It's that time of year again - LLWS

[Jim Porter]

Originally Posted by ManInBlue

I've been more concerned with the height of his zone than I have the width. He's called several pitches up in the zone that I thought were too high.

The top of the Little League strike zone is at the armpit.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Jim Porter

The top of the Little League strike zone is at the armpit.

Even so, Jim, if an umpire calls it that high he's doing the game a disservice.


Tim.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Even so, Jim, if an umpire calls it that high he's doing the game a disservice.


Tim.

Bullsh!t. It is what it is. I don't throw away strikes at any level anymore.

I'll be visiting Williamsport during the LLWS. Having grown up an hour from there, I've never been to Williamsport, but this year a good friend is working the LLWS. If he's working the game you're watching, you won't be making fun of him. He works college and HS baseball along with adult ball and LL.

I just finished working my first LL Regional (Seniors, Central Region) and I had a great time. I was DQed from the finals because my state was still alive, but worked a plate on a semifinal game. Plenty of good umpires there.

[charliej47]

I watched the Ohio and Indiana game and during the rundown between 1st and 2nd there was a train wreck but the kid with the ball never touched the runner. They collided and the F3 held on to the ball in his glove, but he never touches the runner. ESPN showed the collision from two angles and it was a clear miss and the BU calls him out. Everyone gets up and runs off the field. The PU points to the plate as the lead runner crosses it and yells count the run.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Bullsh!t. It is what it is. I don't throw away strikes at any level anymore.

I'll be visiting Williamsport during the LLWS. Having grown up an hour from there, I've never been to Williamsport, but this year a good friend is working the LLWS. If he's working the game you're watching, you won't be making fun of him. He works college and HS baseball along with adult ball and LL.

I just finished working my first LL Regional (Seniors, Central Region) and I had a great time. I was DQed from the finals because my state was still alive, but worked a plate on a semifinal game. Plenty of good umpires there.

Sorry to have upset you, Rich, but I don't know any decent umpire that calls a strike at the armpits. That includes the LLWS. If you want to define bull$hit, start with the LL definition of the strike zone.



Tim.

[lawump]

This year's LLWS will be very, very interesting for me. We had a guy join our association (High school, American Legion, AAU...in otherwords a "big boy" association) five years ago or so. His only experience at that time was pretty much LL. He joined us with many of the "LL problems" we talk about on this board.

We trained him and worked with him and he has become a very, very good high school umpire, with a very good zone, good timing, good mechanics, etc. He has worked deep into the state HS playoffs.

Anyways, this umpire has never stopped working LL...despite working a full HS schedule. This year he was picked for the LLWS in Williamsport. I've teased him a little (not about being selected...but about using "good" mechanics while there!).

So, I hope he goes there and does a great job. Frankly, without even knowing anything about the other umpires selected to go to Williamsport...I am hoping he goes and stands out from the crowd (for all the right reasons!). And frankly, I think he will! I can't wait to watch him on a plate game. This ought to be fun.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by lawump

This year's LLWS will be very, very interesting for me. We had a guy join our association (High school, American Legion, AAU...in otherwords a "big boy" association) five years ago or so. His only experience at that time was pretty much LL. He joined us with many of the "LL problems" we talk about on this board.

We trained him and worked with him and he has become a very, very good high school umpire, with a very good zone, good timing, good mechanics, etc. He has worked deep into the state HS playoffs.

Anyways, this umpire has never stopped working LL...despite working a full HS schedule. This year he was picked for the LLWS in Williamsport. I've teased him a little (not about being selected...but about using "good" mechanics while there!).

So, I hope he goes there and does a great job. Frankly, without even knowing anything about the other umpires selected to go to Williamsport...I am hoping he goes and stands out from the crowd (for all the right reasons!). And frankly, I think he will! I can't wait to watch him on a plate game. This ought to be fun.

We should compare notes, then. One of my regular college partners (like I mentioned above) is also working.

It's tough criticizing the strike zone if you never work on the small diamond. Catchers sit back further and some pitches look low that are definitely strikes. So, do you call those strikes or do you pass on them cause you know Internet umpires everywhere will make fun of them for calling "low" strikes?

It's likely I'll never have to worry about this. I have little desire to be on this stage, much preferring to work towards a Junior (Taylor, MI) and Senior (Bangor, ME) level World Series, played on the big diamond.

[lawump]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

We should compare notes, then. One of my regular college partners (like I mentioned above) is also working.

It's tough criticizing the strike zone if you never work on the small diamond. Catchers sit back further and some pitches look low that are definitely strikes. So, do you call those strikes or do you pass on them cause you know Internet umpires everywhere will make fun of them for calling "low" strikes?

It's likely I'll never have to worry about this. I have little desire to be on this stage, much preferring to work towards a Junior (Taylor, MI) and Senior (Bangor, ME) level World Series, played on the big diamond.

We should compare notes...I'll never have to worry, either. I haven't worked on a 60-foot field since I was 15 years old.

[socalblue1]

"About the mask thing - I was hoping someone could tell me why he did that. I saw it, but had stepped away from the TV, so I didn't know if something happened to his bucket or if he was just trying out a mask."

Likely the 'TV mask'. ESPN wires up a mask at each location (Used to be +POS SUL's).

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Sorry to have upset you, Rich, but I don't know any decent umpire that calls a strike at the armpits. That includes the LLWS. If you want to define bull$hit, start with the LL definition of the strike zone.



Tim.

You haven't worked a little boy game in a while, then. Without calling from the armpits to the knees the strike zone would be almost nonexistent.

BTW, the pro rulebook USED to define a strike in exactly this way.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Sorry to have upset you, Rich, but I don't know any decent umpire that calls a strike at the armpits. That includes the LLWS. If you want to define bull$hit, start with the LL definition of the strike zone.



Tim.

It gets called that way around here.

The zone would be way too small if you didn't - not very many kid pitchers could hit it.

The batters swing at the high pitfch anyway so you might as well call it a strike.

[PeteBooth]

Jim I did not watch all the Regional finals. I saw 3 Regional finals.

New Mexico / Texas; Indiana / Ohio; and last night Arizona / Cal

The PU's zone in the aforementioned games was BIG. The biggest was in the Arizona / Cal game where the PU was calling pitches approx 8 -12 inches outisde a strike. The ESPN commentators had a tough time in saying "that was borderline" At least from my viewpoint the zone was a large as I have seen in quite some time.

Perhaps with LL instituting a Pitch count rule, the PU's at the Regionals were instructed to be as LIBERAL as possible.

We will have to wait and see how the zone looks come the LLWS but compared to the last year, the zone has indeed been very very liberal and as mentioned perhaps the new pitch count rule has something to do with it.

Pete Booth

[Rcichon]

Watched all Regionals. Saw consistency at the plate in each game.

Santa never missed a call either. I visited one N.E. Regional, he was at 1st. Yep, he has a beard and a big belly. So what. He didn't miss a call that game either.

Only crap I saw was the 'softball strike mechanic'. Yuk.