Never Again
 

Am I the only one who thinks tournament time can be a pain in the @$$?

Our juniors opened up tournament play on Saturday. I and two of my counterparts were assigned to work a triple header for the juniors. The first game was a damn slugfest with the home team winning in the bottom of the 8th 15 -12. Two hours and 50 freakin minutes for a juniors game. The second game wasn't much better. Extra innings again, 6-2, 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was 5 hours and 20 minutes into actual game time before I worked the plate for the third game (I drew the short straw). The third game was a little better at only 2 hours, but I swear, no more triple headers for me.


Tim.

Late last July I swore off triple headers. Second day of a Senior tournament (16-18), I had the plate for the first game that started at 11 am with temp around 90. By the end of the 10th, 3 hours later, it was 95 degrees and I nearly stripped in a dugout on an adjoining field after the game. Then two more games on bases. By the time I got home all I could do was lie down on the garage floor with a fan on me and a six pack beside me and try to recover before going back for 2 more games the next day and two the following day. 9 games in 4 days, and 3 on the second with temps over 90. It's too much for me.

DG:

Have you ever worked a non traditional three man on one of your triple headers?

We worked it so that BU1 pretty much stayed at first for each game which gave each one of us an opportunity to take it easy for a game. It was almost like a two man as soon as there were any runners. BU3 came inside to C and stayed there.


Tim.

This season, I worked three solo Triple Headers. 9/12/3 all three times.

I didn't work any of the Triple Crown tourneys, but they worked 2-man crews, and each crew had 6, and sometimes 7 games each day. Way too much for me, so I chose not to participate.

Funny you should mention. On the day I mentioned where I worked 3 games U2 pulled a leg muscle early in the game and did not feel like he could continue. This was a 3 man crew and we had a discussion before proceeding. As I saw it we had two options, convert to 2 man or allow U2 to stay at 1B with no running. U2 felt like he could continue if he did not have to run, so we did. I explained to the coaches what we will be doing and the game moved on.

The second game I moved to U3, U3 went to the plate and U2 stayed at 1b. By the third game we had a subsitute umpire who had arrived. For the 3rd game I went to U2, PU to U3 and the new guy worked the plate. U2 did not work any more games in the tournament due to the injury. I give him cudo's for gutting out 2 games at 1B with an injury. He knew we could convert to 2 man until we could get a substitute, but he worked 2 games.

I don't undertand how, in your situation, you got a break. If U2 stayed at 1B for 3 games somebody worked 2 plates.

Good Lord, you all sound like old women. I'm in my 50's and work four baseball games a day at tournament time.

As for my other summer sport...I worked six basketball games today, eight yesterday and have six more tomorrow. Granted, the basketball games are a bit shorter than my baseball games, but they involve a hell of a lot more physical activity.

Best advice would be to get in shape, keep hydrated and get rest off the field. If you can't do that, don't take the games.

PWL: is it your goal on this forum to piss people off? We don't care about your workout system and save the smart-a$$ comments for another time. You never leave it alone do you? Now, go ahead and delete your post like a good boy

Yes, his goal is to tease the crap out of me and Tim BigUmp56 because a long time ago we outed him as an umpire who has no clue as to how to umpire. We pointed out a few things that identified him as a poor official in hopes that he would change these things, but instead he decided to launch personal attacks at Tim and me (yes, PWL, Tim and me is grammatically correct). He continues his vendetta, as you can see, to this very day. He is like this little 5-year old child that has to have his way. He never adds one single thing to any discussion, he only drags it down to his low level.

And I now have him back on the "ignore" list, and I recommend that everyone put him on ignore, or else quit quoting him so we do not have to read his constant drivel.

We rotated positions as usual with each of us working once as U1, once as U3, and once on the dish. We got a little break from all the extra running when we worked as U1 by not having to rotate in with R2 only or R2 and R3. The only time we would rotate to second from first was with R1 only and a deep base hit where we would take the BR into second if he committed.


Garth:

It's great that working four games in the Summer heat doesn't bother you. I'm sure it's just as hot and muggy where you are as it is here. I think you're more than likely the exception to the rule though. I don't know too many other umpires that can work 23 innings in a row in 90+ heat with high humidity without feeling it.


Tim.

That doesn't seem to be the standard rotation -- why not have U1 go to home, PU got to third and U3 cover first and second?


Garth didn't say he didn't "feel it." He said he dealt with it.

