What is the deal?

[thumpferee]

Why do most people smash LL baseball on this site?

I assumed LL was just another set of rules in which to play the game by. Closer to OBR than FED,IMO. Or am I wrong?

There is junior/senior ball as well as big league ball played by players from 13-19. What makes calling FED ball so much better than any other ball? Is it because most officials here call under those set of rules and believe they are better than those who call under other sets?

I personally called FED for 3 years in Florida, two years in Colorado and am now in my 3rd year of calling ball under LL rules for a private league in Germany where I am the UIC of the league and rules interpreter for 4 regions.(I am not tooting my horn, just a little background) I take calling baseball under any set of rules a personal challenge and do my best to be the best official I can be, and being a member of this site assists me greatly in doing that,PLUG.

I read the rulebook daily and have been coming to this site for several years, and feel I am knowledgeable in various rule sets.(Admittingly confusing at times)

Some on this site talk about LL as though it is a doormat.

My question is why?

Am I on the wrong site, or is this officiating.com?

When I click onto this page, it says baseball, not FED ball!

I don't remember signing up for FED officiating.com.

Enlighten me please!

[wadeintothem]

I call fed and LL.

I'll be calling Amer Legion when it starts up.

Its an odd game that gets played.. like those in Softball who think they are better than Baseball (although that could be due to some of the representatives of little ball on the forums) and visa versa.

Its not that hard to call Fed ball and it aint that special. You sign up and get assigned... same as LL. Anyone can do it and apparently they do.

[Tim C]

Since I have been labeled "The Arch Enemy of Little League Baseball" by the editor of this webpage I feel I have a right to express my point.

1) There are just as many people here who attack FEDlandia rules.

2) The "official" Little League Baseball people take the stand that unpaid volunteer umpires are equal to paid "certified" (insert "patched", or "bonded" or what ever your local area calls them).

3) LL umpires are vastly undertrained by the mass. This comes from little to no organization of areas (sure some locals try to train and that is great).

4) Andy Konyar is a twit. By using poorly qualified umpires for their largest and most visable set of games he continues to embarrass the great umpires that work in the regionals that will never get to Williamsport.

5) Parents are idiots.

6) Little League umpires (if what ever age the work) come to umpire website and act as if they know what should happen in "real" baseball games.

7) Little League umpires brush off the pitcher's plate, wear ball bags and fanny packs when umpiring the bases.

8) Working games with the tossing of "Red Flags", no leading off and Danny Almonte end it as a source of umpire training.

9) EDIT ADD: And in closing, I will continue to post anything I want at any time. There is no rule that any poster has to be respectful of any type baseball. Every year at this time we are hit heavily by the FEDERATION seasona nd the start-up of the wonderful Little league season.I will continue to criticize any type baseball or baseball umpires that I think need it.

And don't even get me started about requiring umpires to dance with mascots.

Little League baseball is great . . .

It is great as long it is played in small towns, side yards and cow pastures . . . without grownup interruptions and every parent thinking their child is the next A-Rod.

Little League is a travesty. For that I am sorry.

[Edited by Tim C on Apr 22nd, 2005 at 04:13 PM]

[wadeintothem]

Tim.. you dont know what you are talking about.

I dont volunteer for anything, including LL umping and I damn sure dont dance with mascots.

Only lower level LL doesnt lead off. Kids gotta learn and expand as they learn.. but I'm sure you know everyting about teaching kids to play ball (yeah right).. after all youre .. well what are you exactly? A half asses HS umpire? Dude big deal tim. ITs not that big of an accomplishment. Pay 45 bucks or whatever to an assoc go to a couple of meetings and whammo blammo, youre a fed umpire.

MLB umpires and Fed umpires wear ball bags.. in addition to LL umps. Fanny packs? Must be an east coast thing so never seen that at any level. Never seen anyone toss a red flag either.

Parents of LL AND HS players are idiots in many ways.. not sure how you can single out LL parents. HS parents may be worse.

If it wasnt for the training provided in LL.. wouldnt be much of a game played in HS.

But you are correct about some of the umps.. especially the 15 y/o HS kids that pretend they know the rules.

