Calling Time Out
 

Ok I know it's pretty much Taboo to bring other threads from different internet Forums to this one but it's the off season and I wanted to get opinions/ views from Umpires on this site which are more experienced.

Premise - 2 Person System, You have the dish We have R1 or R1/R2.

Situation:

1. There's some dust on the plate and you want to clean it quickly
2. Any other Trival type scenario in which your eyes will be away from the action for a few seconds or so.

Since your eyes are now off the "action" Do you automatically call TO (Time out)?

In my Pre-game I go over these types of things with my partner and tell him/her that I will not call TO for these trivial type matters even though my eyes are "off the action" If something does happen in that second or 2 where I have my backed turned I trust that my partner will be alert.

I am reluctant to call TO for these trvial type matters because TO is a stoppage of play. It has been my experience that once an umpire calls TIME, players relax. B1 might get add'l instructions from his coach or F2 might take a quick trip to the mound to talk to F1.

Also, when we have TIME we cannot get any of those precious outs.

Therefore, what's your style. Do you call TIME whenever your eyes are not on the action or do you trust that your partner "has your back"

Thanks

Pete Booth

Time out calls!
 

I take nothing for granted. When I clean the plate, I call TO. When I get a request from a coach who wants to ask a questions, I call TO! It's my way of
making sure that nothing will happen that I will miss! It's usually during situations like I have described that someone will try to do something! When you call TO you nothing's going to happen because play has been suspended. I umpire by the game, not the clock! Same thing when working the bases!

I always call time whenever I do something like clean the plate.

I've seen the situation where the umpire doesn't call time and cleans the plate. Everyone relaxes and is waiting for the umpire to finish and the runners are walking non-chalantly back to the base when the pitcher picks them off. Of course the arguement ensues that the umpire was cleaning the plate and that time was called.

The PU then says time wasn't called and that the play was live. So the out counts. Then all hell breaks out because you have the runner and his manager who is all over the PU for doing something where they think he should have called time and the PU insisting that he doesn't have to call time.

If your worried about F2 going for a conference as you bend to clean, simply tell him not to go because your done in 2 seconds.

I think its best to call time and then there is no problem.

Quickly:
1) Call Time out.
2) Clean plate, Clean Glasses or whatever.
3) Call Time in with a "Let's Go" or something to indicate you want them to go quickly.

Should take no more then 5 seconds.

Assuming at least 2-man:

Normally if the plate isn’t very dirty I just take a passing ‘swipe’ at the plate, I do not call time. I do make sure that the action is over and that my partner(s) appears to have everything under control then I quickly clean the plate. Sometimes I just kick the dirt off as I walk by. BUT if the plate is hidden after a slide I will call time to clean the plate because it’s going to take me a few seconds.

With all that said, I was taught to always call time when cleaning the plate.....but:)

I don't always call a time-out, but if something were to happen, I would employ the "pre-sumed time-out" corollary and send 'em back. ;)

Pete,

Having read the thread on "the other site", I suspect that the answers you're getting here are not the ones you want to hear! :D

I do not post a question to get answers I want to hear

On this site we have some umpires with a plethora of experience.

If I am in the minority Fine but I do not get bent out of shape like some others if someone or a group of individuals have a different view.

Some aspects of Umpiring are not "cut and dry" but a matter of style. Also, we all work in different parts of the country and what works or what is taught in one part is not necessarily the same as in another part of the country.

Baseball is not a TIMED sport, we all know that and from my experience most of us want a game which has a "flow" to it. Why in the NBA does a team call a TO when the other team has momentum? Why! To slow things down and stop momentum.

When we have TIME regardless of the opinions presented, PLAY STOPS which could have an adverse effect on the flow of the game. Also, I am not talking about NOT calling a TO when we have a resasonable delay like a coach requesting TO or something along those lines.

I am talking about a "quick" clean of the plate or other similar occasions where your eyes are off the action for maybe a beat or 2.