I don't think what you described is unique -- it's not the norm, but it's not that unusual, either.

Pain in the a$$? You bet.

Thursday: Nine inning, no time limit ($65). Ended up at just over three hours. Luckily, I didn't have the dish

Friday: 14u tournament starts: Three games, starting at 1pm, temps in the mid 80's. Didn't feel so bad afterwards

Saturday: Four games, 2 using 2 man, 2 using 3 man, starting at 1pm, same temps. Was assigned two plate games, but one of the guys on the three man crew offered to do the last game behind the plate. You always THINK you can do it, but after three games and six hours of baseball...forget it. By now my feet are killing me.

Sunday: One more game (championship game, had the dish), at 9am. Very sleepy, and had quite enough baseball for one weekend.

Today: Hockey game...9:25 start. If I can just make it until Tuesday, I'll be ok.

Glad there's not another tournament this week.

I never said we used a standard rotation. What we did was anything but standard. What I said was that we rotated positions as usual. That would have the PU from the first game working as U3 for the second, U3 from the first game working as U1 for the second game, and U1 from the first game working the plate for the second game.


Good for Garth. This is the first time in 16 seasons as an umpire that I've had to work 23 consecutive innings. That makes it unusual, at least to me.


Tim.

You must have overlooked this one this morning, Bob.


Tim.

I understand -- and I agree with that.

My comment was referring to this statement:

I'm wondering why you chose this rotation rather than the standard rotation on a base hit with R1 only. It doesn't seem to save any running for U1.

I see your point. What it did was save the PU from having to rotate up to third. What we would do it come in from A and make a short pivot with R1 only and only slide up if the BR committed to second. It also helped with R1 only and U3 in C where R1 would steal second. We left U3 inside instead of having him rotate back to D.


Tim.

Torn
 

I'm always torn at tournment time. It's an honor to be asked, but good lord, it can take over your life for the time it's going . . .

Last year I did a stint as the host umpire for the 15 yo SW Regional Babe Ruth at Bentonville, Arkansas. Tournament play started Friday. Saturday we had a rainout- one field was all the host site had going, with 5 umpires.

Sunday we proceeded to make up Saturday's games- all 4 of them- with all 4of Sunday's games too. We started promptly at 8 am. 17 hours, two plates and three pads later, I drove my exhausted self home. My UIC worked it so that I got the game off after each dish, but still . . . It was well over 100 degrees by 1 pm. It was so freaking hot it melted the glue in my base shoes. The looked like flip flops by my last game. The next day I felt like I had two cases of Black Label by myself that day . . .

My district commissioner just called me to tell me I'm the UIC for the 13 yo State BR tournament- next week. Hooray!

Ok, it's an honor to be asked.

Strikes and outs!

Especially on an 8 game, one-field day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigUmp56 Am I the only one who thinks tournament time can be a pain in the @$$? Our juniors opened up tournament play on Saturday. I and two of my counterparts were assigned to work a triple header for the juniors. The first game was a damn slugfest with the home team winning in the bottom of the 8th 15 -12. Two hours and 50 freakin minutes for a juniors game. The second game wasn't much better. Extra innings again, 6-2, 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was 5 hours and 20 minutes into actual game time before I worked the plate for the third game (I drew the short straw). The third game was a little better at only 2 hours, but I swear, no more triple headers for me. Tim.

Tim,

I'm assuming when you say our juniors tournament opened play on Saturday you are speaking of the LL Tournament.

Generally speaking, LL Juniors is probably the worst ball you will ever call. Most of the talented kids at that age bracket (13/14) are playing in select Leagues which means LL is left with the remainder.

If you have a good tournament, triple headers are not that big of a deal, but when you get teams like you describe umpiring does not become fun anymore. it becomes a "survivor of the fittest".

If you are going to Help out or umpire LL games, IMO stick to the majors which is a Total Contrast to the Junior program. in LL majors, the games last approx 1 hour to 1hr 10 minutes at Tourney Time. You can call 3/4 of those type games with no problem.

Also, at the LL Junior Level don't know how the zone was that day, but IMO keep it BIG from the outset to move the game along.

Summary: Triple headers in the heat can be very exhausting but can also be enjoyable depending upon the teams involved. I therefore agree with part of your statement. No more Triple Headers for LL Juniors UNLESS they impose a 2 hour time limit.

