Balloon Protector

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I still don't understand the big friggin' deal about the buckets. They have never bothered me in the least. It's business as usual out here for buckets (at least it was, I hear they clamped down on them now in punk as$ HS baseball, silly little girly rules that they have). Ball hits a bucket or hits a coach, play on McDuff. Big whoop. If nobody from either team has a problem with the buckets, that's how we play it.

IMO, making coaches sit in the cramped, B.O.-filled dugout instead of on a nice, out in the open air bucket is a prime example of an OOO with nothing better to do than play cop.

One question Steve:

Are managers allowed to sit outside of the dugout in MLB?

MTD, Sr.

[Rcichon]

I do not use the raft but if I did I'm using it whether the UIC likes it or not.

His jurisdiction ends at the fence.

[johnnyg08]

MLB dugouts are big enough for everybody...in baseball, USA...a nice size dugout is hard to come by...bucket/schmucket...if you start chirping or being a prick...the rule will be enforced in my games

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

One question Steve:

Are managers allowed to sit outside of the dugout in MLB?

MTD, Sr.

Johnny just gave you the correct answer.

Here is my alternative question for you:

Do I get to umpire MLB games? If and when that day ever comes, no more bucket sitting allowed.

My other alternative question:

Are youth league managers paid hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions? Why are we using the lofty standards of MLB baseball as the criteria for this question?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Johnny just gave you the correct answer.

Here is my alternative question for you:

Do I get to umpire MLB games? If and when that day ever comes, no more bucket sitting allowed.

My other alternative question:

Are youth league managers paid hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions? Why are we using the lofty standards of MLB baseball as the criteria for this question?

Steve:

I know you don't like NFHS rules, and I umpire games using NFHS rules. The NFHS consider a safety rule and if you umpire high school baseball in Ohio (OhioHSAA) the only person outside of the dugout other than the batter are the base coaches and the on-deck batter. In fact you said in an earlier post yesterday: "Ball hits a bucket or hits a coach, play on McDuff. Big whoop. If nobody from either team has a problem with the buckets, that's how we play it." When that ball hits the bucket or coach I hope you enjoy the conversation you will have with the head coach of the team that is adversely affected by the ball hitting the bucket or coach.

MTD, Sr.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Steve:

I know you don't like NFHS rules, and I umpire games using NFHS rules. The NFHS consider a safety rule and if you umpire high school baseball in Ohio (OhioHSAA) the only person outside of the dugout other than the batter are the base coaches and the on-deck batter. In fact you said in an earlier post yesterday: "Ball hits a bucket or hits a coach, play on McDuff. Big whoop. If nobody from either team has a problem with the buckets, that's how we play it." When that ball hits the bucket or coach I hope you enjoy the conversation you will have with the head coach of the team that is adversely affected by the ball hitting the bucket or coach.

MTD, Sr.

First off, I worked the majority of my 3,000+ games under NFHS rules, as 5 days a week I did varsity HS baseball. I always abided by their rules, even though I wasn't a big fan of them (I especially hated it when they banned tobacco use for umpires...oh well). If the FED doesn't want buckets, then no buckets. Simple as that.

Secondly, when buckets are discussed in non-NFHS games, it is determined that there will be absolutely no arguing or discussing the consequences of a ball hitting a coach or a bucket. This is understood very well, and I've never had any problems arising from a ball being kept from going out of play by hitting a bucket. At the first sight of any controversy, the buckets would have been all put back in the dugout and their usage discontinued.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I especially hated it when they [NFHS] banned tobacco use for umpires...oh well.

Steve:

I am not questioning your rules knowledge nor am I questioning your umpiring ability.

BUT, NFHS as always banned tobacco use by umpires for as long as I have been umpiring (16 years). That aside, if you used tobacco products while umpiring a high school baseball game during the pre-ban days then you showed an absolute lack of professionalism and lack of knowledge of what high school sports are all about. I know a lot of umpires, myself included, that would have told you to leave your tobacco products in your bag for NFHS games even before the ban.

I have been an NFHS registered basketball official (OhioHSAA-37 yrs, FloridaHSAA-4 yrs, MichiganHSAA-20 years, CIF-2 yrs) for 37 years and I would never have thought of using a tobacco product (and I like a good cigar now and then) anywhere near the game site where I was to officiate. I know for a fact that the OhioHSAA will fine and/or suspend any of its sports officials for using tobacco products while officiating (that means from the official arrives at the game site until he leaves the game site).

If an official cannot give up his tobacco habit for a couple of hours then he should seek medical help in overcoming his tobaco addiction.

MTD, Sr.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Steve:

I am not questioning your rules knowledge nor am I questioning your umpiring ability.

BUT, NFHS as always banned tobacco use by umpires for as long as I have been umpiring (16 years). That aside, if you used tobacco products while umpiring a high school baseball game during the pre-ban days then you showed an absolute lack of professionalism and lack of knowledge of what high school sports are all about. I know a lot of umpires, myself included, that would have told you to leave your tobacco products in your bag for NFHS games even before the ban.

I have been an NFHS registered basketball official (OhioHSAA-37 yrs, FloridaHSAA-4 yrs, MichiganHSAA-20 years, CIF-2 yrs) for 37 years and I would never have thought of using a tobacco product (and I like a good cigar now and then) anywhere near the game site where I was to officiate. I know for a fact that the OhioHSAA will fine and/or suspend any of its sports officials for using tobacco products while officiating (that means from the official arrives at the game site until he leaves the game site).

If an official cannot give up his tobacco habit for a couple of hours then he should seek medical help in overcoming his tobaco addiction.

MTD, Sr.

What a load of hooey. Half our association dipped or chewed tobacco and the other half chewed sunflower seeds. It wasn't like I was all alone. Coaches were all the time hitting me up for a dip. It seemed like the majority of varsity coaches had a dip can in their uni pocket. I guess we were a bit more laid back out here in the land of fruits and nuts.

For the last 15 years or so there have been signs posted at the school fields and elsewhere on campus prohibiting the use of tobacco. Once those signs came up, and once there was a rule in the book against it, I no longer did it. I wasn't so addicted that I couldn't do without. I just didn't like being forced to not do it (I'm a big fan of personal freedom). I didn't like seeds. I liked Skoal. Big deal.

There were also plenty of adult league games where not only the umpires were chewing, but more than half of the players. There are still some MLB umpires, players and coaches who have a chaw in their mouths.

BTW, I quit smoking and using all tobacco products a few years back, and cannot even stand the smell of a cigarette, even 50 feet away. So I am one of those ex-smokers who really hates smoking.

Here is a brochure sold by the NFHS Publications:

"ROLE MODELS DON’T DIP OR CHEW . . . DO YOU? This 12-page publication reinforces the role of coaches and athletic directors as a model, points out the dangers of spit tobacco use and offers tips to help coaches quit the spit habit."

I guess there are still some coaches that didn't get the memo and are still using tobacco.