I am watching the ILL KY LL game on ESPN.

Durring the between innings ESPN showed some kind of LL thank you to its volunteers. There is a shot after a game where the playes are going through the handshake line, and the PU is right next to the line clapping and giving congrats to the player.

Ohh well, I wasn't going to post about that, but something else a minute or two later got me to post.

ESPN goes back to the game, and the view of the CF camera is zoomed out, so you can see the whole infield. U2 walks in, pulls out a brush, and dust of the already bright white second base bag. At least when he bent down, I couldn't see the hair sticking out the back of his adjustable cap.

yeah i walked in the room and this game happened to be on...first thing i see in the first televised LL game ive seen this year is U2 brushing that bag like it was his teeth. i think he spent a good 20-30 seconds on it

Brushing the bag?
 

I've got to say that I did LL for the first few years that I umpired. Out of all of the games that I did, I know of only one person who really did this. I think he was spending too much time with girls fast pitch.

Someone must be telling these guys to do this, just for the folks at home.

Re: Brushing the bag?
 

And if that's the case, you can't really blame the umpires. You do what you're told at these tournaments. I think the pivot by U1 in a 6-man crew is silly, but they're told to do it.

Re: Re: Brushing the bag?
 

Yeah that pivot makes no sense at all. All it does it get U1 in the way of a possible throw from F9 to the plate. U1 could do his job just as well in foul territory.

Who writes the LL mechanics? Is it Andy K? Does LL uses its own mechanics in its regualar field games, or do they go CCA or something else? I would hope on a normal field, they would not have U1 come in a pivot.

Re: Re: Re: Brushing the bag?
 

I don't think there IS an actual, published, official Little League system for 4 or 6 man mechanics on the small diamond.

I work full sized diamond LL, and in postseason when we have 3 or 4 man crews, we work pro, PBUC mechanics.

On the small diamond, I think each region is pretty much just "winging" it.

I wouldn't be surprised if ESPN wanted them clean so the field looked prettier.

Heck - the kids don't even take the field between innings until ESPN give them the go-ahead.

Couple friends of mine in Portland area are working the girls' fastpitch WS...they'll be on the tube today.

They called me during lunch...and yes, they want those bases to be SPOTLESS...and yes, teams take the field when the technical director on the field says they take the field...and yes, PU doesn't say play ball until the TD says play ball.

And don't tell anyone...but the fastpitch umpires apparently had their housing "arranged."

No different than any other non-pro televised sporting event. (And even they have a lot of controls.)

Who is they?

How is this the umpires job?

all I gotta say is I will fall into my grave if I ever see a number of umpires from this board on those fields doing that.. 8-)

See this is what I don't understand. Let's say you're working the finals of a tournament (not LL, PONY for example), and the TD comes to you before the game and says,

"I know you're a base umpire today, but I want you to take your plate brush out there with you and I want that base kept clean."

Please tell me that there are people on this board that would comply. I know you may not like it, I know I wouldn't, but in all honesty, if you tell me that you would not do the game rather than clean off a base every once in a while, then I think you need to get your head examined.

IMO, we don't have the right to think that we're above the game. We are a part of the game; it's been that way for over a hundred years. Sorry guys, but if a TD tells me to keep the base clean, then I'm doing it; I won't like it, and I'll probably swear at him under my breath every time I have to do it, but I'll do it. Just my 2 cents.

P.S. Someone better go make some popcorn because I'm sure I just p!ssed a lot of people off.

How about:
 

"Don't you have a grounds crew?"

I don't know that I'd be so confrontational as that. I worked 2B for a regional championship game last month, and the other 3 members of the crew were all from the same association. Sure enough, every other inning 1B and 3B were cleaned off. Meanwhile, 2B is a big pile of dirt.

So after about 5 I'm over BS-ing with U3, and here comes PU out to clean off my base! I saw it and told U3, "Damn! Now everyone will be able to see my blown calls!" He laughed, but not as hard as one might have liked.

To his credit, he didn't clean his base again that game.

You haven't p!ssed me off but I would not comply and I don't need my head examined. Consider the following:

Each time that we work a game, there is potentially someone in the stands (or watching TV) that can influence our access to the next level. You only get one chance to make a first impression. If they see us do something that they think is unprofessional, we probably won't get a chance to make a second impression.

On more than one occasion, I have walked out of a tournament because of off beat requests by a TD. As a BU, I would not carry a plate brush on the field at a TD's request any more than I would take a dump at home plate.

The TD has a right to order the umpires to do whatever he wants. It's his tournament. I have a right to evaluate his requests in terms of my career and decline the game. I'm an independent contractor.

The attitute of umpires at this forum is a reflection of the attitudes that they pick up in their local associations. You ignore those attitudes at the peril of your career. If all you care about is being a little league umpire, by all means put a plate brush in both hip pockets. Put a ball bag on too and stuff a couple more plate brushes inside.

Well,
 

Like Bob I have refused to do something that is "irregular" at tournaments when told to do it by a TD.

As I have posted before I would not work a game wearing an adjustable hat . . . I would NOT carry a plate brush on to the field as a BU, plain and simple.

In my area the crew for the CHAMPIONSHIP game of the American Legion State finals are required to wear Hawaiian shirts. Rather than make a stink I have selected to not apply to work that series.

tmp44, your post is correct.

However, there are things I have selected to never do and that will not change.