Pete Booth

I know what you mean, Pete. The majors tourney starts on the 12th so I'll be working quite a few of those games again this year. We're just so short on experienced umpires that we have to work as many games as possible in the junior tournament or there would be dad's from the stands working them. To let you know how bad the play was on Saturday, we had 7 obvious elephant balk calls in those three games. This is tournament time for crying out loud. They sure as heck should know how to hold runners by now. I'm going to be working the Ohio Valley Babe Ruth regional for 15/16 this year, so I look forward to seeing some better baseball being played soon.


Tim.

Qwit yer b!tch!n ..................................
 

Stop complainin, get in shape you cow, hydrate, take your skirt off and deal with it.:D :D :D

(Tongue FIRMLY planted in cheek !)




Doug

We're just so short on experienced umpires that we have to work as many games as possible in the junior tournament or there would be dad's from the stands working them.

Tim, IMO sooner or later this league has "to bite the bullet" meaning get new Volunteers or outsource to a an assignor, otherwise you along with whomever umpires for this league will continue to be over-loaded.

If you are going to be "over-loaded" might as well get paid for it. It's one thing to do triple headers but it's quite another to do the kind of ball you are calling for Free or at a rate considerably below market.

Personally, I do not feel sorry for LL associations any-more. When I was an active member I gave plenty of my time for free. Now it's time for someone else. If they have to get Dad's out of the stands, then so be it. Perhaps then this league will "get the message" and either get new volunteers or pay for umpires. When I say pay for umpires I mean pay at market rates not some below average rate of say $15-$20 pergame.


If you and your colleagues keep doing the games, the league will do nothing about the shortage.

Side Note: Each year my summer assignor is getting more and more LL clients. Leagues have had enough. The concept of Volunteers might have been prevelant years ago but not today.

Pete Booth

There needs to be some common sense
 

Tourneys do make you walk the fine between interest and physical exhaustion. The important thing is common sense- don't take on any more than you can handle- I think we've all been in that "end of the tournament" mood! Assignors and tournament directors need to use some discretion too.

Worst case of this I've heard recently was last weekend. Four-site tournament with four crews each doing quads for sat and sun. That's do-able, but on Sunday the rook umpire assigned to my friend's crew rolled into his hotel room BLASTED at 5am. The assignor took one look at him at 9am and told my friend "I don't want him behind the plate today". They couldn't find a sub until the late game, so my friend had 3 plate games, then a first base game. Rook will not be invited back!

Fourth of July tournament temperatures ranged from 92 to 97 degrees.

This past week end and today at the basketball camp the indoor temps were in the 90's as the air conditioning was turned off.

I didn't say I didn't feel the difference. I said I was prepared for it. I keep my legs in shape. I bike. I run. I weight train. I get plenty of rest at night and I drink lots and lots of water.

If you can't prepare for it you shouldn't work that much. It's not good for you. If you make the choise to work that much without being prepared, then you shouldn't whine about it.

Conditioning
 

Ironically, my conditioning regimen takes the biggest hit during the season. It's just damn hard to drag my old bones out of bed at 5 am for a run after getting home at 11:30 after nine innings of dish. And I can't get to sleep for a good hour afterwards- gotta wind down some.

Most of us could stand to be in better shape. It's hard to do in baseball season.

Garth, dude, I was in relatively good physical condition before the season, and I'm not that bad off now. The simple fact of the matter is that God did not bless me, at least, with the ability to work at the regular (admittedly sedintary) job from 8 until 3:30, start a ballgame at 5:30 or 6 and work baseball until 8 or 9 and do that 5 pr 6 days a week. I burn out. I feel the effects. My zone, especially, gets sloppy and I take justified sh!t for it. Magnify that x about 4 for tournament time and unless I'm conditioning full time, it wears me out.

Strikes and outs!

Do it in the exact OPPOSITE order of what you mentioned. You will see much better results and you won't be tired when lifting.

Well, here in the Chicago area, this weekend is expected to be hot AND very humid. Highs in the mid-90's Saturday and Sunday near 100, each day with what is being described as "oppressive humidity," with dew points nearing 80!

Anyone who thinks that the intense "dry heat" of the desert southwest is not really different from hot and HUMID is clueless. The latter is what actually hinders the body from sweating, and it is this more than anything that causes us problems in the heat.

Stay cool out there, folks. Drink, drink, and drink some more. And stay away from caffeinated products and alcohol (no joke--both dehydrate you).