In Summary: I do not write a post to see if others agree with me as that IMO is counter productive. We are in the off season and frankly I get tired of taking about where to purchase umpire equipment or what brand is best, etc. I brought the topic here because this Forum has been rather slow and solicit opinions / views from the masses who post here NOT to get the desired response. If you want to add value to the topic then please do so.

Pete Booth

I don't clean the plate very often. I guess it's a benefit of officiating older players. I do clean the plate after F2 trows down to 2nd base at the top of the inning. After that, I try to wait for normal stoppages in the game.

1. Between batters with no one on (if needed).

2. After a foul ball (time is already out so why not).

3. Coach wants to talk to F1, I clean the plate slowly. By the time I am done, the coach better be too.

After a play at the plate, I wait until there is no further action then I call TIME. I don't care if I am alone or working a 6 man crew, I don't want anything going on behind my back.

Last of all, under no circumstances do I clean the plate if F1 has 2 strikes on the batter. It interrupts the timing of both F1 and the batter (I hate when small diamond umpires do this). It will take an act of God for me to clean the plate at this time! Only if the coach wants to talk to F1 would I dream of stopping action at this time.

Pete:
 

A couple of things:

IF I am going to use my brush, with my back turned, I always call time.

IF I am simply going to use my foot wedge I don't BUT I face the field (also I am not the great plate cleaner -- I dust only the inside and outside corners during an inning -- the whole plate at the start of an inning, if necessary).

Other times:

As a PU if a batter rasies his hand to me like the "wait a second while I get ready" crap the first few times I make a big "TIME" call and get out from behind F2 -- then I tell them "hey meat, the catcher and I will make sure you're ready before he pitches no need to call time!"

If a pitcher wants a different ball and there are runners on base I ALWAYS call "TIME" before making the change.

On the bases I never allow a fielder to call time for no reason. I often ask: "WHY do you want time?" but don't call it.

I cannot think of any "little" issue where my eyes leave the field (well except for searching for MILFs) that would cause me to call "time."

Regards,

I am a fan of using the presumed time out if anythign happens. My partner will always be on board with me, because I show him the brush before I lean over. If he doesn't see it, or has his back turned to me, I'll yell out Time. But no need to if my partner and I can be on the same page without having to yell it out.

Just a matter of style, although I'm pretty sure most want time to be called someway or another.

I agree with Tee.

If you turn your back, you call time, period...end of story. When the plate gets dirty because of a sliding runner, call time and clean it. Other than that, you don't have to brush it off except between innings.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who grant time out everytime a runner slides into a base. They are laying there and the fielder is hovering over him waiting for him to get up. Give me a break!!! I tell the fielder to 'throw the ball to the pitcher and lets play'.

I had an EJ one time (player and 3rd base coach), R2 steals 3b, raises his hand and prior to my 'granting' time out he leaves the base to dust himself off. F5 applies the tag... I have an out!!! Player turns into the Tasmanian Devil and I give him the rest of the game off. 3B coach "F" bombs me and he's heading for his Toyota. HC comes trotting out to see "what the Heck is going on here?" I asked him if he saw the play? He said..."Yes, but I thought you always give a time out in those cases?" My answer, "I don't".

PS. I follow the "5 word" rule when talking to coaches.

i guess it depends on my mood...haha If all "play" is over, I usually do not call time. With R3........Most of the time I do. I have a pretty good feel as to what is going on out on the field. I think its a preference thing. You can take your shots if you want......

Pretty similar for me. If R3, I call Time to clean the plate. If I am working with one or more partners, I DO NOT call Time with R1 and/or R2. That is what base umpires are for, to watch the action at the other bases. When working solo, I always call Time to clean the plate with any runners on base, because I do not have eyes in the back of my head.

Like Tim, if I just use the foot wedge to knock a bit of dirt from the corners, I don't call Time, but keep my eyes forward. I also don't grant Time to infielders for no reason, and also ask them what they need Time for, which usually they can't give an answer.

By rule, you cannot call "time in" until the pitcher has taken his place on the rubber and the batter is ready in the box. Whenever you call "TIME," you should have "TIME" for more than 5 seconds. If you give an informal "time in" and then the pitcher (who may be standing behind the mound) fires to first, and someone calls an out.....stand-by for a sh!thouse.

