Would you ignore Local Rule?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

That is the difference I guess between where you work and where I work. They are desperate for umpires where you live. Out here they would cheerfully tell you that they no longer require your services. No umpire shortage here. Can't swing a dead cat in California without hitting an umpire.

Some of us like doing this umpiring thing but don't really need the work. I'd spend more time on my boat and with my kids.

Let's back up a second. Clearly I don't work leagues like this -- I work college baseball, high school baseball, summer adult baseball, and some other youth stuff where the rules are well defined. I appreciate you folks who are forced to deal with Calvinball rules, but I really don't have to deal with that. NCAA and FED rules are well defined and I don't run into people who would insist on such idiocy as banning eyewear. I wear sunglasses everywhere, including the plate and I couldn't imagine telling someone they aren't allowed to protect their eyes, but I guess some of you feel that's OK.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

Some of us like doing this umpiring thing but don't really need the work. I'd spend more time on my boat and with my kids.

Let's back up a second. Clearly I don't work leagues like this -- I work college baseball, high school baseball, summer adult baseball, and some other youth stuff where the rules are well defined. I appreciate you folks who are forced to deal with Calvinball rules, but I really don't have to deal with that. NCAA and FED rules are well defined and I don't run into people who would insist on such idiocy as banning eyewear. I wear sunglasses everywhere, including the plate and I couldn't imagine telling someone they aren't allowed to protect their eyes, but I guess some of you feel that's OK.

I was just telling you that you would not be getting called back in a desperate attempt to find an umpire. I don't think I've ever heard of a local "no sunglasses" rule (which is asinine) because I would have to stop umpiring, as I too wear sunglasses all the time when outside. Plus, there is no "freelance" umpiring here. It's assignors and associations only. You can't go around drumming up your own business.

[DG]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

Let's back up a second. Clearly I don't work leagues like this -- I work college baseball, high school baseball, summer adult baseball, and some other youth stuff where the rules are well defined. I appreciate you folks who are forced to deal with Calvinball rules, but I really don't have to deal with that. NCAA and FED rules are well defined and I don't run into people who would insist on such idiocy as banning eyewear. I wear sunglasses everywhere, including the plate and I couldn't imagine telling someone they aren't allowed to protect their eyes, but I guess some of you feel that's OK.

You would not work any league here if you refuse to call "their" rules. Try telling your NCAA or FED assignor that you don't like a rule and not going to call it. I am not particulary fond of some FED rules but I enforce them. Personally, I think a pitcher wearing sunglasses is dangerous, but there is not a rule against it unless a league makes it so. Sounds like you need to spend all your time on your boat.

[Mountaincoach]

To the OP, did the league officials happen to tell you WHY they have such a strange rule? Did some kid put pine tar or a fingernail file inside his sunglasses once upon a time? LOL

[DG]

Originally Posted by Mountaincoach

To the OP, did the league officials happen to tell you WHY they have such a strange rule? Did some kid put pine tar or a fingernail file inside his sunglasses once upon a time? LOL

I bet it was a safety rule, batter or pitcher get hit in the eye wearing sunglasses could be more hazardous than getting hit without. Kind of like other safety rules, FPSR for example.

Heck, BBCOR bats are a safety rule.

[tibear]

Originally Posted by Mountaincoach

To the OP, did the league officials happen to tell you WHY they have such a strange rule? Did some kid put pine tar or a fingernail file inside his sunglasses once upon a time? LOL

I didn't even see the written rule but both teams did confirm that it was a local rule. So no official word as to why the local rule was there but the coaches both said that it was so everyone could see the batter's/pitcher's eyes.

We all agreed that the breaking glasses from getting hit wasn't a good reason because then all players with prescription glasses would also have to remove them but that wasn't the case.

Because I wasn't given the local rules to see myself and the rule didn't make any sense, I allowed the pitcher to wear the glasses......I guess I would have be in the wrong according to the majority of the posters here.

I've emailed the local association to see if I can get a further explanation.