Preventative Umpiring

[jicecone]

True Story:

HS Var. Level, Weak teams

"Time"

I take out my plate brush and tell the catcher to go to the mound and tell his pitcher to come to a good set, as I clean the plate.

Catcher takes one step towards the mounds and yells "John, ump says to get your head out your arse and come to a stop or he is going to balk you."

I said "thanks catch, but I don't think I meant it that way."

Catcher says, "thats ok blue, he a real flake anyway and it was the only way he would understand."

It worked.