1. Umpires don't call "time in", they put the ball in play.
2. Putting the ball in play requires that the pitcher has the ball and is on the rubber, the batter, catcher and umpire are ready.
3. Don't ever clean your glasses during an inning.
4. 5 seconds? The umpire would like a Monty Python sketch.

WE are TOLD not to call "Time" to brush the plate. Unnecessary dead balls are vehemently discouraged. An additional bad call of "Time" is for the defense to get the ball in to the pitcher.

D

We? Not me, no one told me. I must have been absent that day. :confused:

I fervently agree, having dead balls is not a good thing. :eek:

I enthusiastically agree with that statement. :)

Justme can't be we (by definition).

Those I see are we.

Man, I gotta pee.

D

Did it ever occur to you that maybe you should? In the case in point, calling time to allow the player to get up and dust himself off, while the fielder returned the ball to the pitcher, as opposed to playing the cat and mouse game you apparently consider to be baseball that requires the runner to stand up and dust himself off while maintaining contact with the base, lest he be tagged by the fielder who is holding the tag on him persistently - would have undoubtedly avoided the ejectathon you endured instead.

That ain't baseball, at least not any level I'm interested in working. Once a runner has secured possession of a base and is in control of his body (even if it's prone), then the play is over. Refusing to call time to allow both sides to reset only prolongs the game, it doesn't delay it.

Watch a pro game and see how professional umpires handle this issue. The claim that calling time always delays the game is simply a canard. Make the defense earn its outs playing baseball, not little league.

With all due respect, players over the age of being able to tie their shoes, should be able to properly keep contact with the bag, stand up, and dust off without delaying the game by asking for time, while the fielder is throwing the ball back to the pitcher.

In the pro game, the fielder isn't hovering around a clueless baserunner waiting for him to get up. That's what delays the game, and it should be ( to quote the late Don Knotts) "nipped in the bud".

BTW, two ejections is NOT an ejectathon.

This is precisely where the thread went sour on the other board - "What to do after a slide?' Some say let the players work it out and others say call time and let "both parties reset".

I simply read how the players are working it out. If the runner is climbing up and not requesting TIME, fine with me. I keep my eye on the action until the defense sends the ball elsewhere. If the runner is lying prone in contact with the bag and the defense is holding the tag on I will call TIME if the runner requests and only if he requests! If the runner wants to climb up without asking for TIME, I am not going to call it - I'm not the 10th player! Likewise, younger runner slides, hangs on to the base and asks for TIME. Defense is oblivious and throws the ball back to F1 - I'm not calling TIME! Again, I'm not the 10th player.

I'm sure that this will draw some discussion.

I conscientiously call few time-outs.
But, I have time for this runner. He may have to fix his equipment, get dirt out of his pants or just adjust his stuff.
It's a courtesy, and I am on the field for him.

You've never had sweat running down the middle of your lens????
How can you possibly wait until the end of the inning, you can't see anything!


Yes, I realize the pitcher has to be on the mound to call "Play". Usually when I clean the plate it is just after a hit and the plate has needed a brush for a while. With the hit, of course we must wait for the play to come to an end and usually thats when the pitcher has the ball standing on the mound. So before the next batter gets to the plate, I quickly call time, take a second or two to give the plate a quick brush, get up turn around and put the ball back into play. By the time I get behind the catcher, I still have to wait a second or two for the batter to get into the box.

Hahaha,
 

Let's step back now and take a look at this thread:

Things have been very interesting in the process of this thread.

I really thought it was asking about calling "TIME!" to dust the plate. I was simply amazed that some of the responders, and many of them people I respect, that actually think it is a delay to call time to do the plate sweep.

I am just shocked to see that any umpire, no matter how many partners, would turn their back to the field with the ball in play.

I have learned that many do. I have learn that some are even taught to do this.

Calling time to clean the plate does not cause ANY delay. You are going to clean the dish anyway "why not" protect the game by calling "TIME!"?

