Little League World Series - Page 3

FUBLUE · #31 (**permalink**) Mon Aug 23, 2004, 12:46pm

Holy cow, Mike and I agree on something!

I too, support "helping those who help you" so long as YOU, the assignor, feels they are capable of doing the level of ball you are asking them to call. I know several guys who work in this state that call great games at 10U and 12U, or work excellently at Leagues, but I would feel nervous about them working 16U/18U or extremely competively "A" games.

DaveASA/FED · #32 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 24, 2004, 02:25pm

I agree with a lot of the comments I have read on this topic. I don't want to pick on any certain organization (LL, USSSA etc.) I think there are good umpires out there and there are bad ones in all organizations, and it doesn't matter what rule code you are calling, you have to have the heart and will to learn. Read the book, go to clinics be a student of the game, not just runners and hitters study other umpires and see how they handle the situations you "worry" about when your on the field. That being said, I can only speak for my local area but ASA has the best means to learn and better yourself that I have found. When I started umpiring I started in LL, "Hey Dave we need an ump" no book no training just go out on the bases and call what you see. After that first game I demanded a rule book and read it cover to cover several times. Boy did that get me in trouble, thought I was going to have to call for backup when I called a runner safe that turned to his left after crossing 1st base!! "In my judgemenet the runners sole intent was to return to first base he is safe." Talk about some dumbfounded looks!! Anyway my son got out of baseball and the daughter got into softball, and so did I well the first year I called ASA is was like LL, got the book and read it, only it had a umpire section then the second year I got mailings with actual opportunities to go to clinics! I haven't missed one since, I try to get better and they yell at me to fix my screw ups!! I guess my point is it is hard to get better without someone else pointing to your weaknesses in a calm loving tone (JJ) and at least for me in my area ASA has the best opportunity to help young umps develop their game!

Now a couple of good stories, my 2nd year of LL guy I am partnered with is first year he chose plate, after making sure that he was sure he was ready we start the game. 2nd inning ball hit down 3rd base line (now the area where the base lines are is 12-16" wide and deep with grass on both sides) ball hits grass on foul side of line, he comes up with BIG FOUL ball call. Well you guessed it, it was stil rolling and ended up 4 inches fair when 3rd baseman picked it up! Oops! But again he was a dad out of the stands with no training available.

Second is fall ball last weekend DD playing, I am watching for the first time in 7 years, kind of weird. PU has baseball mechanics, pointing right at me on every strike (and I was looking him right in the eye!). A steal from 3rd on a dropped strike call caught him totally by surprise, didn't see her till she was 10 feet from home. Called even the swinging strikes in the same tone as his called 3rd, and the BEST of all called the game with no chest protector or shin guards!!! Took a HARD shot off the shoulder area, we had to wait for him to shake it off. Under my breath I said to my wife, that's why you buy plate gear. Another father from the team waiting to play, that knew this guy yelled "Now you know what to ask Santa for Christmas, a chest protector!"

Was either of these stories caused by being a LL ump? I don't know if you can blame it on LL, IMO it was from poor training and a "been there done that" type mentality. And again I think ASA works harder than any other organization to teach the basics and work to better their umpires. Again this is JMO, I don't have any experience with other bodies other than the local LL and FED. FED does put on Cert clinics in this state, guess who has been in charge of every clinic I have been to....... yep ASA officials!!

And FUBLUE, are you talking bad about me again?? For the record I am scary to work 10U too!

[Edited by DaveASA/FED on Aug 24th, 2004 at 03:41 PM]

FUBLUE · #33 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 24, 2004, 03:12pm

Quote:

Originally posted by DaveASA/FED

And FUBLUE, are you talking bad about me again?? For the record I am scary to work 10U too!

[Edited by DaveASA/FED on Aug 24th, 2004 at 03:41 PM]

Dave, you're scary working any level of ball, even 8U coach pitch.

Seriously, I'd work any day, any level with you. Now, Bandit, I'm no sure about.

Bandit · #34 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 08:57am

From what I have seen and heard. I'd work with FUBLUE anywhere except in IL. Heard your quality level drops once you cross that state line. You don't have Farm Bureau Insurance do you ?

