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.

Perils of your career? Some people act as though this is brain surgery.

Think about your example for a moment and then consider, who is it <b>really</b> who is going against the 100+ year tradition of the game? Hmmm? How many professional umpires in baseball games played at the highest levels do you see cleaning off bases?

Where does it end? What if the TD demanded that the PU wear his cap backwards and his shinguards on the outside of his pants, becuase he thinks that looks more "traditional?"

An unreasonable request to me will be met with a polite but firm refusal. The next action is the TD's call.

I agree with this, BTW, despite my last post.

But everyone's line is different. Tee wouldn't wear an adjustable hat and that wouldn't bother me a bit.

I worked a tournament a few weeks ago where I watched the third base umpire clean the base with a brush every inning. One inning he had to rotate to my base as I had gone out on a fly ball and after the out he pulled out his brush to do second base -- I told him that if he brushed it off he'd have to work it. I was only half kidding.

In LL, as has been mentioned before, they have safety bases with pegs that hold the base in place -- pegs that have to be cleaned out occasionally. I'm OK with that and having the umpires do that task, but that's not what we saw on TV -- we saw umpires brushing the tops of bases, which is not only unnecessary, but silly.

I'll kick some dirt off a base, but only when a player requests time to clean himself off and I want to divert a bit of attention from the player or find out if he's injured and needs additional time. But then it's just a swipe of the foot.

I was working an adult game on Sunday (playoffs - 3 man, I was working U3) and F5 asked if I wanted to clean off the base. I said, "No, I can see it, but feel free." He looked at me like I was from Mars and then brushed it off with his glove. I just shrugged.

Plate is the same to me
 

Talk of brushing the base/plate etc., reminded me of the HS state semi-final game last spring. The groundscrew had
watered the plate area and the plate had about an 1/2 inch
inch of water on it.

I put some dirt on the plate and it made mud which I wiped off with my shoe and then messed my brush up trying to get it better.

Bottom of 1st and fans start hollering about plate needing cleaning off. I told F2 hey its mud and won't do anygood and I don't have but my muddy brush etc.,

Finally the coach comes out with a towel and wipes it off.
Fans gave him a standing ovation.

I just laughed. BTW, his pitcher was no better with a clean plate... (g)

Thanks
David

Not me. I'd smile at him, he'd walk off, and that would be the end of it.

To reverse your sitch a bit, has any umpire been tossed out of a tournament by a TD solely for refusing to brush off a base?

*eyeroll*

Im glad I didnt have to make the choice of whether or not to clean a base off. I would have felt conflicted at best...that being said, I was on the 2003 PONY World Series Crew. I'm happy to state that we received first rate treatment.

PONY Baseball had a grounds crew to handle all field duties.......a separate umpire dressing room and an Umpire attendent. We received uniforms and were paid. The only shortcoming was an adjustable hat. I lived with it. I never wore it again, but I lived with it. I enjoyed every minute of my experience.

I would have to explain to any TD that asked something unreasonable, that it was unreasonable. If, after explanation they insist that I comply with unreasonable request, then I am on my way home wondering how I got involved in this bullsh*t.

Am I alone in thinking that the job of a tournament director is to...uh...direct the tournament?!? Meaning, shouldn't he/she be concerned about the teams, their entrance fees (if any), scheduling of games and game times, make-ups of rainouts, team rosters, and all the administrative stuff, with the umpires being the ones who handle the playing rules and related points?

Just wondering. :confused:

By the way, for what it's worth, neither the players, coaches or umpires at the Little League World Series are wearing adjustable caps. Now they may be the flex-fit fitted type that is not precisely a traditional fitted cap, but they are definitely not traditional adjustable caps.

The umpires are still dancing with the mascot, though, I'm sorry to report.

Thats kinda sad,but at least they have a sence of humor,they will never hear the end of it though.

Why does everyone care what these guys do if you are unwilling to work LL baseball yourself? If you do not want to work LL, why do you give a damn what someone at Williamsport wants to do? I do what is expected at the levels I work. Little League is not a level I ever work. So if they want to stand on their head and tap their stomach at the same time that is there business. I have never seen a bunch of uptight people in my life. I agree at the HS and college level many of these things would be totally unacceptable. We are not talking about those levels, we are talking about a bunch of guys that volunteer and get nothing but a T-shirt to work games on National TV.

Peace

Rut,
You know damned good and well they also get free hot dogs.

Unless they're the Vienna Beef real meat hot dogs, I ain't interested! I wouldn't doubt if they're those putrid Oscar Mayer fake dogs. Yuck! :D

And umpire shirts and jackets and....

I do not give a damn what they get. I know I would not be on a website complaining about some JH basketball official tournament that would happen to be on television. I do not expect perfection from guys who are working at this level. But for some reason baseball umpires go on and on about what guys who they feel are beneath them are doing a regular basis. I do not see anyone going on the football boards and complaining about the mechanics they see when the Pop Warner Championships are on TV. Some of you Baseball guys just make me sick with all the griping about LL umpires. Get over it already.

Peace