I agree with basically everything you said.. it would be good to work together prior. But since LL uses no rotations with 6-man, there should be no issues. The ones you mentioned aren't issues, they're simple. I can't for, for the life of me, figure out why LL has U2 coming in on all fly balls. The coverage is simple, but he's the closest one to those shots to CF. Perhaps LL just doesn't trust the rotations??

You're also right about the coaches. I'm not sure how they do it, besides being afraid of being banned. There was one I saw in Regionals that should have been gone. Don't remember which game, but a run scored on a swinging past ball and the runner was a little shaken up. R1 advanced to third from first. D coach was arguing someone called time for the hurt player so runner has to return. Didn't happen. Next inning, coach asks for time from UP (in the middle of an inning) and runs from umpire to umpire asking them if they called time earlier. UGLY!

Yeah, I saw that too. I didn't know why he was doing it, but I thought to myself, "why are the umpires permitting this?"

I was selected and worked the Big League Western Regionals this year in Washington and have first hand knowledge of the "critique" system used by the staff. You are "encouraged" to add flair to your called and swinging 3rd strike. It's a "do it our way or not at all" feeling. That could be why you see some of the mechanics that you're seeing. JMHO.

Any reason why this is encouraged?

Television?

Sounds to me like LL marketeering.

Flair to a swinging third strike? That's friggin' nuts!

How about a big windup with a verbal "You're OUT, 'cause you swung at a ball in the dirt, so go home and learn how to hit!"

Now that would be some flair. Seriously, I'd tell him I'm not there to show up the batter after he Ks. That's just stupid, bush-league umpiring.

The way I read Klokard was more like:

Maybe in your region, but not in mine. I was not asked to do anything different than I do in any game I work. And I didn't.