[artar]

I just finished working two games today, a mid-school game that went great but the second game, a high school freshman game a disaster. My worst game. Vented to my umpire mentor on the phone for 45 minutes afterwards and plate umpire told me to let it go, that I'm learning
This game felt all the more bitter because it was my wife's high school where she works and know some of the players on the team.
We had five calls the home team complained about that went against them. Twice a batter was called out for letting go of his bat too early, the second time the batter let go of the bat and it struck the plate umpire in the mask.
The coach complained to me that this was the worst umpiring he had ever seen, that I was working with the worst umpire in the city.
Then my calls. A wayyy too close to call play at first base where I learned I should have appealed to home plate. The second call was a missed tag between second and third, I didn't have the angle, said the tag was missed but fortunately hadn't signaled yet, so I was able to appeal to the plate umpire who called the runner out.
The coach said some things to me I didn't like, like "you just made two blown calls in one inning" I told him I had one overturned for him.
The game went o.k. until the last inning, last play of the game, a steal at second I was right there to make the call shortstop was in front of the bag, totally blocking the runner, I called him out, thought the ball was in his mitt.
Base runner said the ball popped out of his mitt, first base coach said it was out of his mitt, that this was the worst officiating game ever, cussed at us several times - it was the end of the game so he couldn't be ejected. I told him maybe he could see it from his angle but from my angle it looked like an out. Indeed the first base coach did have the better angle, he had a clearer view of the play even though I was right next to it but if the ball popped out it was on the opposite side of, totally blocked by the players and dust.
This is where I learned to say, "Show me the ball." (Next time I will, I learned something alright).
It all happened too fast, there was no time to think, the call was made too quickly.
Right after that the shortstop threw home, got the runner out and it was a game ending double-play. Final score was 17-3.
I felt awful, still feel down about it, like I said this is my wife's school, go there every day and will have to confront these guys again.
A lot to learn but I love this game.