And also the most popular stance in my association of 125 members by far.

That's all well and good, it still doesn't make it something you'd want to teach a newbie anymore.

And "taint"? I know what it refers to and it "taint" an umpiring stance!

So what now? What happens when you have two guys that are always right?

What sense is there in arguing something like this? If you don't like the scissors, don't use it.

Yeah, that's what I thought too, the nasty reference. We won't go there (at least on this forum). But I've also heard "it tain't the box stance and it taint the scissors," meaning something entirely different than either.

Plate guy working a GBL game last night with me did something I have never seen before. Scissors on left handed batters, box with right handed.

When I started umping in 1979 I used the box. One year I seemed to get hit a LOT, and I started flinching - so I switched to the scissors for righties (less chance of getting hit) and stayed in the box for lefties because that was most comfortable for me. After two years of working that way a buddy who had worked pro ball said, "That looks ridiculous", so I went to the scissors full time because it "locked me in" better than the box. I liked it, and used it until two years ago when my hip became so sore I couldn't use it because of the pain, so I switched back to the box. Last September I had hip replacement, and this year I'm back to the scissors. I'll stay with it until the new hip wears out. :D

(Bionic) JJ

Well, I know at least one famous umpire that did this. Does the name Doug Harvey ring a bell?

Doug Harvey had hip replacement? :D Sorry....I couldn't resist....

JJ

SDS

Did God work on the knee in the scissors like Runge or did he stay off the knee like Vargo, Rip, Hallion, Rapuano??? Just having a brain cramp here. Seems like he worked on the knee on right hand batters and slot or box on left hand batters and also tucked his hands behind his knees.

All right, how's this?

It's an opinion, okay? It's not hard to tell. It's not a definitive issue, and everyone's different. If you have comprehension problems or dimension issues, don't project them.

I seem to remember a very deep scissors where his knee was just above ground, but it has been a while. If I remember right, it was similar to Bob Engel's stance.