Watch this LL Umpire
 

I am headed up to Bristol, CT tomorrow to watch my good friend Frank Ciambriello do the dish in the NJ/Pennsy game. 2PM on NESN/MSG. I have worked with Frank for years; he is a superb arbiter.

Yes, he umps at all levels.

Yes, I know it's LL. Trust me, wtach Frank and you will see the tools worthy of many members here.

Just check out his mechanics, composure and zone you could light a match upon.

I realize but a small pocket of this august group gets these channels, but thought I would relay the info anyway.

Ace Holleran

Tivo it
Youtube it
Post it


Don't ask me how, though:D:D

Best of luck to him. There is nothing wrong with doing Little League. The hardest game to call effectively can be the 9-10 age division. I won't be able to watch it live, but I would be interested in watching a posted replay. Nothing better than seeing a quality umpire call a Little League game.

No, there certainly is not. Not all of us have time to do "real baseball," so we just do the levels we enjoy working.

Other than watching a quality umpire call a quality game. :D

I watched some of the regional between the two Texas teams last night. I chuckled at the base umpires all with indicators. Also, six umpires is way too many for that size of a field. Four is more than enough. I suppose they don't want any of them to rotate, so six limits that.

The PU giving the foul tip mechanic on a foul ball was odd too. Also, he was still moving down and locking in a LOT when the pitch was almost in the catcher's glove.

Also, did you notice that he was "putting the ball in play" on almost every pitch. Weird.

I'm watching the Georgia v. virginia game right now and the umpires SOMEHOW missed an interference call. Infield hit strikes R2 advancing on the foot. The ball deflects wildly. Six umpires and somehow they all miss it. Two run gift to Georgia; Virginia deflated and out of it now.

Yes, I did notice that he was putting the ball in play before every pitch. I forgot about that part. Does LL mandate the softball-like mechanics, mainly out calls and strikes? On a strike call, the PU would drop is right foot straight back as he stood up and raise his right fist way above his head. He was also standing up on ball calls and not staying down like he should have. I get the feeling that a lot of LL umpires only do LL and don't get a lot of training.

Training and competence among LL umpires is highly variable. Moving from district to district you get big swings. There are many top-notch LL umpires, but of course there is a lot of dead weight, too. It's all volunteer, as you know, so (as they say) you often get what you pay for. That said, I work with a first-rate group in a district that does a great deal of training. Almost all do high school, men's league, and even NCAA work and volunteer to the local brotherhood. I don't think you find that throughout LL, however.

LL Regional and World Series tournaments are (theoretically) staffed with none but the best. Or so they say. In truth, while District and Regional officials go to pains to select experienced and deserving umpires to work these high-profile tournaments, and in large part succeed, there is also a good deal of politics and personality at play. You don't find that across the board, but enough creeps in to affect the level of work.

To answer your direct question -- no, there is not a prescribed mechanic (as in softball). As with other levels of baseball, there is latitude for -- how to say this ... expressing one's sense of style.

You got that right. The few times I've worked on a crew of 4 I got bored real quick if I wasn't on 1B or the plate. Maybe I was doing it wrong, I don't know... For the small diamond I think a crew of 3 is just right. We don't do 4 or 6 in any of our district tournament games.

Like the others said, training and experience varies between areas. In my district we have strong leadership and a group of well trained umpires that grows each year.

You are correct about the training.

Regional (and sometimes WS) umps are never "seen" before they get the assignments.

The"main" WS (12 y-o baseball) has been getting better, IMHO, because it's mandated that umps have to work a WS at another level before they go to W-port. At least these people get vetted somehow.

I was in Bristol yesterday and saw some sharp umps and more than my share of Smitties.

Ace

That's not true out West here. The guy who has the dish for this evenings NW game is a guy who I've worked with for years. He's been seen by the WR guys for a very long time now. When we'd go out to do sectional and division games the WR guys would be there taking notes. Plus, he's been an instructor at San Bernadino. They know some of these guys quite well. Plus, I can almost assure you that all these guys have been through the one week school, so they'll get a lookover there too.

Kyle

There isn't any training for umpires in my area at any level to speak of. Take an online test and pay your fee and you can work high school games. I haven't done little league in awhile, but I have worked with some good umps at that level and some horrible ones. I've also worked with some of the worst umpires I've ever seen at the high school freshman/sophomore level. No clue on how to rotate, responsibilities on fly balls, or even where to position themselves on the field. I always pregame with my partners but with some guys it doesn't seem to sink in. I also had a few games this year where my partner showed up about five minutes before game time so there goes the pregame.

I know a varsity umpire who retired from his real job this year so he picked up a few freshman dates, which start at 10am here. He said he worked one doubleheader with a guy who showed up in a blue umpire shirt, untucked, and a pair of carpenter jeans. He said the guy didn't have a clue on the field either. There are both bad and good umpires at every level.

