Well,
 

Just read my article and feel free to write an op/ed piece in return.

BTW, I have NEVER WORKED with a high school umpire wearing a ball bag on the bases. You must work in an area with highly trained umpires.

Re: Well,
 

I had a partner just this year that used a ball bag on the bases. I worked with this guy twice. The second time I worked with him he wore his shin protectors on the outside of his pants. According to him he had heart surgery and his legs were swollen from the surgery and having some veins being taken from his leg (bypass surgery I think). The guy was a really nice guy, but that he gets games from this particular assignor.

It is not about training, it is about what is required to work a simple game. Now a guy like this might get a game, but he might not get respect from coaches and he will likely not work any playoff games. The reality is there are not many umpires for the amount of games that are out there. Guys work games they probably would not be "qualified" for in other areas. Baseball is not a major sport where I live, so you see many guys doing things that would standout in other sports.

Peace

Re: Re: Ah BUT,
 

See- prior discussion re: difference between umpires working LL games and "LL Umpires".
Similar difference between "Varsity Umpires" and umpires working varsity games.
Sometimes "LL Umpires" are to be found working in Varsity games. Where I work, it is not at all uncommon [once HS season is over] to see Varsity umpires working LL games.

Jeff,
 

I would have the balls to tell the guy "no ball bag or no game."

OF course that is the way it works around here.

Re: Well,
 

A few days ago, I witnessed an egregious misapplication of a rule (batter interference) in a varsity high school playoff game being umpired by the biggest of big dogs in both our local high school and college associations.

A couple of weeks ago, there were reports all over the Internet boards of an NCAA-D1 crew butchering a rule (can't remember specifically, though it might have been batter interference again) in a nationally televised game.

Recently, a fellow umpire on my private list described witnessing a MLB umpire signalling a full count by banging his closed fists together.

A little while ago, Rut's favorite Little League umpire posted a balk interpretation from an authoritative source that fully supported the LL umpire's position on the play in question, and repudiated the "no balk" position that had been taken by a number of this forum's regulars, most of whom are, presumably, umpires at levels more advanced than Little League.

Stereotyping is the crutch of the lazy man, who wants an explanation for the way things are but isn't willing or able to do the hard work required to discover the truth. And the truth is rarely, if ever, as neat and tidy as the stereotypes would have you believe.

Re: Jeff,
 

I am glad you feel the need to tell grown *** adults what to do. I on the other hand would tell you to go screw yourself if you tried to tell me what to wear or not wear. There are procedures in place if an official does not wear the proper uniform. Saying something to a long time veteran who knows it all is not going to change what he wears on the field. His credibility is in the tank, not mine.

Peace

<B>Stereotyping is the crutch of the lazy man, who wants an explanation for the way things are but isn't willing or able to do the hard work required to discover the truth. And the truth is rarely, if ever, as neat and tidy as the stereotypes would have you believe.
</b>

Again, I don't believe one can write off comments simply by calling them sterotypes. We all have different experiences. Your and Fronheisers are vastly different from mine. You have seen good umpires work LL games. I have only seen Little League umpires who were wearing their gear on the outside of their jeans and tee-shirts, couldn't stay set calls, flinched on every pitch, stopped after making calls and whipped rule books out of their pockets to check their calls, divided the diamond at second base for all calls, ruled tags on dropped balls because "he had the ball when the initial tag was applied", ruled foul-tips as foul balls, said infield flys meant the ball had to be treated as if caught when it wasn't, and much more similar behavior.

These aren't sterotypes. These are people I see. They are very real. They not only represent LL umpires where I live, they ARE the LL umpires where I live.

I understand that there are some good umpires who work little league. Like I said, they are different than little league umpires. And while I am not surprised that you see ML umpires and D-1 umpires and Varsity umpires make mistakes, I doubt that they are the majority of umpires working those levels. The LL umpires I reference are not only the majority of those working LL here, they are the only LL umpires here.

Sterotype? Nope. The real McCoys.

Thanks Dave!
 

Got invite to call the IMA-European Junior Boys Baseball Championships in Aviano, Italy. They use LL Tournament Rules. I will make sure the other officials get a copy of this.

What purpose does it serve for any of us here to argue about LL umpiring? I'm willing to bet that everyone here at one time in their lives umpired at that level when they first suited up. One does not join the army and start off as a general, so I'm guessing that people here started off in LL somehow. Even many of our MLB brothers were at one time LL umpires. I know my friends up there were.

I for one do not look down on LL umpires, for I realized that I was there once before. I go out of my way to help umpires at that level, even if I don't know them, simply because I like to think that my abilities and experience can in some way help them improve. I learned from many good umpires in my life, from MLB and minor league guys at school, to veteran amateurs, and it's paid off. I love to do the same for current LL and similar lower-level umpires. I believe that DH's posting of the tourney rules is in someway similar.

I personally feel there is no place in umpiring for any of us higher-level umpires to ever be condescending to those who either work lower levels or who are involved in lower levels in other capacities.

Just my heartfelt but humble 2 cents.

[Edited by UMP25 on Jun 6th, 2005 at 04:09 PM]

Re: Re: Well,
 

Has he ever heard of McDavid or Under Armour ankle-length undergarments that would do the job just as well? I have hairy legs, and this is but one reason I wear those when I strap on my shin guards.