As a catcher, I was always talking to the batter, as were my counterparts. Hell, I've got HS coaches whinning that a SS says back when dogging his runner at second. Now that's really sad!

FYI - If the fielder in yelling "back" alters the play in a FED game, you have verbal obstruction. I can possibly see why they would be complaining.


Tim.

:D Our summer theater kids had a HSM2-watching party and they decided that the singers voices were electronically enhanced. Maybe they were really saying "Hey batter batter sing" and it got mis-translated.

It never bothered me either. I didn't care what you hollered, I was going to get a hit. They quit telling me to swing after awhile, afraid that I would. It seemed to get under some kids' skin though. They sure took away a great tradition by banning the "swing batter" part.

We had a little Mexican catcher on my LL team. He was the best: "Hey batta hey batta, whatsa matta batta, hey batta batta SAWIIIIING BATTA!!!!

Here's what I've noticed in the games I've seen. The individual umpires are either VERY good, or VERY bad. Seems to be no middle ground at all. We've got Wendelstadt paired up with Jonny's Dad out there. I'm sure your friend is one of the VERY good one's I've noticed ... but no one can watch these games without seeing at least one (if not 2 or 3) REALLY horrible umpires. Not just bad calls, but bad mechanics and horrid awareness.

I know you weren't talking to me, mcrowder, but I know my friend is one of the very good ones there. He is doing our association proud.

After both of his plate games there have been NO posts about his performance. And since nearly all threads and posts are started to discuss the "flaws" of the umpires (and most often deservedly so)...the fact that he's had none should lead him to take that fact as a compliment. Plus, I've watched him on the plate and his mechanics have been rock solid.

I have a lot of pride because he came to my association (of which I am President and head of training; and which supplies umpires for high school, Legion and AAU) five years or so ago with only LL experience...and he made classic LL umpiring mistakes. He was trained by us in the classroom and on the field and now he's a damn good umpire. He's now a solid high school playoff umpire.

Yes, my chest is swelled with pride for our association!

watched both games last nite and an NOT complaining--both PUs did OK, not as good as the german umpire but fine none the les. the PU for the interntl game hass a lota 'lookatme' florishes but zone was prety good plus he had to go to 10th inning...

ga--az game pu did ok too. LOVED how he shut down the ga coach on the disputed call (even tho it apeared that it was the wrong call--kid walked any way so no harm).



so see ican complement as well! :)

They declared it wrong in the booth, but it looked to me like it may have caught the bat between the hands.

I had a similar call in the Senior Regional I worked. No TV, of course. Coach asked me to get help and I told him that those guys (my partners) were over 100 feet away and I had the call myself.

Contrary to popular opinion, LL does not require umpires to huddle. We were encouraged to get our own calls and only talk when necessary. I also found out last week that Williamsport does not require umpires to pivot in on every hit, that the umpires should just do what they're comfortable with.

My day there, I saw pretty standard mechanics, excepting that U2 could NOT go out and came in on every batted ball. Of course, that may be standard on a small diamond -- I just find it odd that an umpire would be moving away from a potential trouble ball happening right in front of him.

I think LL uses the KISS too much and doesn't challenge their umps enough. Maybe teaching nuances is impossible in a world game.

My guess is the OF umps have been given their outfield and little else and that they may be moving toward the play. If U2 is getting in (outa the way of an OF throw), I would hope U2 would be glancing in the direction of a trouble ball up the middle so he could help (if asked) if necessary.

INT by R1?
 

Did anyone see a game in W-port Thursday where R1 was hit by a batted ball, but the call was made well afterward. I was minding my kids and watching ESPN without audio, but I thought I saw a play where runners scored and moved all over the place. Then a replay came on showing the rock obviously hitting R1 (in front of F3, natch).

Just wondering if anyone caught it and can describe wha hoppen!

Ace

Hey all,

This was the 6th inning in the Venezuela - Curacau(sp?). R1 did get hit just above the knee with the batted ball, and the BU was right on the call and called R1 out immediately. I think what happened is that it was so noisy, or BU was so verbally quiet with the call, that no one noticed the call until much later.
Again, BU at first nailed it. Ball hit R1, BU points at R1 with left hand, gives the hammer with the right. 3 outs change sides.

LomUmp:cool:

That PU for Chinese Taipei vs. Japan was my very good friend Dave Fogerty. He is the long-time UIC of District III Rhode Island where I was an ADA for a couple of years. He is also next in line to take over UIC duties for the high school board in RI. Good guy. He does like his flourishes -- always has -- but a solid official nonetheless.

Now thanks to Musberger, Baker and the "Bulldog," every casual baseball fan watching the LLWS thinks that it was "Interference" on F3 for blocking the runner's path. Way to keep that going. I'm sure every LL umpire is thanking you for perpetuating that wrong information.

And the Japanese team will go home thinking that the plate is 23 inches wide and extends to the opposite batter's box inside line.

That Japanese catcher is a beggar too. If this umpire had a regular zone, this kid would be crying all day.

Why do they insist on using the trapezoid catcher's box? They should change it to match every other organization with a regular rectangle. It encourages these little brats to leave the umpire uncovered. Do these catchers really need that much leeway?