Considering Girls softball is better than LL and my preference to work though, you may have some points.. but you seem to talk out your but about stuff you know nothing about quite often.

[JRutledge]

Baseball umpires try to have some of the biggest egos around (especially on the internet).

Out of all the other major sports that are out there, baseball is the only sport where guys that work high level college are not seen on a regular basis working those games. Umpires have to convince you they "belong" at certain levels and they do so by ripping the very level that most players started playing ball.

It is all about ego.

Peace

[wadeintothem]

Originally posted by JRutledge
Baseball umpires try to have some of the biggest egos around (especially on the internet).

Out of all the other major sports that are out there, baseball is the only sport where guys that work high level college are not seen on a regular basis working those games. Umpires have to convince you they "belong" at certain levels and they do so by ripping the very level that most players started playing ball.

It is all about ego.

Peace

Yep..

That is definately a big part of it.

Unless I see you working Boston vs the Yankees... control your ego a little - you didnt make the cut. Its a hobby. Its fun.. but dont act like a jerk just to prove you are a jerk... and definately dont pretend working a HS game, even for any number of years, is some huge accomplishment.

[mcrowder]

Interesting you should mention mascots...

At a recent Texas League game, the mascot acted out a dance with the PU that was obviously rehearsed - and it was the REAL PU, not an actor that came on and left (although they do that bit too).

[Tim C]

"Tim.. you dont know what you are talking about.

"I dont volunteer for anything, including LL umping and I damn sure dont dance with mascots.

"Only lower level LL doesnt lead off. Kids gotta learn and expand as they learn.. but I'm sure you know everyting about teaching kids to play ball (yeah right).. after all youre .. well what are you exactly? A half asses HS umpire? Dude big deal tim. ITs not that big of an accomplishment. Pay 45 bucks or whatever to an assoc go to a couple of meetings and whammo blammo, youre a fed umpire.

"MLB umpires and Fed umpires wear ball bags.. in addition to LL umps. Fanny packs? Must be an east coast thing so never seen that at any level. Never seen anyone toss a red flag either.

"Parents of LL AND HS players are idiots in many ways.. not sure how you can single out LL parents. HS parents may be worse.

"If it wasnt for the training provided in LL.. wouldnt be much of a game played in HS.

"But you are correct about some of the umps.. especially the 15 y/o HS kids that pretend they know the rules.

"Considering Girls softball is better than LL and my preference to work though, you may have some points.. but you seem to talk out your but about stuff you know nothing about quite often."

-----------------------------

And I respect your right to feel as you do.

HOWEVER, I do know what I speak of . . .

My resume can speak for itself. I have worked higher quality games and lower quality games . . . but I have trained and worked more than most.

"A half assed HS umpire" . . . nah, I have a full a$$. But again sir, I will match my resume against anyone. You have little impact in my life.

My bad, my comment about ball bags was meant to mean on a Base Umpire . . . again, sorry my bad.

The remiander of your post does not require an answer . . . it says enough about you.

You know it would be more fun to argue with you if you were just a little smarter. Go work them girl's games, mate.

Hahahaha,

-----

Edit ADD: BTW, I have NEVER worked any game in baseball for "fun" . . . if I play golf I play it seriously, if I umpire I do it seriously.

[wadeintothem]

really?

How can someone who pretends to know all be wrong so often in a single post?

I've seen your resume so save it.. you actually feel a need to put it in your profile and preach it in every post. Its not that impressive. If you've done anything real in your life I'd be interested in hearing it, because I am quite sure my resume would thrash your 30 years of pretending HS baseball umpiring is a big deal.

[Tim C]

AS soon as you get enough guts to receive personal e-mails from anyone I guess we'll just have to keep wasting bandwidth.

Better hurry to your girl's softball game.

Now that is a biggie.

[wadeintothem]

Hey I do have a varsity HS girls game tonight. Wow, you were actually correct once in this post.

How do I get emails?

You better hurry and tell me though.. I actually do have a girls game to go do and am about to go get ready to leave.

[wadeintothem]

here email me at:

[email protected]

Not sure why you want to do that.. but go for it if it floats your boat. Were not going to be swapping spit in the showers just cuz you email me though.