FUBLUE · #35 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 09:12am

Quote:

Originally posted by Bandit
From what I have seen and heard. I'd work with FUBLUE anywhere except in IL. Heard your quality level drops once you cross that state line. You don't have Farm Bureau Insurance do you ?

I think my low quality was due to playing too much golf during the national week. How much did you guys in Bloomington, IN, play? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA!

Bandit · #36 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 01:13pm

We had a REAL UIC (and only 3 assistants with 3 different sites being used!, And I'm not sure but I think we had 118 teams and you had how many in IL....80 I think, how many assistant UIC's did you have?) in Bloomington. We had to work during our tournament ! From what I've heard our work during the week determined if we had a chance to work on Sunday. Our UIC didn't use some type "percentage" formula the week BEFORE the national to determine the umpires that worked the Sunday games !!!! Heck why not tell the umpires on Thursday or Friday they would or not be working on Sunday ? These national sites are complaining of the over-head cost of putting on these tournaments. Yours should have been able to save them some "motel cash" by sending the non-Sunday working umpires home on Saturday !

Dakota · #37 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 01:19pm

At a party, have you ever walked up to a group of 2 or 3 people in the middle of a conversation and wondered, "What the heck are they talking about?"

TexBlue · #38 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 02:03pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Bandit
From what I have seen and heard. I'd work with FUBLUE anywhere except in IL. Heard your quality level drops once you cross that state line. You don't have Farm Bureau Insurance do you ?

FUBLUE, I've noticed that about the IL umpires. I worked 3 tournaments up thereabout 4 years ago and my partner and I (He was from Texas too) encouraged the coaches to come talk to us if they had any questions. They absolutely would not do it. We finally asked one of them why ( we had come to know his team fairly well) and he told us they weren't falling for that. They get thrown out if they do that. We asked the UIC of the tournament if they really did that and he said they absolutely would be ejected. Nobody was going to question their integrity on a field like that. My partner and I just looked at each other. I told him that wasn't what was happenig and if he felt so, he must have pretty thin skin and needed to upgrade his umpiring skills and call the game, not be the game. Needless to say, it didn't go over well. Of course, I was back at that tournament the next year and he and his other folks weren't. Please, please tell me this is a just an area of Il. that does this and not the whole state. I know the same thing happened in Salem and Marion that weekend. We were in Herrin.

Did I mention that Marion used a convict from the local Pen to be the base umpire in all the games? We were horrified to hear that. There was some agreement with the county to get the fields, if they allowed the convicts to do some community service. I think someone had to put them through a clinic and they were all petty criminals, they said. That was the worst collection of umpires I have ever been associated with (my partner and I being the exception.) When we left, several coaches from California, Pennsylvania, Arizona, etc told us they planned on coming back and hoped that we would too. "But, the other umpires don't need to be here!" We just told them thanks and left.

[Edited by TexBlue on Aug 25th, 2004 at 03:06 PM]

FUBLUE · #39 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 03:09pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Dakota
At a party, have you ever walked up to a group of 2 or 3 people in the middle of a conversation and wondered, "What the heck are they talking about?"

YES!

FUBLUE · #40 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 03:13pm

TexBlue,

It's kind of a long running thing several of us INDIANA umpires have with working in Illinois. I loved the tourney...had a lot of fun...tons of compliments on my abilities from fans. One California coach even said, "I can tell you are an Indiana umpire because you talk to your partner and you talk to us." What a compliment.

I'd gladly let you in a little bit if you want to e-mail. [email protected] (and then I'll send you the email address I really use).

TexBlue · #41 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 06:06pm

Quote:

Originally posted by FUBLUE
TexBlue,

[email protected]

Man, this is worse than teasing a coach with a delayed call on the game winning run! I've sent a messages to the address you gave me, 3 times and it came back every time as undeliverable.

FUBLUE · #42 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 25, 2004, 11:56pm

Quote:

Originally posted by TexBlue

Quote:

Originally posted by FUBLUE
TexBlue,

[email protected]

Man, this is worse than teasing a coach with a delayed call on the game winning run! I've sent a messages to the address you gave me, 3 times and it came back every time as undeliverable.

hit this [email protected]