[BretMan]

An unexpected amount of free time this season has allowed me to branch out a little bit, working games for a few different leagues, sanctions and tournies that I normally would not be able to. This past weekend I had the opportunity to work a fastpitch tournament about an hour from home. I've worked with the TD before, but this was an entirely new group of umpires with whom I've never worked before.

Maybe my local association has spoiled me. We run a pretty tight ship when it comes to things like uniforms and mechanics. My trip out of town was like I stepped into some sort of weird parallel universe.

I get there to find that all of the umpires are wearing shorts- for fastpitch! Of course, I didn't bring a pair of shorts. Asked the TD about it and he said that it is "a local thing".

I guess some of the other things I saw must also be "local things".

Hats worn backwards by plate umpires. Except for the ones who apparently thought that hats were optional and went without.

Plate umpires using hand signals to indicate the location of pitches (high, low, inside, outside).

Base umpires showing the pitch count between every pitch.

Plate umpires that never cover third base.

Plate umpires that never trail a batter-runner to first.

Plate umpires pointing to first base after ball four, I guess just in case the batter forgot where it is.

Plate and base umpires that made a big show of announcing the number of outs after every out is made, holding up their hands and loudly yelling the number of outs, even two or three times, while making sure to turn and face every direction on the field, I guess just in case anyone missed it.

Base umpires that feel the need to call foul balls on batted balls where they don't have any business making any call.

Base umpires making "catch" calls on batted balls where they don't have any business making any call.

All in all, the whole experience made me appreciate our own local group, where there is at least some concentrated effort to do things the right way!