Edit to add:

Just so you are aware: Anything you email me is subject to public display and ridicule... like if you send me pics of any of your little paintings or whatever you do when not pretending youre important.

[Edited by wadeintothem on Apr 22nd, 2005 at 05:18 PM]

[thumpferee]

Originally posted by Tim C
Since I have been labeled "The Arch Enemy of Little League Baseball" by the editor of this webpage I feel I have a right to express my point.

1) There are just as many people here who attack FEDlandia rules.

2) The "official" Little League Baseball people take the stand that unpaid volunteer umpires are equal to paid "certified" (insert "patched", or "bonded" or what ever your local area calls them).

3) LL umpires are vastly undertrained by the mass. This comes from little to no organization of areas (sure some locals try to train and that is great).

4) Andy Konyar is a twit. By using poorly qualified umpires for their largest and most visable set of games he continues to embarrass the great umpires that work in the regionals that will never get to Williamsport.

5) Parents are idiots.

6) Little League umpires (if what ever age the work) come to umpire website and act as if they know what should happen in "real" baseball games.

7) Little League umpires brush off the pitcher's plate, wear ball bags and fanny packs when umpiring the bases.

8) Working games with the tossing of "Red Flags", no leading off and Danny Almonte end it as a source of umpire training.

9) EDIT ADD: And in closing, I will continue to post anything I want at any time. There is no rule that any poster has to be respectful of any type baseball. Every year at this time we are hit heavily by the FEDERATION seasona nd the start-up of the wonderful Little league season.I will continue to criticize any type baseball or baseball umpires that I think need it.

And don't even get me started about requiring umpires to dance with mascots.

Little League baseball is great . . .

It is great as long it is played in small towns, side yards and cow pastures . . . without grownup interruptions and every parent thinking their child is the next A-Rod.

Little League is a travesty. For that I am sorry.

[Edited by Tim C on Apr 22nd, 2005 at 04:13 PM]

Let me start with the ones I agree with.

5. That is true in any sport.

9. Respectfully.

As for the other responses you gave, I'm not even going to respond to such idiocracy.

"I will continue to post anything I want at any time. There is no rule that any poster has to be respectful of any type baseball".

And you are a baseball official who doesn't respect the game?

I love the game of baseball and will call ball until I cannot possibly do it anymore. NO MATTER what the rules are. I am not a LL umpire. I call baseball according to LL rules. I get paid. But getting paid is not the issue with me as it seems to be with you, as in #2 of your reply. Does getting paid to do the same job make you better?

WITH(what in the He!!) does getting paid have to do with being an exeptional official?

I would be happy working with a non-payed official who loves the game enough to do his/her best to come out and volunteer their time for free, than to work with an over-paid FED official who thinks he is better than any else because he gets a pay check.

I want to add that you took this kinda personally, and so did I.

In closing, I would like to address #6. Where did you start?

Is this a case of Big dogs making small dogs smaller dogs?

PS: I'm a BIG DOG making SMALL DOGS BIG DOGS!

[Rich Ives]

Just adding some comments based on several decades of LL involvement.

Originally posted by Tim C
Since I have been labeled "The Arch Enemy of Little League Baseball" by the editor of this webpage I feel I have a right to express my point.

1) There are just as many people here who attack FEDlandia rules.

Not applicable - but true

2) The "official" Little League Baseball people take the stand that unpaid volunteer umpires are equal to paid "certified" (insert "patched", or "bonded" or what ever your local area calls them).


The absolutely worst BS calls I have seen have been made by paid, certified umpires. They looked prettier doing it, but the result wasn't up to par.

Getting paid doesn't mean you're better than one who volunteers. It's the commitment and training of the individual that makes or breaks them.

As an example, volunteer EMT's have to pass the same exams as the pros. I guess you'd choose to pass up needed aid if it came from a volunteer though . . .




3) LL umpires are vastly undertrained by the mass. This comes from little to no organization of areas (sure some locals try to train and that is great).


Undertrained - yes. VASTLY undertrained - no.

