LLWS PU knocked over

[L.A. Umpire Guy]

Being thin doesn't make an umpire quick and being heavy doesn't make an umpire poor at his craft. I have seen some unathletic thin umpires, and I've seen a couple of hefty guys who can cover some ground and are always at the right angle.

I prefer to be at my playing weight (200), and I'm pretty close (208). I can still run well at 50-plus, and I just delight in being able to still be a running umpire.

But I have no problem at all with working with a heavy, immobile partner that gets his calls right and can be relied upon to know his mechanics. I just prefer to run myself because I am able. It's a nice feeling to get to second or third ahead of any runner. But if I was not able, I would compensate, because I would still need to umpire.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

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...

Who the hell was talking about PBUC? I was talking about being overweight having nothing to do with your ability to umpire well, and the fact that there are really good umpires who are fat. Of course PBUC wants fit officials, since it's for pro ball. The trend has shifted that way in the pro ranks. But seeing as how over 60% of the general population is either overweight or obese according to statistics, the odds are that there are as many fat guys umpiring as skinny guys.

Being overweight doesn't necessarily hurt your umpiring either, as long as you can still get around on the field like you're supposed to.

[Rags 11]

Fellas:

Having worked with, and been trained by umpires of all shapes & sizes, I don't see size being an issue here.

While I'm at one end of the spectrum (5'07/155), I'm also pushing 40..... Many of you are older, have "wear & tear" issues with your body.

None of that matters. I'll take any partner who knows where & when to be somewhere over one who has a "look," but no clue

AR

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

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.

Yup, I am big - 5'11" @260 lbs with a heart condition, and I still get up the 3rd base line when I'm on the plate or back to cover the plate when I go out from the "A" position! It's the training and the experience and not the size that makes you a good umpire. I've seen skinny young bucks loose their footing. I've seen skinny umpires get into trouble with F2's and F3's - size has no bearing here. On the other side of the coin, I've seen overweight umpires that look like crap on the field and others that look as sharp as a Marine (and likewise for the skinny ones).

Anyway, the PU in this video was dead wrong as many of you have stated in watching the ball. Now whether he was trained properly or not is something we do not know. We only know that he provided us with a great "what-not-to-do" training video!

[eagle_12]

I just want to know where the LL umps are getting thier strike zones. I watched in one of the games, the pitch come in with the catcher catching it while the glove was on the ground and further outside than the batters box line. After he caught it, He moved his glove, not pulled it a little or framed it, moved it, up into the strike zone, and the PU called it a strike.

Now i know that LL catchers don't sit up nice and tight on the batters, and the pitches are affected by gravity more than anything else, but come on, that just looks bad.

BTW, I did like the nice grass stain that the PU had on him after his stunt fall.

[Rcichon]

Originally Posted by eagle_12

I just want to know where the LL umps are getting thier strike zones. I watched in one of the games, the pitch come in with the catcher catching it while the glove was on the ground and further outside than the batters box line. After he caught it, He moved his glove, not pulled it a little or framed it, moved it, up into the strike zone, and the PU called it a strike.

Now i know that LL catchers don't sit up nice and tight on the batters, and the pitches are affected by gravity more than anything else, but come on, that just looks bad.

BTW, I did like the nice grass stain that the PU had on him after his stunt fall.

Where do you get yours? WalMart?

You expect maybe he had one of those Oxy Clean sticks to take care of the grass stain right then and there? Must've forgot that when he got the K-Zone at Wal Mart.

You don't get to a Regional without some form of training and references. you get any of those? Or anything like it?

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by eagle_12

I just want to know where the LL umps are getting thier strike zones. I watched in one of the games, the pitch come in with the catcher catching it while the glove was on the ground and further outside than the batters box line. After he caught it, He moved his glove, not pulled it a little or framed it, moved it, up into the strike zone, and the PU called it a strike....that just looks bad.

These are 11/12 year olds. At that age I am not about to make them catch the pitch the "right way;" I am looking for strikes. Neither is any other umpire good enough to be picked for a Regional.

Sounds a little like the parent I had wondering why I was calling strikes on pitches caught near the ground...in a 9/10 game.

[Jim Camp]

At pro school they teach to wait and see which way the catcher moves then go the other way.

[bluezebra]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

It looked like F2 shoved the umpire out of the way. I would have dumped his punk ***.

No way. The catcher has every right to get to the ball. If that "ignorant donkey' (dumba**) of an excuse for a plate umpire doesn't know where to go, he deserved to be knocked on his ample butt. Besides, it looked to me that the catcher made slight contact, and the PU has poor balance.

Bob

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by Rags 11

Fellas:

Having worked with, and been trained by umpires of all shapes & sizes, I don't see size being an issue here.

While I'm at one end of the spectrum (5'07/155), I'm also pushing 40..... Many of you are older, have "wear & tear" issues with your body.

None of that matters. I'll take any partner who knows where & when to be somewhere over one who has a "look," but no clue

AR

Frankly, I'd rather have a clue AND have "the look".

To me, its better than solely having a clue.

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Frankly, I'd rather have a clue AND have "the look".

To me, its better than solely having a clue.

But given a choice between the two........

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Jim Camp

At pro school they teach to wait and see which way the catcher moves then go the other way.

Not quite accurate. They teach to see which way F2 turns, then "open the gate" with that same foot. That is, F2 turns to his left, I lift my left foot and swing it back.

Then move with the catcher (not the other way), staying back 15 feet or so in case he changes directions, and get in position to see the ball touch the fence, backstop, net, etc.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

John McSherry was a damn good umpire despite his heavy girth.

ummm, Steve, I don't think JMS is the example you would want to pick here....

[scissorsstance]

Despite his appearance, John McSherry was cat like quick and nimbled around the field like a natural like Steve Palermo. The last thing that anyone whoever met John said was, "Now there is a lazy, fat slob of an umpire." Another big man who was an exemplary umpire was Lee Weyer. Those two had instincts and anticipated the play better than most. Aren't we taught to not judge a book by its cover?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by LMan

ummm, Steve, I don't think JMS is the example you would want to pick here....

Why, because he had a heart attack? So did my dad, who was a thin person without an ounce of fat on him, and died 34 years ago at the old age of 57. McSherry just happened to be on a baseball field when his heart gave out. Everybody has to die sometime.

John McSherry was a very good umpire, and a fine example. Just meeting him years ago and shaking his hand was a thrill and honor for me.