Mick,

Why, thank you!

Poosey,

While I don't disagree (in the context of the posted pictures, who could argue with you?), I'd watch it if I were you! ;) She happens to be the wife of my "meditating" partner - who happens to be a great guy who has a great sense of humor, an excellent umpire, and someone you REALLY don't want to mess with! (Trust me.)

JM

JM, nicely done... but I have to ask. Where did you find pink shirts???

walt,

Thanks.

The association "special ordered" them for those who volunteered to wear them. They're not "real" umpire shirts, just regular "polo" shirts with logo, ribbon and umpire number added.

JM

As long as there are golfers and tennis players I guess you'll be able to find pink shirts.

I do think you are working a bit close to the catcher. If he comes up throwing, you might have to call yourself for umpire's interference.

Bobby,

I disagree. The catcher is going to be moving forward, not leaning back into the umpire. I, not one time, ever had to call interference on myself, and I didn't stand way behind the catcher (except when using the GD). The catcher's movements are away from the umpire, and unless the umpire is prematurely making a strike signal, there should be no chance of contact. As long as the umpire stays down and uses proper timing, there shouldn't be any problem.

John, your positioning is just fine.

I resemble that remark. :D

MTD, Sr.

trousers...
 

Are those the charcoal gray from GD?

Either that or slightly underexposed photos.:)

I had one particular tall lanky catcher whom I would have to lean back out of the way whenever he threw to a base. No matter what I tried I couldn't seem to get far back enough from him. The head RAT from his team was always complaining from the bench that it was umpire's interference, even when his arm didn't come close to touching me. Really makes me believe he instructed his catcher to take a step back and hit me, just to make me look bad.

are there other bobby's on here, or was that directed at me? annnnnd, if it was intended for me...wtf are you referring to?

I thought your name was Tom. The Bobby I was taliking to is Canadaump6.

I will stand up for Canadaump6 on this one. It is quite possible that there is a coach out there that would do such a thing. Is it the norm? Hardly. But there are some really bizzaro dads out there that are ruthless and ignorant and I can easily envision some bozo trying this just to get umpire interference calls. I have to take Bob at his word on this one, because I have seen some of these lame individuals in action, doing much worse things. More than a couple of instances would qualify as more than just coincedental.

Just like Barney Fife or Fred Sanford, I'd get out my bud nippers, and NIP IT, NIP IT IN THE BUD!

Gentlemen,

I am blissfully exhausted at the moment. Twenty-two games in 8 days, 6 different venues, 3 different counties, and about 500 miles of driving. (Zero ejections. Dang it!) What a blast! My favorite picture from the tournament:

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...hanicSmall.jpg

I was named UIC for the USSSA 15U consolation bracket championship games - double elimination. I had the plate on the 1st game and was U1 on the "if needed" game (it was). Had two whackers at 1B in the top of the 1st, 3 successful pick-offs by a LHP with a VERY good move, and got to "go out" on a HR off the top of the RCF fence that broke a scoreless tie. Oh, and we had a "turtle delay" in the bottom of the 6th. Seven complete in a buck twenty. Perfect end to a wonderful week.

Next Saturday, about 25-30 of us will be donating out time to umpire a 16" charity softball tournament put on by a bunch of area Fire Departments to help out kids who have been injured in fires:

http://iafflocal4092.org/?zone=/unio...urnament202007

We're going to "wrap" our breast cancer fundraising efforts at the association's annual end of summer golf outing and banquet the following Saturday. Some of the guys are talking about auctioning off the pink shirts to raise additional funds for our fundraiser - if anyone's interested, let me know.

If anyone would still like to help out, just go here:

http://home.comcast.net/~fvbcharity/...GKCharity.html

Thanks again to those of you who have already contributed.

John