Quote:
|
Originally Posted by DG
Not sure about your area, but around here Legion ball is pretty good summer ball. Worked a game last Friday where winning pitcher took a no hitter into the 9th and was removed when the leadoff man got a hit. He also hit 2 HR's and a double and his team won 6-0. The entire game lasted 2 hours. Not bad for summer. Legion ball here is not for the average Joe to work.
|
There is nothing wrong with that, but to assume that applies everywhere is kind of silly. In my area we have college wood bat leagues that have current D1 players and other level players that have pro experience players in leagues that umpires seem to be clamoring to do much more than AL ball. High School ball has also become more and more popular at least over my career (which Legion Ball once was where I started) and seems more and more common where I currently live. If you are a long time veteran, it is not unusual to have many take most of the summer off and the rookies are the ones working that kind of ball more than established umpires. I hardly work a single game outside of summer tournament near the end July and early August. I have not been hurt one time by that decision. And I do not see this ball any different than a poor man's varsity and I do enough HS varsity during the regular season. Maybe that is because a lot of students in my area are in a basketball gym playing basketball and you do not always get the best athletes playing baseball. Now football has taken off during the summer as well and many of the multi-sports athletes are not playing only baseball. I am now helping with a football clinic and there were kids this evening in pads, and the school just got second in 4A State Championship Baseball game over this past weekend. AL ball was very popular when I was in high school, but I am not seeing that anymore.
Peace