Tiournament Day = Long Day

[FUBLUE]

Originally posted by TexBlue
[BI'm not "bullheaded" and want to call all the games every day. I enjoy the company on my off games. But I also fully believe I can still call 8 games a day Fast Pitch and still be hauling down the line behind the batter-baserunner in the 8th game. If not, I would tell the UIC before the game ever started to get someone else. [/B]

I once worked 15 out of 15 games in a Men's A Fastpitch Invitational. (9 saturday, 6 sunday). Two of us worked the entire tournament, because one guy didn't show up. We were both dead on our feet. We originally started to alternate games, but ended up Saturday working 2 games in a row on the plate in 95 degree weather (and in Indiana, there is about 10000% humidity when it's 95 degrees). On Sunday I worked the first 4 on the plate, and my partner called the final two games. It nearly killed me. I lost 20 pounds (and I was eating too, lots of fruit and good stuff...no burgers and candy bars).

I mention this because I was hauling down the line, even in game 13 for the weekend. But I know I wasn't as sharp in game 13 as in game 1. I don't think anyone can be.

Can I still do 9 in a row? If needed, I could muster the strength. But I'll avoid it at all cost.

When I UIC I try not to work umpires more than 2 in a row, no more than 5 in a day if possible. I prefer to schedule 4 to a diamond, and work 2 on, 2 off. But I always take my stuff with me so I can jump in and go if needed.

Each of us is different, but we can all agree we aren't as sharp in the last game as we were in the first game, right?

My opinion, obviously