Since we all know there is no such thing as "implied time out." The boat don't float.

So we have three situations that we have discussed in the thread:

1) Do you call time out when "fully" cleaning the plate,
2) Do you let infielders call "Time" when they complete a play and,
3) Do you call "Time" when a runner has made it safely into a base?

These are three really interesting questions when you read the responses.

I would contend that no umpire working "real" (there's that term again -- "real" -- I don't consider the Northern League or the Golden State League "real" minior league baseball) professional baseball would EVER turn his back to the infield and brush the plate without calling time . . .

I would also contend that calling "TIME" in this situation causes no decernible delay in play and it is much more valuable to control play on the field then turn your back.

I would also contend that "great" umpires seldom allow infielders to call "TIME" without reason and,

I would also contend that umpires should consider all base running situations independantly and feel that "time" can be called at any time if it makes your situation better.

I think winter time storms cause us all to over think the most simple of items.

Regards,

1. Yes. However, I don't attempt to do this in 5 seconds. "Time!" Remove mask and pull out brush as I move around the catcher. Make sure the batter has stepped back...ask if necessary. ( I don't like getting slammed with a practice swing.) With my back to the infield, bend over and clean the plate. Straighten up, replace brush as I step back into positon. Put mask on and, after checking for pitcher, ball, batter and catcher, point and "Play!" As I said earlier, attemting this in 5 seconds would look like a Monty Python sketch.

2. Not without damn good reason. Throwing the ball back to the pitcher or killing the offense's chance to continue the play are not good reasons.

3. Depends on what is going on. All play is over and he needs to get the dirt out of his jock strap? Sure. A team mate is off the bag at another base and a play is possible? Nope, not yet.

I have done fill-in games at the Class A level and I have worked with minor league guys in college ball. I have seen them clean off the plate without calling time. Maybe back in the old days they did things different. Who knows. I think some people are making too big a deal of all this.

1) Do you call time out when "fully" cleaning the plate,
2) Do you let infielders call "Time" when they complete a play and,
3) Do you call "Time" when a runner has made it safely into a base?

1) Yes, but I wait until all action has ceased, and never with a batter in the box.
2) No
3) Depends. If the defense still has a potential play I don't. Ex: runner just dived back to 1B on a pickoff. F3 is holding the ball on him, I generally tell F3 to throw the ball in and then time is not necessary.

Oh yeah, I bet . . .
 

Whatever Chris, I simply disagree . . . I do not accept your comments. No minor league umpire turns his back on the field without calling "TIME!"

Call any instructor and ask . . . that's all I request. Have them e-mail their answer to me and if it supports your position I will post an apology.

BTW, I won't have to.

Regards,

Tim, I am not going to e-mail guys I know to prove a point. I like to think that most of my posts consist of good common sense. But here is one. 2 man system... nobody on....trouble ball hit and base ump goes out. Plate guy takes BR into 2nd. Base ump gets back into the infield and plate guy jogs back to the plate area. I do not call time out to jog back into position unless the BR requests time to dust off or somethin'. My back is turned to the field. I see this all the time in the minors. Any thoughts?

We (and by "we," I mean the SDCBUA as a group, not you Justme:) ) were taught that it is neither necessary nor desirable to call Time to clean the dish, except with a runner at 3rd. This association frowns on the unnecessary, frivolous calling of Time, and this is an example of that. Good things can happen when the ball is alive (such as outs), and not many can happen when it is dead.

The same goes for the above example, there is no need to call Time, as long as at least one set of eyes is watching the action on the bases.

When I'm working the bases, and an umpire unnecessarily calls Time, I feel that he has no confidence in my ability to manage the action on the bases while he is briefly involved with the all-important task of removing a bit of dirt from the plate.

Sounds like common sense to me!

I believe, with runners on any base, both the Academy and PBUC instruct PU to call time when cleaning the plate. I realize that Proschool and PBUC may not be as prestigious as the SDCBUA, whatever the hell that is, but I doubt umpires will go far wrong by following what is taught at the professional level.

you believe incorrectly

That's always a possibility, so I will be checking with them tomorrow.

