For your viewing pleasure, redux...

[UMP 64]

If you are in the "slot", it looks as though your head ht. is at the top of the strike zone. Our umps who have been to PRO-school, tell us that is what they are teaching, not the ht. of F-2. I think your head ht. looks good. Around 5+ min. you called a ball and said "a little high or some description". I do not think you should describe where the pitch was. Your hustle to follow to 1st base was good, Mask off with the rt. hand, good. I would work with you from what I saw.

The real test comes when we have confrontations. Experience is the best teacher when problems occur. Learn from your mistakes.

Over all, nice work.

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by UMP 64

Mask off with the rt. hand, good.

Do you mean "correct" hand?

[UMP 64]

I meant to say with the correct hand (left hand of course). Thank you for correcting my "DUH" brain fart by an old fart.

[johnnyg08]

That's what I figured, but some newer umpires might have been confused.

[tjones1]

Look sharp back there. As others have said, slow down. I know I need to and you probably already know it.

And my comment from the last video you posted still applies: nice shin guards!!

[UmpJM]

Gentlemen,

Thanks to all for your comments. A couple of specifics I wanted to reply to...

Originally Posted by TheSlav

...

I don't know if being that close to the catcher was the cause of the minor bump I saw or if he just turned back on you and caught you by surprise a bit.

...

The Slav,

He completely surprised me by coming out to his left. It was obvious to me that the ball had been fouled out of play to the right, and it seems that catchers usually never initially turn to the side of the batter on these. I was ready for him on the next pitch.

Originally Posted by Chris_Hickman

...

Timing is ok..... Might slow it down just a tad. On a swinging strike 3, you dont have to hurry your mechanic.

foul pop up on 3rd base side.... no need for a mechanic on a "can of corn".. that ball looked oviously foul...IMO pointing foul is not needed on this play.

You put the ball back in play after every foul ball with no runners on base.
That is ok..but with nobody on base, not really needed.

Head height was good...maybe a inch higher.

......I dont know your experience, but I have seen MUCH...MUCH WORSE. ... Now do you have any video of handling a pist off coach?? That's what I want to see. ....

Originally Posted by mbyron

JM, I noticed the same things as Chris, with the same reaction. On the foul ball I signal foul but not the catch if it's above the waist, and I don't put the ball back in play unless runners are on base.

The CABA world series is around here this weekend. Wanna work some games?

Chris & Michael,

I noticed the same things about occasionally a little quick on the timing and a tad low with the head height. That's one of the reasons I like to get video of myself because I find it nearly impossible to evaluate myself on these things without seeing it.

With regard to putting the ball back in play, just something that was drilled into me when I started, so I do it whether there are runners or not; agree that it's unnecessary with no runners on.

On the foul, the players in this league WANT a call on a routine catch. Once had a routine catch on a "can of corn" to F8 and didn't make a signal. Got a few "That's a catch, isn't it blue?" comments, so now I just give them a mechanic.

Didn't have any "discussions" during this game but my videographer was under instructions to be sure to get it on tape if I did.

Michael, you should be careful throwing out invitations like that. If I hadn't been working the 18U/16U Northwestern Invitational this weekend, I just might have shown up!

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

You are not as low as you were in the last videos but I still think you should be up in your stance a bit more. You're chin still seems a bit below F2's head.

And I still think you're an old fart!
(one old fart to another!)

Ozzy,

No, now I'm an OLDER fart - I'm certainly not getting any younger. Agreed - head height better, still needs a little work.

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

As Jimmy teaches, there are there components to establishing your the height: Width of stance, crouch and lean. It appears you are depending too much on the crouch.

MrUmpire,

Very helpful observation. I've worked 5 plate games since you posted your comment, and I tried going "wider" with my stance, with less "squat". Felt comfortable and I "believe" I've got my head at a better height doing so. Have to see a pic/video to be sure.

Originally Posted by NJump

... you need a new pair of socks. ...

