Yes.....I feel bad for him he looks so stupid.

No, there is no prohibiting mechanic.
Some umps go and some do not.

Good call, Rich.

Watching the NY/IL game, this seems to be a standard mechanic. The first
base umpire, (who is either female or Phil Mickelson :D ), has been doing it all
night. Also, what's with bringing up the left arm to the right elbow, making
a right angle ? That looks like a softball mechanic to me. Ugly.

Here is a start:

His head was way too low.
He moved on every pitch.
He really moved if he thought the pitch was going to hit him.
He called the pitches way to fast.
He pointed on strikes and they looked terrible as he didn't extend his arm out all the way.
Sometimes he pointed while he was still crouched down.
He didn't verbalize his "ball" calls (he did do it sometimes but he said the location...he would say nothing but "outside")
For strike three calls the only thing he said was "batter's out", and he gave some weak looking hammer with his left fist touching his right elbow.
He stood at a 45 degree angle to the plate when he dusted it off.
There was one HBP where it just hit the batter's shirt, and all he did was put his right hand up in the air like 2 seconds after the pitch and he said nothing.
There was a half swing which he called a strike. He said nothing and signaled it by doing that weak hammer and then pointing.
He didn't take his mask off for plays at the plate.
He did that weak looking hammer when he called a guy out at the plate on a close play, and he didn't verbalize the out call.

This one's easy. She was holding her arm up.

YU.P., yU.P.
But LDUB, how 'bout that missed bunt attempt and the throw to second ? --> no signal and then mumbled "strike" two minutes later.

What about the announcers selling the Big League play by the second baseman, when U2 probably called R1 out of the baseline?

What about how the game ended? That game was a toilet bowl.
mick

Hell, even I can get to the 45 ft. line. PWL, the young bucks these days end up practically at first base. Face it, you're too damn old. You're supposed to be set for the call anyway, not chasing anyone down the line.

I get down there--many opportunities for pulled feets, etc. Heck, it's LL. Especially in two-man where U1 is making calls at 1B from deep B. I went to PU for help with F3's feets at least twice this post-season.

Before you ask "why" here, any LL vet will tell you that when there's ANY runner on base, you can never bet on where a LL infielder will play a grounder--no matter what the level of ball.

BTW, the plate ump for the NY/IL game wouldn't get a 3B job in my District. Is it, as somene elegantly said here, "the lifetime achievement award."

Ace

And one of the players yelling "we need one more F*@$ing run," then the coach slapping the player.

That's not typically covered in the first year of LL umpire training, and many of these umpires only have one year of experience. Some of them as many as 30 times, but still only one year.

Circular argument...nonsensical, too.

With so many umpire around, it's probably not needed.

Six umpires on the tiny field reminds me of Lance's "Mechanics for the 13 umpire system," in which you've got the traditional four umpires, plus one for each fielder. Now THAT'S officiating!

My speculation is the coaches have been ordered to refrain from any arguments with umpires, and the coach was just too intimidated by that environment to even make a justified and polite request for U1 to seek help. She surely needed it.

How about the blown call in the St Charles game at 1B? Runner was clearly safe, got banged out after F6 went into the hole. Good play, but not "WebGems' material IMO. Runner was clearly safe.

Karros says the usual bromide, "Well, if its a good defensive play, then if the play at 1B is at all close the ump is going to call you out." :rolleyes: