Did you see his head rebound off of the ground?

Dash, I noticed the possible push too but I'd have a hard time ejecting the kid for that.

Just open the gate. Make your pivot foot opposite of the way the ball went, and if you don't know which way that is, just plant your right foot and move your left back.

Studies have shown that a right handed person is much more likely to turn around to his left (and all catcher's are righties). So, if you don't know where the ball went, he probably doesn't know either. So he's going to turn around to the left.

If you know the ball went the other way, just open it the other way.

Not hard.

Read the catchers shoulders, and open the gate in the same direction. If the catcher can't find the ball, place your mask over the top of your head in case your hat finds it. Never, ever look up at the ball, but if you're near the screen, listen for the ball hitting it. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE CATCHER.

Plus, if a 12 year old knocks you on your A@@ on national TV, consider a new hobby because your umpire friends will never, ever let you hear the end of it.

Sorry to even comment but the play is simply too funny! Have to add it to the list of what "not" to do as PU. ;)

Thanks
David

except the one in this video...:D

You beat me to it.

I have never seen anything quite as buffoonish as that. Unbelievable!

And why don't people roll when they fall back like that? Your head naturally curls up and you roll over one way or the other and nothing gets hurt.

Make sure those Snickers bar wrappers hit the can next time...
Those things are awfully slick

Good call. :)

Hopefully you're joking... If a player has to shove you out of the way to make a play, your a$$ is not in the right position and you deserve to get shoved. Get the heck out of the way!

I read the catcher and move accordingly. I always tell the catchers " If I get in your way, knock my *** down!" Havn't been knocked down! yet!

I think the PU's pride hurt more than any injury suffered during his backstroke on the ground.

How do Little League supervisors justify putting a guy on TV that is so fat and untrained? It's an embarrassment and reflects poorly on all offials.

I case you haven't looked around the country at baseball umpires, there are a great many fat, overweight, heavy umpires out there that are damn fine officials. The guy made a mistake, but that doesn't mean that he is untrained. He called a pretty decent game, and other than his pratfall (which was pretty damn funny), he did a good job of umpiring.

The are many big umpires out there, like Ozzy, BigUmp56 and myself that can out-umpire many a younger, skinnier umpire. I'm getting really sick of listening to fat people getting ragged on all the time. John McSherry was a damn good umpire despite his heavy girth. He had a great MLB career and was responsible for training many umpires in pro school when he was the chief instructor.

There a thousands of other great examples of big guys that can umpire some ball, and that's what really counts...can ya umpire or can't ya? Size is way overrated. There are a lot of skinny guys out there umpiring that still couldn't carry my mask out to me.

Agreed
 

I too am over my playing weight, but I still have the quickness to get out of the way of the catcher.
Bad mechanics was the downfall here...

I am going in front of the camera this week-end, and I hope I don't make a mistake that will come back to haunt me...sometimes we all mistakes, and it just so happens one of our bretheren got caught on tape

That may be true Steve... but simply by taking a look around the ranks these days, PBUC seems to disagree.

It certainly can't help your umpiring...