Little League

[His High Holiness]

I know that the following article is so cynical that I some may think that I wrote it.

Peter

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...072801205.html

[kylejt]

LL is just trying to protest it's property by not putting it on-line. Want a rulebook? Just ask your league. It's about a buck. Plus, 95% of all LL rules are OBR, and on the MLB site. Fair/foul? Please.

As for draft and All Star information, that should be confidential. Lots of folks would get bent out of shape if it weren't.

As for the article, it's good tabloid style reading.

[waltjp]

From the linked article, "So only two copies of the rule book go out to each sanctioned team and others are provided upon a showing of genuine affiliation and need."

It appears that this whole mess could have been avoided if the father asked the coach if he could use one of the team's 2 copies of the rule book. If the coach couldn't or wouldn't supply a rule book he should have checked with the district administrator, who should have a copy or be able to obtain a copy for the district umpires.

As an aside, anyone who'd volunteer to umpire a baseball game but doesn't know that a batted ball that hits a base is a fair ball should remain in the stands with the rest of the parents.

[ozzy6900]

Baseball Rules Availability:

• • OBR rules - online
  • NCAA rules - online
  • Legion rules - online
  • FED rules - not online
  • LL rules - not online

Interesting how the higher you go, the easier it is to get the rules!

In this day and age, there is no excuse for it!

[waltjp]

FED rules are available online for registered members.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

that OFFICER is a disgrace--FIRST, he umpires without knowinga BASIC RULE, then he RUNS to the NEWSPAPers to WHINE about a RULEBOOK. ID say hes much more GREY (ie RAT) than BLUE.

[Rcichon]

LL Rules are also available on DVD disk.

Everything in .pdf format but you cannot print ANYTHING from this disk. You cannot copy it nor can you save-as.

Security is set and encrypted. You cannot even 'print screen' and then paste that as a picture file.

I can get as many disks as I want but it's near impossible to re-publish it.

[bluezebra]

"LL is just trying to protest it's property by not putting it on-line."

Just out of curiosity, why would LL try to protest its (not it's) property?

Back in the mid-70s, another LL parent and I (both certified FED umpires) finally convinced our league to have us conduct a class for umpires to do our Minor Division games. The Majors and Seniors used a local association for umpires, while the Minors almost literally dragged Dads from the stands at each game. There had been NO training, no scheduling, etc.

We had the league purchase rule books for each one of our volunteers. We had four classroom sessions, and one mechanics session on the field. They had to pass with at least 80% of a 100-question exam. Some of the umps were Senior Division boys, and we scheduled two umps per game, with at least one being an adult. Managers and coaches, as well as parents, were told before the season started that there would be no harassing the teens. We had a GREAT season, with no problems.

But the bottom line is, the LEAGUE bought rule books for the umpires.

Bob

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by bluezebra

"LL is just trying to protest it's property by not putting it on-line."

Just out of curiosity, why would LL try to protest its (not it's) property?

Originally Posted by bluezebra

The Majors and Seniors used a local assocition for umpires

People who live in glass houses. . .

[bluezebra]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

People who live in glass houses. . .

Whoops. That's what I get for having stubby fingures, and not proof-reading.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't------.

You fill in the blanks.

Bob

[kylejt]

Two reasons to protest its (thanks) property.

One, they make a little money off the sale of the books. Not much though.

Two, it protects its (got it now) integrity. Put it out in the public domain, and someone might "rewrite" it to serve their own purpose.

The green book is very obtainable. You can join the LL Umpire Registry, and get one with membership. Or, you can simple request one from any regional. All you need is your local league membership number to order one. Not as big a production as the article might have you believe.

My local league gets plenty. They're free to any coach, umpire or league official.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

that OFFICER is a disgrace--FIRST, he umpires without knowinga BASIC RULE, then he RUNS to the NEWSPAPers to WHINE about a RULEBOOK. ID say hes much more GREY (ie RAT) than BLUE.

there are probably a lot of little leagues that use parents as umpires.
when i played LL, weekday games were done with one hired umpire and one parent on the bases, usually a dad that would volunteer. weekend games were done with two paid umpires...but i became one of those paid umpires when i was 14 and i only knew a little more than the dads at the time. did those dads know anything other than basic safes and outs? 99% of the time the answer is no. you take what you can get, you get what you pay for...they get no money, they get no rule book. they just do it so their kids can play the game, so thank god they even showed up.

i should have made every other word all capitals...

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by briancurtin

i should have made every other word all capitals...

Please don't. Then I'd be forced to ignore you,also, and I don't want to do that.

[Mountaineer]

Everything in LL - and I mean EVERYTHING - is about money. Why would the rule books be an exception? Our district staff has a clinic every year for umpires and we provide them with rule books at that time. We also encourage our umpires to join the umpire registry. for umpires that don't attend they should be able to get one from their local league - or contact one of our staff umpires.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

Everything in LL - and I mean EVERYTHING - is about money. Why would the rule books be an exception? Our district staff has a clinic every year for umpires and we provide them with rule books at that time. We also encourage our umpires to join the umpire registry. for umpires that don't attend they should be able to get one from their local league - or contact one of our staff umpires.

the guy is just a parent. from what i gather (could be wrong): hes not on any umpire staff, has no assignor, has nothing to do with any district, probably goes out there in jeans and a t-shirt, etc. his affiliation with little league is solely through his kid's team. he didnt miss any clinic