Hey Jel!

buddha69 · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 08, 2004, 02:05pm

Hey Jel! I was there this weekend in Dalton, GA for the Umpires Clinic. Did You go? It was a great Clinic we had the Big Kahuna "Merle Butler" there. I learned alot there, the basic mechanics of running the bases and one man umpiring system. Learn a lot. I just wanted to know if you attended or not.

JEL · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 08, 2004, 05:07pm

Yep I was there. Meant to find you but never did. I was part of a "tag team" (husband and wife), one of two from Lagrange. Am 4th from left on back row.

Having Merle as an instructor was a pleasant surprise. He is definitely a fine gentleman, and a very good clinician. Seems to be a good role model as an Umpire as well as a person. Jim craig also very knowledgable, but as he alluded to Merle, "he can teach you the proper way to umpire, he wrote the book". Anyone having chance to learn from these two ought to jump on it.

Kudos to the Dalton Umpires Association. The hospitality was great. Gatherings like that, as well as this board really make umpiring fun.

BTW, have had a "weekend at Bernie's" hope his knee heals nicely.

buddha69 · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Mar 09, 2004, 07:49am

It was a good turn out in Dalton, Kudos also goes out to me to The Dalton Umpires Association. The hospitality was great. I sent Merle and Jim a "thank you email" yesterday. I really learned alot from them this past weekend. Being that I'm a rookie, but it open my eyes on umpiring. We propably talk to one another, I was the bald headed asian guy. Get it (Buddha) lol. I was in front on sunday, then I went next to windows in the back on the left to stand up for the last hour, before we went down to lunch. I was with a group from Augusta. Maybe next we meet again next year or at a National Tourney.

Have fun and be safe this season.

Buddha

Duke · #4 (**permalink**) Tue Mar 09, 2004, 12:54pm

Merle Butler will be coming up to Maine this weekend at a couple of locations. I plan to attend the clinic on Sat and look forward to his teachings.

buddha69 · #5 (**permalink**) Tue Mar 09, 2004, 01:35pm

Merle is the Man, the Big Kahuna. He knows his stuff. It as a pleasure to have meet him. I look forward to meeting him again some day. He like our class we did everything while almost everything, he had a blast with us.

IRISHMAFIA · #6 (**permalink**) Tue Mar 09, 2004, 01:54pm

Quote:

Originally posted by buddha69
Merle is the Man, the Big Kahuna. He knows his stuff. It as a pleasure to have meet him. I look forward to meeting him again some day. He like our class we did everything while almost everything, he had a blast with us.

You might want to start for Maine now. This is Merle's last season with ASA. I don't know if he plans on continuing with ISF.

Mike