It's also possible that my information is old. I'll be asking about that,too.

Might I inquire how recent your information regarding JEAPU and PBUC is?

Ya... the schools also teach that with R2, R1 and R2, the base guy is to look over his shoulder during each pitch. Let me tell ya...that doesnt always happen..oh ya, I forget..the base guy has to be in a hands-on-knees position for every pick off play @ 1st!!! Good luck with that.

You're becoming cynical in your old age, Chris. I knew I liked you for some reason.:D

This is certainly not a consistent instruction across baseball organizations. My high school association teaches no such thing. Little League has a published ruling that says time is out when the plate umpire cleans the plate.

I'm just trying to envision a runner "sneaking" a steal of 2B or 3B while the plate umpire is brushing the plate, action was otherwise relaxed, and then just before ejecting the defensive coach your explanation is "yes, I was ***-to-field, but I never called time and my partner was still watching."

You may think it's a "good thing" that you're allowing bases to be run, outs to be recorded - hey do you still call balks while brushing the plate, maybe using your brown eye? - but to me it's a practice that is simply an endorsement of bush league baseball. No thanks.

Brown eye. Dammit Hensley, I almost spit coffee all over my laptop.

Ahem,
 

Since I know bobbybanaduck personally . . . since I trust his word completely . . . since I know that his sources to minor league baseball are very good . . . I accept what he says.

Chris my apology for getting on your butt.

BTW, we will still train in our area (while we're not San Diego we have very good umpires) to ALWAYS call time when cleaning the plate.

It is neither, in my opinon, inappropriate or game delaying.

Regards,

I'm not arguing with bobbybanaduck but the guys here in the Eastern League all seem to stand to the side of the plate and wait for the action to subside, then the PU raises his hands, turns and cleans the plate. It may or not be a rule, no make that an understanding, but that's what I see most of them do. As for myself, either I call TIME to clean the plate or wait for a dead ball situation to do it.

If you don't know of this umpire association, why don't you use some of your Mensa-level I.Q., and just Google SDCBUA to learn more about it. Your right, PBUC is probably not as prestigous. It certainly hasn't been in existence nearly as long, nor does it have the rich history that the SDCBUA has.

I know you are totally anal, Garth, but it really is unneccesary to call Time when cleaning the plate.

Hensley, you might call games with your brown eye, butt the rest of us don't. I believe that the base umpire would call those balks, pickoffs, steals, or whatever else could possibly occur during the 5-10 seconds it takes to clean the plate.

You people make it too hard.

Tee, I realize that you are a member of a fine group of umpires, and I never meant to imply in any way that San Diego umpires were any better than any others. Umpires are umpires.

If we all agreed on everything, it would sure be a boring forum.

Ok...There is a difference. W/ R3, you got a guy 90 feet from ya in a direct line to the plate. With no guy on 3rd, you have a greater response time to help/observe you partner if a runner takes off. It could get real ugly if you are dusting the dish and R3 decides to take off. You have a catcher to deal with etc.

With a runner at third, especially a really fast jackrabbit, he may see the umpire cleaning the plate as an opportunity to try to steal home, the one base where the PU is responsible for the action. The PU would be in the way of any attempt to make a play on this runner, while at 1st, 2nd, or 3rd base, the base umpire(s) would be there to make calls.

Let's face it...different associations teach different things. I'm sure there are other associations in my area (there are about a dozen) who teach the umpires to call Time when cleaning the plate.

