Smittyisms

[jkumpire]

Originally Posted by fitump56

Brushing off the pitcher's rubber is most often for the umpire to be able to determine when he actually mounts the rubber. Perhaps the MiLB umps I see doing this, on much more pristine fields, are also untaught.

56,

Please give us more details, like when and where did you see this?

I have worked with hundreds of college umpires, professional umpires, and ex-professional umpires. I have seen people kick dirt off covered bases with a foot, I have never seen an umpire of that caliber brush or clean off a pitcher's plate, or brush off a base.

I admit I did clean off a pitcher's plate once, with my foot, after a pitcher asked me to. It was a 14 yr. old kid game. I beg forgiveness......

I have seen tons of less-experienced umpires and "sm*****s" brush off pitcher's plates and bases. Some of them are SB guys, they can be excused for being from the DARK SIDE.

[TussAgee11]

I'll bite on this one. Bases used in a recent game were popup bases unlike any other I've seen. It was like a Lego into the ground, a bunch of holes on the bases that snapped into a plate that was put in the ground with a bunch of dots on it.

Base came off, dirt covered the plate that was in the ground, and I had the SS and 2B use their fingers to get all the dirt out in between all these bumps that were about 1/2 inch high. They still couldn't get the base in after about 2-3 minutes.

The PU called out "need the brush", to which I beckoned him over, he brushed off the plate that was in the ground, removing all the dirt, and the fielder reattached the base.

Does that make me smitty?

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

I'll bite on this one. Bases used in a recent game were popup bases unlike any other I've seen. It was like a Lego into the ground, a bunch of holes on the bases that snapped into a plate that was put in the ground with a bunch of dots on it.

Base came off, dirt covered the plate that was in the ground, and I had the SS and 2B use their fingers to get all the dirt out in between all these bumps that were about 1/2 inch high. They still couldn't get the base in after about 2-3 minutes.

The PU called out "need the brush", to which I beckoned him over, he brushed off the plate that was in the ground, removing all the dirt, and the fielder reattached the base.

Does that make me smitty?

If those are the bases I'm familiar with they don't snap into place. The base sits on tip of the nubs.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

I'll bite on this one. Bases used in a recent game were popup bases unlike any other I've seen. It was like a Lego into the ground, a bunch of holes on the bases that snapped into a plate that was put in the ground with a bunch of dots on it.

Base came off, dirt covered the plate that was in the ground, and I had the SS and 2B use their fingers to get all the dirt out in between all these bumps that were about 1/2 inch high. They still couldn't get the base in after about 2-3 minutes.

The PU called out "need the brush", to which I beckoned him over, he brushed off the plate that was in the ground, removing all the dirt, and the fielder reattached the base.

Does that make me smitty?

If those are the bases I'm familiar with they don't snap into place. The base sits on top of the nubs.

[TussAgee11]

They may "sit" but the definately have an exact location where they need to be, and when they are secure, there is a bit of noise that lets you know its on correctly.

[NEohioref]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

56,

Please give us more details, like when and where did you see this?

I have worked with hundreds of college umpires, professional umpires, and ex-professional umpires. I have seen people kick dirt off covered bases with a foot, I have never seen an umpire of that caliber brush or clean off a pitcher's plate, or brush off a base.

I admit I did clean off a pitcher's plate once, with my foot, after a pitcher asked me to. It was a 14 yr. old kid game. I beg forgiveness......

I have seen tons of less-experienced umpires and "sm*****s" brush off pitcher's plates and bases. Some of them are SB guys, they can be excused for being from the DARK SIDE.

I do alot of softball. I guess thats why im a smitty.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by NEohioref

I do alot of softball. I guess thats why im a smitty.

I just think you're a sports official.