NJump,

That's amazing. When I was dressing for the game, I popped my right big toe through a worn spot on the toe of the sock. I can't believe you picked that up from the video!

Originally Posted by UMP 64

... Around 5+ min. you called a ball and said "a little high or some description". I do not think you should describe where the pitch was. ...

I'm not sure which pitch you're referring to - I NEVER give location on a ball (other than to the catcher early in the game). There's one pitch in the dirt just past the 5:00 min. mark on one of the videos where I said "no offer" - might be the one you're referring to.

Originally Posted by tjones1

...

And my comment from the last video you posted still applies: nice shin guards!!

Tanner,

I regularly receive compliments on my
shinguards!

Again, thanks to all for your comments.

JM

[Chris_Hickman]

On the foul, the players in this league WANT a call on a routine catch.

So the players tell us how to umpire now? GREAT!!! I KNOW the pitchers want me to give them that pitch 2 ball off the plate too...I guess I better do it....

The players do not tell us how to umpire. What the big boys cannot tell if a ball caught above their head is a "catch"? Give me a break!

Not "raggin" on you coach..but don't let the rats run your game.

[rookieblue]

UmpJM,

Thanks for posting these videos. That takes guts and a lot of integrity to throw yourself open to critiques. I may do the same, if I can find someone willing to tape me! You're a huge asset to this forum, and it's great to see you in action.

As for giving the players in a given league what they expect, why is that a problem? They - and the game - are the "clients," so to speak. Was it Richie Garcia who said, "a strike is where I call it and they don't *****"? We all give 'em what they want to some extent. This is entirely meet.

God bless,

Bob James

[DG]

Very nice and great courage to post. I don't have a problem putting the ball in play every time it is dead. It is a good habit. Do it rather nonchalantly and no voice with no runners, emphatically and with voice with runners.

The only thing I noted not mentioned here is that on one occassion players tossed balls to you from 20' or more. They should bring them to you or if tossed, a much shorter distance, like 5'. I especially despise a batter coming to the plate with a ball and he tosses it 20' before he reaches the plate. He is coming to the plate, why not hand it to me when he gets there.

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by Chris_Hickman

So the players tell us how to umpire now? GREAT!!! ....

The players do not tell us how to umpire. ...

Not "raggin" on you coach..but don't let the rats run your game.

Originally Posted by rookieblue

UmpJM,

....

As for giving the players in a given league what they expect, why is that a problem? They - and the game - are the "clients," so to speak. ...
Bob James

Chris,

I think, in some respects, the leagues (not the players) DO tell us "how to umpire" - though I would phrase it differently.

The only reason not to give a mechanic on a routine catch is because it's a "DUH!" call. It makes the umpire appear to be a novice or inexperienced, and would be perceived as an indicaor of umpire incompetence at higher levels of play. That's not the case here, so I do it on occasion.

In the general case, I'm of like mind with rookieblue. There are SOME aspects of my officiating that are influenced by the level/league I am calling.

For example, a number of posters mentioned the players throwing baseballs to me rather than handing or 'short tossing" them to me.

Again, in this league only, I ENCOURAGE them to do so; it is a "pace of play" management technique, which I find a challenging aspect of these games. Other leagues, I don't.

A couple of folks commented on my integrity and courage for posting the video; while I appreciate the compliments, I guess I don't lokk at it that way.

Every game you work, people are watching you and, typically, offering you all kinds of helpful commentary about the quality of your officiating. Sometimes, it's hard to keep track of it all.

Here, I can get cogent feedback from people who I have some sense of their expertise from reading their aggregate posts here. I WANT to know what I'm doing wrong - so I can fix it. Other things, I think I'm doing right, but see I'm not when watching the video.

So, I'm really just being selfish! Seriously, I've gotten some very useful feedback when I've posted these things here, and if others can learn from my flaws as well, so much the better.

To wit.....

I was wondering if anyone had any comments or observations regarding my mechanics on the last play shown in the 2nd video linked in my OP. I know why I did what I did, but I'm not sure it was "correct".

JM