I know that someone pointed out that LL umpiring is supposed to be all volunteer, but the leagues around here all pay their umpires; if they didn't they wouldn't be able to get anyone to work the games. They have enough trouble finding guys with the pay.

They guy they have on the final right now must fall into the latter category. What's up with the artificial called strike timing? Is this supposed to be impressive? It looks contrived and ridiculous. Plus he looks kind of sloppy as well.

This is why I'm happy the games around here are assigned through our organization. No, we're not perfect, but we all dress correctly, and all go with the same basic mechanics. It makes pregame a lot easier, with simple reminders to each other and issues where changes would need to be made.

Just watched the I think it was the Delaware, NH game. Im not up on all the baseball rules, but is not the rule in baseball the same as in softball, that if the batter/runner backs up toward home it is an immediate dead ball, out, all runners return to last base touched? If it is the same, call was blown in this game.

No, the batter-runner can retreat back as far as home plate. When he reaches home plate, he is called out and the ball is still alive. And the runners can advance. Retreating is a great strategy to make sure the other runners advance.

I do not know about softball, but if the BR retreats all the way back to the plate and touches it or passes it, then he is out. The ball is live and all other runners advance at their own risk.

.......apparently SDS types faster than me.

Ok, gotcha, in softball its an immediate dead ball if batter retreats. Saw it happen and had to wonder because with 6 umps on the field they all would have had to miss it.

But with 6 indicators on the field you bet the count will be right. :p

Light blue shirts, gray pants and 2 gray ball bags (Vermont vs RI). Looks terrible.

I thought gray ball bags always looked terrible.

The umps working Indiana/Kentucky are brutal.

It sure seems the quality of LL regional umpires has dropped from four - five years ago.

Ace...are you sure on that. I've been away from LLBB for four years now, and when I wa slast involved in the whole process of applying for LL regional/WS assignments the criteria for any LLWS assignment was you had to work a regional (plus have attended one of the LL umpire schools). This applied for for Wmsprt. also.
Please let me know if the criteria has changed. I'm just curious. I did my regional (Bristol) enjoyed the heck out of it....but my LL days, for now anyway, are behind me.

The LL regional umpiring staff assigns six so ALL the umps who worked the regional can get on ESPN.
I know it's overkill..but it's a nice perk for your week's work and takes the regional staff off the hook from having to tell two guys that they're not going to be on TV.

Actually, from the box score at Waco, it looks like they assigned all eight. Two outfield umps got three innings and then two others got the last three.

Does Little League post their ejection videos online? I'm surprised we haven't seen our daily overdose of ejection videos from the Road To Williamsport tournament.

Does this look similar to musical chairs?

Why not rotate everyone between innings? The two not on the field can suit up for the plate.

they do, at least for the most part, seem to be on the meal plan...

I thought he did a sharp job, too. All regions should do it this way.

Ace

There almost no ejections at the Regional level on up. LL puts the fear of gawd into adults at every Reg and WS tourney, before a pitch is thrown.

It's been said that former Rockies slugger Dante Bichette was EJed from a game in W-port as he coached the Maitland, FL team in 2005. But the ump had to report DB to the powers that be in the booth, and some LL honcho went into the dugout and had him removed. Need some more facts here.

I'm pretty sure that umps at Reg and WS are discoraged from any traditional onfield EJs.

To my knowledge this is still the case at every level: Before you can apply for a World Series you have to work the Regional at that level and receive a passing score on your evaluation.

They do this at the Softball World Series here in Portland. I'd say either you're good enough for the championship game or you're not, but that's the way they choose to do it... We did not do this in the regional I worked (Senior SB).

Maybe in the 12s, but in the Senior Regional I worked 2 years ago, I did nothing different than I do any other time. If someone had warranted an ejection, he would've been ejected. Never came to that, at least in the games I worked.

Volunteers or Paid LL Umps - Myth?
 

When I did LL in CT with my dad, way back when, we were both paid for regular season games as well as All Star tournament games State and Regionals. Can someone confirm that the umps are paid or not? Not that it makes a difference in the games, I was just curious, or maybe it does make a difference. Several announcers this weekend made the comment as well that they were volunteer umps. Thanks in advance!

I don't think they're paid a game fee.

PU: No. Cal v. So. Cal
 

I thought the plate umpire in the No. Cal. v. So. Cal. game had an excellent zone. The zone was tight, but consistent.

They are all volunteers. If you're from the West Region, you sign a paper that states you haven't taken $ for LL games that year.

I thought he struggled a bit with the outside breaking pitch resutling in some inconsistency.