There are several mechanics that we have that depend on the position of the runners. IN SDS's group, this (calling, or not, time to brush the plate) is one of them.

true, the over the shoulder peek is taught at the schools, and required by pbuc, but, only for the first year. once pbuc thinks you have a grasp of where the runners are, the tell you that you don't need to peek anymore.

also, pbuc does not require the hok (hands on knees) set for pickoffs. it's taught at the schools to get everybody to look the same and to try to bang into the heads of the students the concept of being square to the play.

back to the topic at hand of calling time to dust the dish... i do it if the situation warrants, and don't if it doesn't. imo, the act of turning my back on the field for 1.3 seconds is not enough to warrant me killing the ball. i have partners on the field watching what's going on. furthermore, i try not to clean the plate during live ball situations. wait for a foul ball, wait for time to be out already, whatever. this is not to say, however, that i won't call time if the thing gets completely covered and it's going to require more effort than a couple of quick sweeps.

edited to fix typos and define hok. sorry steve.

as current as it gets, sir.

Bobby,

I managed to decipher the first three typos, but what on earth is a "hok" set. I don't get that one?:confused:

Steve,
 

HOK = Hands on Knees

thanks, tim. typos edited.

You mention "partners." From that I assume you are working three man. Perhaps it was a mistake, but I have had two man mechanics in mind during this thread.

It's not that I doubt your credentials, but, I contacted a graduate from last year who said that they were told to call time when cleaning the plate in two man with runners on.

I note that the rookies at the local short season A games also call time when cleaning the plate with runners on. I am still awaiting word from the JEAPU office, however.

Perhaps this is one of those things that as one gains inexperience, he no longer feel the necessity to work as trained.

wokring as trained meaning as trained at school? if that's the case, take note of jimmy's sidenote about the training given early and often at every clinic...don't work exactly like this when you get in the game or when you return home and work in your local association. the mechanics of the training at the schools serve specific purposes, which i touched on in an earlier post.

i guarantee you that nowhere in the course of the training are students taught to call time when cleaning the plate. the only time that cleaning the plate is touched on is at the beginning of the cage work session, and time is assumed to be out already as the drill has not begun yet.

no, you did not misread "partners," though i work the same in the 2 man system. the back to the infield argument was covered quite well a few posts back with the exapmple of nobody on BU goes out. PU takes BR into 2B. BU returns and assumes responsibility for BR at 2B. PU pivots out and returns to work, without calling time. same would hold true after a rotation to 3B. play ends with runner safe at 3B, PU pivots out and goes back to work. don't call time to unwind rotations.

Wow, four pages on something as trivial as whether or not to call time when cleaning the plate. Amazing. It's rivaling the five pages on ball bags. Simply awesome.

My response from JEAPU came in.

Although it was once (some time ago) taught to call time when cleaning the plate, "there is now no uniform directive." The plate umpire should call time if he feels the need and not call time when he doesn't. Further, "If he feels the need, he shouldn't be cleaning the plate."

I stand updated, corrected and informed.

As to Jimmy's side note, as he tells it, it applies to certain things, not everything. There is much that is taught at both the five week and the classics that he would hope you take home.

Thanks for your help, bobby.....

Wow, I totally missed that one! Thanks.:)

Chill Steve. Save the name calling for one of your other sites.

I didn't take the time to investigate the SDCBUA, because it didn't interest me and was not germane to the issue. Now that I know it is simply a local association, it is of even less interest.

I really don't care if you or anyone calls time or not. I never put down anyone for doing it one way or another. My participation in this thread was prompted by my memories of training and my interest in getting the correct information, which, if you have read my immediate previous post, you will see that thanks to Bobby and JEAPU I now have.

That is the where my curiousity lies, Steve, in finding the correct answer, whether I had it previously or not. Not in the history of a local association. I don't mind having been incorrect, if I can find out what is right

Enjoy your evening.

i didn't say not to take things home with you. this is why one attends such schools or clinics; to get better. i said that he urges students not to work EXACTLY like they are taught at school, read: like a robot. i couldn't tell if the thanks was sincere or sarcastic due to the trailing off..... if it was sincere, then you're welcome. if it was the latter, then i stick my tongue out at you. have a nice day.

Well, the way you dismissed it by saying, "whatever the hell that is," indicated an arrogance on your part. I felt that perhaps if you were to take the time to find out what it was (how hard could it be to figure out, BTW? Let's see...S, uh, D, uh... oh the BUA, gee that's a toughie!) you wouldn't have said what you did.

