CT vs RI New England Regional Video

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

although I'd say that of the 16 umpires at the region, I'd probably walk onto a HS field with about 5-6 of them. And this was a Senior regional, where the quality of play was actually pretty good.

Rich IMO your aforementioned statement NAILS it.

Umpires are a team to but here is what happens. For the most part you are working with guys / gals that you have NEVER umpired with.

That's equivalent to a team showing up at Regionals with a bunch of players who have NEVER seen each other or played with each other. There chances of succeeding would be greatly reduced.

When you umpire a HS Sectional game or Regional game chances are you are working with someone whom you are fiamiliar with. IMO, a BIG difference

Also, let's face it, no matter how experienced you are a call will be missed. It's a fact of life BUT now for a kids game we have Replay and Replay was NOT supposed to be used at Regionals Plain and Simple BUT it was. It's called BristolGate.

Pete Booth

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Fittske

LL strives to be the premiere "volunteer" youth sports organization. When LL reaches the part of the tournament season that is televised, they want to be able to say that everyone participating is a 100% volunteer.

LL has "sold their soul"

LL is about one thing and one thing only - THEIR SHOW. They could care less what goes on during the regular season. They do not care that many LL organizations struggle to get umpires during the regular season because they have plenty come tournament time.

The SHOW is what IMO is keeping LL alive these days. Without the TV exposure, more and more LL organizations would most likely switch programs aka Ripken and the like which have a 50-70 program.

IMO, even a strong advocate of LL baseball should be outraged at what happened at Bristol. No matter how you slice it REPLAY was used to over-turn a call and that is AGAINST the rules. LL does what the heck they want.
Unfortunately it's NOT a kids game anymore when you use Replay etc.

Also, guess what! It's just a matter of time before we see PRO umpires doing the LL Regionals and World Series games.

Pete Booth

[ozzy6900]

[quote=PeteBooth;689225]

LL has "sold their soul"

LL is about one thing and one thing only - THEIR SHOW. They could care less what goes on during the regular season. They do not care that many LL organizations struggle to get umpires during the regular season because they have plenty come tournament time.

The SHOW is what IMO is keeping LL alive these days. Without the TV exposure, more and more LL organizations would most likely switch programs aka Ripken and the like which have a 50-70 program.

IMO, even a strong advocate of LL baseball should be outraged at what happened at Bristol. No matter how you slice it REPLAY was used to over-turn a call and that is AGAINST the rules. LL does what the heck they want.
Unfortunately it's NOT a kids game anymore when you use Replay etc.

Also, guess what! It's just a matter of time before we see PRO umpires doing the LL Regionals and World Series games.

Pete Booth

I agree, Pete. LL really put their foot into the $hit bucket this time! The unfortunate thing is that the people who really care, the umpires that are really there for the kids, rarely get noticed at all. Most of the guys and gals that worked LL in my area (and did so for years) have left for local leagues, our HS Association or just don't bother anymore. They all say the same thing.... "It's not the 3 or 4 games on a Saturday or the make up games under the lights, it's the attitude of the parents, the coaches and LL itself. This action in Bristol, I think will be the last straw for many others (especially here in CT). It's okay by me, our association will take them, train them and put them on the HS fields.

[JJ]

[QUOTE=PeteBooth;689225]

Also, guess what! It's just a matter of time before we see PRO umpires doing the LL Regionals and World Series games. Pete Booth

Hmmm...an MLB ump misses a call which is a confirmed miss on replay, so they send him down from the Big Leagues to the Little Leagues to work on his replay skills....I like it....well.......

JJ

[Toadman15241]

All you need to know about how commercialized the LLWS has become: One of the major sports books now offers lines on all LLWS games and who will win each pool.

[KJUmp]

[QUOTE=PeteBooth;689225]

LL has "sold their soul"

LL is about one thing and one thing only - THEIR SHOW. They could care less what goes on during the regular season. They do not care that many LL organizations struggle to get umpires during the regular season because they have plenty come tournament time.

The SHOW is what IMO is keeping LL alive these days. Without the TV exposure, more and more LL organizations would most likely switch programs aka Ripken and the like which have a 50-70 program.

IMO, even a strong advocate of LL baseball should be outraged at what happened at Bristol. No matter how you slice it REPLAY was used to over-turn a call and that is AGAINST the rules. LL does what the heck they want.
Unfortunately it's NOT a kids game anymore when you use Replay etc.

Also, guess what! It's just a matter of time before we see PRO umpires doing the LL Regionals and World Series games.

Pete Booth

Slam dunk on that one Pete.
My association with LL ended in '03. Back when I worked the Regional in Bristol in '01, the Eastern Region UIC was from up in your neck of the woods. Is the same UIC still in charge?

[ODJ]

The LL Rep was in the squirrel costume, who was the other guy?