In the close-ups, he had the look of a an umpire trying very hard to focus and overcome stress. I think he worked hard and performed better than most I've seen so far.

I agree. Had trouble with the outside corner the 1st few innings, then finally seemed to relax & dial in. Trying too hard can mess you up as bad as lack of concentration.

Is the gray ball bag thing a mandate or something in LL? I've seen parts of about three regionals now, and the PU is always wearing heather gray ball bags. They look awful in my opinion.

Some of them also look like they need to buy plate pants. Either their combos are too small or they're wearing base pants behind the plate.

No mandate for ANYTHING in LL. Cup, mask, shin guards chest protector and a mask. The rest is optional. Oh, the rule books says to carry a rule book, which no decent umpire does.

Yeah, the ER PU looked like a hobo. It was as if his shin guards were trying to escape. "Hey Elvis, try the relaxed fit!". And adjust that mask too, Mr. Flinchy.

Mid Atlantic, NY - NJ, again combo or base pants with grey ball bags. I can't believe those pants can last a season with the stress and strain at the knees. But, I'm starting to think maybe the uniforms were supplied. Why else would the New England and Mid Atlantic umpires have shirts that only softball uses where I call. The other regionals had the MLB blue shirts so maybe somebody ordered the shirts with all the logos and screwed up in addition to getting grey ball bags and combo pants. I know, it's a fashion nitnoid. Or maybe the East coast is way ahead in the fashion business.

Very few folks agree with me but, I like the Gray bags with gray pants. As long as they are the same color gray.

I Tivo'd the WR final, and have only had the time to see the first 3 innings. I agree that the guy on the dish had trouble with the breaking ball on the outside corner. His zone was tight, and consistant for 2 innings, and then opened up a slight bit. I thought this caused a bit of confusion. My feeling is that if you are going to be tight in the 1st, you need to be tight until the end.

Another question I had is about the batters stepping out of the box after every pitch. In HS we don't allow this, and I don't recall allowing it when I worked LL. Some of the batters seemed to walk half way to the coach after every pitch. Is this now common place in youth ball?

I remember in years past, on the LLWS, seeing every batter keep a foot in the box.

I remember when they changed the rule in High School...we called a few strikes and the word got around and then they spent time playing baseball instead of Hargroving around.

Okay, let me correct myself. You get hats and shirt (and jackets at WR) for regionals. But BYOP. (and one's that fit, for God's sake. I mean, your Mom is watching)

So the NE and Mid Atlantic regional ump shirts were supplied by LL. Thanks. Probably a screw up. (Thats how I ended up with one). Anyway, they match.

The league hosting the Regional is responsible for supplying shirts and hats to the umpires, so you get whatever color and brand the tournament director/UIC decided on.

This is usually true at the local and state level, but for regionals, there is usually an "umpiring coordinator" that sits on the regional umpiring staff that orders regional shirts for the pre-selected umpires. Each umpire is contacted for their shirt and hit size, and uniform number (for regions that use them) It is up to the umpire to select the correct size. As far as uniform color, this is totally up to the regions. Most regions usually run there regional softball tournament one week prior to the little league tournament, so what happens is the umpire shirts for both tournaments are ordered together and a lot of times they end up being all softball colors. Here in the southern region there are some pretty good umpires that sit on staff. Most do high school and college ball so they usually do a good job at keeping the softball colors away from the southern regional tournaments.

In the West where I am I was contacted directly by the tournament director in Missoula for the Regional I worked to get my shirt size. He ordered our shirts and hats. From talking to other umpires I know who have gone to Regionals I have the impression that out here, each tournament director/UIC decides separately what the umpires are wearing. This is at least how I think it is in the Western Region.

The LL Baseball Regionals (the level that gets on ESPN) in San Bernardino have been using black and cream shirts for a while now.

But you CAN recieve vouchers ie. gift cards all season long. Same as cash without the stigma of "paid umpires". Hokeypork....

Agreed. But it's a simple way for them to filter out umpires out of a HUGE pool here in SoCal. Everybody takes something.

Are you saying all your post season umpires didn't get anything during the season?

Speaking for myself I know all I got for my LL games this season, and every other, was post-game meal at the snack shack. I am very confident that's all any of the umpires in my district are given for LL games. Note that there is nothing against being paid for non-LL games such as Fed or college.

There's also nothing wrong with taking game fees for working Little League®, when those leagues are contracting with associations. I've worked about 500 Little League® games, mixed in with all the other games, and I've gotten paid for every single one. There is a huge shortage of LL district umpires out here, and most leagues contract out the games.

The ones over 18 didn't get cash (which is just as good as money) during the regular season. Junior umpires are paid in my area, but they're still eligible for post season work as volunteers. I had one of my 14 year olds work through Division this year.