under armour

[Rich]

Originally posted by Carl Childress

Clearly, my comment was a calculated ploy to bring out some of the "I'm better than that" umpires. It's a fruitless debate. In my experience it's only wannabe umps who eschew the indicator on the bases. The bottom line is a very simple and inescapable truth: Having an indicator never caused any trouble and has saved much.

Originally, leaving the indicator in the car was the way an umpire proved he was an "upper level," college guy. They're the same people willing to make a horrible grammatical blunder "...and the ball is live" rather than say "alive." My advice: When the woodwork begins to leak those posters, ignore them. I'm going to do just that.

Carl: Please show me one professional umpire at ANY level that uses an indicator on the bases -- please show me one clinician that has professional baseball experience that preaches an indicator on the bases. I attended a clinic this season taught by a former AAA crew chief. When asked this question by a student, the instructor made a face that showed that he was trying not to make a face.

And his response was: Don't do it. Break yourself of that crutch. You won't miss something crucial on the bases because your face was in an indicator that you don't need.

Please continue to expose yourself as someone willing to take a leak into the wind. But be careful, because you wouldn't want to get that Underarmour you wear under a short sleeved umpiring shirt wet.

And also recognize that what is acceptable in south Texas may not be acceptable in other areas of the country. Using an indicator on the bases in some areas of the country will brand you a smitty just as fast as a ball bag or brush on the bases.

[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on May 18th, 2004 at 01:05 AM]