played and I'm not talking from a rules perspective. Yes, there are many leagues that have various rules, but we can all read and do research and while we might not be guru's of all the rules and interpretations, we can get pretty good if we do our homework.

It's the "other stuff" that causes the problems. When we played, the game Policed itself, so things like this F3 blocking the bag on a pickoff issue is concerned, it was basically a non issue when we played especially after F3 got his bell rung and learned.

I'm not saying we didn't have our scraps or 2 when we played but nothing like today. If we allow the game to police itself in todays environement the REAL POLICE will be involved.

It's like if a player breathes the wrong way - watch out.

Things like hand clapping on the bases, or swing batter swing are looked upon as bush league. And while I agree that these are bush league tactics, they were taken care of when we played if you know what I mean.

In additon, when F1 comes inside to get B1 off the plate, as an umpire you now have to look carefully into the players eyes because that glare will surface.

I realize all of this depends upon the area and league you umpire. Some leagues are baseball savy and understand what's going on, however, other leagues aren't and those are the leagues that we have to be careful with.

This is the one facit of umpiring I do not enjoy. Yes, we have to have Game managemet skills, but sometimes these skills that we need border on a line of insanity.

Here's the paradox of it all.

Let's take the hand-clapping on the bases.

Me: "Coach common you know this is bushleague."

Coach: "Common Blue next thing you know my players will not be able to breathe"

Next time up this kid who was hand-clapping on the bases gets some chin music if you know what I mean - perfectly acceptable when we played

Coach: "Blue F1 is purposely throwing at my batter - better do something"

Me: "Coach I told you up front to knock it off"

Now parent from the stands (B1's father) makes a derogatory comment about F1 and guess what: You know what F1's father is also in attendance. Next thing you klnow the parents are going at it, the kids are all riled up all over something so trivial that was accepted when we played.

I enjoy umpiring otherwise I wouldn't do it, but to be honest this is the one facit that I could do without. What's your take

Pete Booth