I didn't call you names. Anal is short for anal-retentive, which is a bonafide personality trait, not a nickname. You are anal-retentive, based on all the posts I've read from you. I know your type very well, having dealt with many others just like you. And what other sites are you referring to? I only go on ABUA and Umptalk, and name calling is frowned on there as well.

I only mentioned my association to explain for people like Justme that I was speaking of a specific group of people when I said "we." I didn't want to appear as speaking for all umpires everywhere.

What do you mean by "people like Justme?":confused:

That's what I meant by that. You knew D-Man meant his association, but you went ahead and tried to be funny (not exactly your forte) with your response. I didn't want you reply in the same manner when I used "we" to indicate a specific group of people.

Sigh. Ok.

I know you are but what am I?

I'm just havin' some fun with everyone. I hope nobody takes any of it seriously.

SDS, I don't think that anyone on this board ever takes what you say seriously.


Now that's funny :D :D :D :D :D

Nope, still not your forte.:)

It was sincere, sir. I appreciate those who have the correct information. I try to be correct in my postings, which is why I have a habit of contacting those who can provide the real deal. I'll most certainly add you to that list. Although I have a feeling we've communicated privately before.

Thanks, again.....really.

Not since you claimed to be good enough to be a MLU.

Your claim that your local association is as prestigious as PBUC, which refines and produces ten to twenty-five or so professional umpires each year is right up there with that. Congratulations. Most doubted that you could achieve that level of nonsense twice.

Yes, as soon as PBUC reaches its 60th anniversary, I'll put it in the same class. Meanwhile, Doug Harvey, Jon Kibler, Ed, Paul, and Brian Runge, Mike DiMuro, and Mike Winters all came from this one association. I was speaking of its rich history, which PBUC does not share. PBUC cranks out pro umpires every year, which it finds from many associations and individuals worldwide. It's kind of just there, a depository for the talented umpires of the world. Nothing it has done on its own merits has earned any distinction.

I really meant nobody taking my jesting comments seriously. I am right about most umpiring issues. Apparently, I was more right than you about calling Time to clean the plate. Oh, well Garth, you can't be right all the time. And you can make fun of my dream of being a MLU all you want, but I was still a damn good umpire, and you dismissed me without even seeing my work, which was very ignorant of you. That is when I discovered you had an anal personality. Or are you just an a$shole?

Steve, Steve, Steve....

You bet. One rarely is right all the time. You should take note of how others admit their errors and try it sometime.

And, as I recall someone offered, at their own expense to come see you work and you declined. Who was that?

Oh, well, I see your limited vocabulary has bound you up again. I think it's time to put you back on the list. Enjoy your evening. I won't stoop to your level.

Yeah, I sure hope you put me back on the list. My vocabulary isn't limited in any way. I do not need to throw a bunch of fancy words around, like you feel the need to do apparently, in order to feel superior to others.

I did not decline Dave Davies' offer. In fact, I said at the time that if he could find a game that I could umpire, I would be glad to do it. I was not a member in good standing of any working group at that time, and had no upcoming games scheduled. However, I'll put my umpiring skills up against yours any time you want to make the same deal. I'm sure they are quite comparable.

And you must mean you won't rise to my level, because I am certainly not beneath the likes of you.

Everybody out! Time to go. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Now.......

GB:

As I remember, you made that offer to fly to see Steve work a game and the silence from San Diego was deafening.

When are you coming back to NY? You must have a reunion or something coming up don't you?

Wherever Windy/WWTB is today, I'm sure he's laughing his keister off at this one!!!!

For some reason, this reminds me of that Alfred Hitchcock movie with Anthony Perkins and the Bates Motel..........:D

You have a horrible memory. Garth never made any such offer. I would not back down from any challenge. If several major league umpires have watched me work, and told me that I did a great job, and that I'm a damn good umpire, that's enough for me. I really don't need any feedback from amateurs such as Garth or yourself to validate my abilities.

And PWL, you have no room to talk. I would be scared to have to play in a game you were officiating.