What i was insinuating was what type is it? Ive never seen one of those. So what if i do Little League. Im in this game for the love of the game, not for the money.

Dan,

There's nothing wrong with doing this for 'love of the game' but it's also nice to make a few bucks while doing something you enjoy. There are several here that work LL baseball, me included. I don't know of anyone who umps LL exclusively.

If you're happy doing LL only, fine. Be the best you can be. But you'll probably find that you'll learn a lot more and work with better umpires when you work games outside of LL. That's not a knock on LL. That's just the way it is.

I remember a thread a few months back about these masks. I don't recall if it was here or another forum, McGriff's maybe? If I remember correctly they won't ship the mask to the US.

Try here.

http://www.umpire.org/modules.php?na...wtopic&p=27987

Thanks,
 

That link works great.

Of course now I know I have pronounced the company name in correctly for so many years.

It is Mizno (in Japan).

Thanks

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/bbtown/5430...742473/742035/


The company is called BBTown. In Japan, they use the term "Judgement equipment" The mask runs about $150.00 USD + shipping[big$$]. Mizuno also just came out with the same mask, but with a throat guard.

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/bbtown/5430...742473/742036/

Hope this helps Tim...................Chris

Okay, you love the game. Wouldnt' you, then, want to contribute to it at a quality level? Shouldn't you, then, feel an obligagtion to improve, get proper training and actually read a rule book?

Wouldn't be better to listen and think about what experienced veterans have to offer instead of dismissing them outright, or, just as bad, offering your, at times, unfounded opinions as being equally valid?

Or does doing Little League for the love of the game mean you don't have to be good?

For the record
 

Not that I'm a very frequent poster, but in thirteen years of umpiring, I have only worked LL games. FWIW.

I will note that many of the best umpires I work with also do a fair amount of non-LL umpiring, but I'm not sure how strong a trend that is.

No Garth, I try to be good and do my best. I already have rule books. Why mock on other officials becasue "We do lower level games" Heck, theres some LL umpires out there that if they would have gone pro, they would be the instuctors, not instuctees. And LilLeaguer, its not that stong of a trend. Just beause you do ASA, high school, college, or what ever level, does NOT make you a better umpire. Some people like to think that, but it is not true.

Fwiw
 

Laying down $150 for a TM may not improve your judgement. :D

What do you mean my "if they would have gone pro"? Are you saying these LL umpires were offered pro jobs but turned them down because they only work because of their love of the game? And I would hope that a pro umpire would be able to instruct at some LL clinic in Penn.

Stop kidding yourself. One can only become so good while working only 12 year old games. I'm sorry if you feel otherwise, but that is a fact.

When I first started out (as all the top dawgs in our association and area did) a lot of us did the little guys (11, 12 year olds, ect.) In my opinion and experiences Luke is right (as he usually is). There is NO comparison between some Little League game and a "good" game of shaving age players.

Your opinions may vary.

1. I did not mock LL umpires. I tried to make the point that if you love doing LL then you owe it to yourself and LL to become the best umpire you can.

2. My experience is that if one is good enough to do something, they usually do. Coulda woulda shoulda is meaningless.

3. No one will become the best umpire they can be by working nothing but LL. That's a fact.

4. Like it or not, experience will make one a better umpire.

Actually,
 

Garth usually leaves the mocking of Little League Umpires to me.

Dan, you are showing the "I know everything" button on your chest. While it is easy for me to ignore you and not try to help you many others are far kinder than me. You will learn from this site if you learn to listen, take your time and accept correction.

First, you need to recognize that things you say are just silly.

Check your comment about "these little league guys coulda" . . . no they couldn't that's why they are doing what they do.

Working Big Boy ball is far more difficult to be really good . . . and you'll eventually figure that out.

If I were you I would listen real well to Garth . . . he has first hand experience in taking a young umpires to very high levels, very fast, and with a great skill set . . . but, alas, you already know it all.

Regards,

Your posting pattern here shows you are ignorant of the most basic rules of baseball and the most basic of mechanics.

Perhaps you should open your rules books, read more, and talk less.

You just don't "go pro" as an umpire. The odds of being offered a job out of school are considerably less than one. Those umpires here who work HS and college games likely have quite a bit more experience than you do.

BTW, I work quite a few LL games during tournament time -- from Minors up through Seniors. You will never be a top umpire only working Little League games.