4) Andy Konyar is a twit. By using poorly qualified umpires for their largest and most visable set of games he continues to embarrass the great umpires that work in the regionals that will never get to Williamsport.


Andy doesn't choose the umpires, the regions do - from the group that umpires the regionals (year delay). So the pool already IS the"great umpires that work the regionals".

5) Parents are idiots.

At any level. It isn't restricted to LL.

6) Little League umpires (if what ever age the work) come to umpire website and act as if they know what should happen in "real" baseball games.

And some do, and some don't. And if you read the websites long enough you'll realize that a lot of "umpires" at all levels don't have a clue.


7) Little League umpires brush off the pitcher's plate, never seen it happen wear ball bags So donate a zillion dollars so we can keep tossing in new balls and we won't have to continually cycle the balls from out-of-play back to the field and fanny packs when umpiring the bases. never seen one an umpire and so what if he has one?


8) Working games with the tossing of "Red Flags", no leading off and Danny Almonte end it as a source of umpire training.

So having the other 95% of the game the same is meaningless?


9) EDIT ADD: And in closing, I will continue to post anything I want at any time. There is no rule that any poster has to be respectful of any type baseball. Every year at this time we are hit heavily by the FEDERATION seasona nd the start-up of the wonderful Little league season.I will continue to criticize any type baseball or baseball umpires that I think need it.

How about offering help instead. Then they will learn something, get better, and perhaps become more to your liking.

And don't even get me started about requiring umpires to dance with mascots.

That's not a LL thing either. Betcha Max Patkin was around before LL. Minor League pros go along with the promotions a lot. Even the MLB guys have been know to interact with The Phillie Phanatic of the Famous Chicken.

Little League baseball is great . . .

It is great as long it is played in small towns, side yards and cow pastures . . . without grownup interruptions and every parent thinking their child is the next A-Rod.

Little League is a travesty. For that I am sorry.

[Edited by Tim C on Apr 22nd, 2005 at 04:13 PM]

Have a nice day.

[His High Holiness]

If I may add my 2 cents:

I make fun of Little League because of the hypocrisy of it all. It is suppose to be about kids, however, the season ends for 80% of the kids before they even get out of school. Instead of playing baseball all summer, 80%+ of them are sent home by the middle of June to make way for the All Stars. By July 4, 95%+ have been eliminated so that crazy coaches can live out their fantasy of going to the Little League World Series. The summer has barely begun and 95+% kids are not playing baseball.

If Little League was for kids, there would be a program all summer long for ALL kids to play in, not just the all stars. Instead, the regular season is packed into their school year when they have homework and 99 other things to do.

Little League is an adult fantasy program masquerading as a program for children. They are not satisfied that All Stars cannot practice until June. (I have been told that it is illegal for Little League All Stars to practice more than 2 weeks before the start of tournaments. If I am wrong, correct me.) Around here, they form a separate league in the previous fall for the top players who they think will be the All Stars the next year. The All Star teams play each other all fall, and beginning again in April thru June, to get a leg up on the teams that play by the rules. They also play regular LL to "qualify" for the All Stars. However, I cannot believe that the DC area is the only one involved in this organized "cheating" so I guess that no one is disadvantaged. (except the kids developing minds about what is right and wrong)

How do I know this? They hire my umpire association for $100 an umpire to umpire these games for kids as young as 10. They only want the best. Little League umpires will not do. The only 60 foot games that I have called in 10 years were in one of these programs. I might add that they play pretty good baseball. I wrote about it last fall right here.

Now you know why it is referred to as sleazeteamz. Little League is sleazy and eteamz is a bastion of Little Leaguers. Danny Almonte is not an aberation, he is the embodiment of what the program is all about. The only thing that he did wrong was get caught.

Years ago, Firestone sponsored an event called the soap box derby which was for kids. The soap box derby morphed into a event much like Little League today which was an event for adults. Cheating was rampant. Firestone recognized that the soap box derby was terminally flawed and canned the program rather than allowing the hyprocrisy to continue. Little League Baseball should do the same. But they will not. The millions of dollars of TV contracts for the World Series insures that it will be around for decades.

Peter