The rewarding side of 10U

[mcrowder]

I'm the scheduler for my area, and since I don't like to stick my less experienced guys on a field by themselves, and we usually only pay for 1 umpire at 10U, I've worked 80% of the 10U games in the area.

Most of the games are walkfests up to the run limit each inning. 15-15 is our normal score. But the pitchers are slowly getting better.

Last night, 10-10 after 2 innings. New pitcher for home team comes in, throws a few strikes that visitors were eager to swing at. A few pitches later, inning is over, it's 11-10. Now visitor's new pitcher comes in. All year, she's been wild and weak - pitches rarely actually reach the plate, much less in the zone. She has this illegal delivery where she takes the ball in and out of the glove about 6 times before pitching (yes, I know - illegal... but right or wrong we have a tacit agreement not to IP at 10U unless whatever they are doing is confusing to the batter (or unfair... like taking steps forward before pitching) - but to tell coaches what they are doing wrong so that they can fix it in practice.)

I'm told by mom, near enough to my spot on the first baseline, that she worked on fixing her delivery on Saturday.

Lo and behold - watching warmups, no illegal pitches. Many pitches reaching the plate.

First batter - strike 1, strike 2, ball 1 short, strike 3. Wow.

A few hits and an FC later (NO walks!), it's 11-11, 2 outs, runners on 2nd and 3rd. Full count. Pitcher throws one perfect. Batter swings - hits it over catcher and over me. I get out of the way, and the ghost of Jim Edmonds inhabits the catcher's body, who lays out and catches it right at the fence.

And despite the tie, everyone goes home happy, self included. The looks on the faces of pitcher's mom and catcher's mom made my day, perhaps even my season.

[wadeintothem]

did you mean you call it from the 1b line?

[mcrowder]

No, I call it from behind the catcher.

The "spot on the first base line" is where you are supposed to stand between innings. I live there, especially when there's no BU. I want as little conversation as possible, even at 10U.

Only reason I even mentioned that is so everyone didn't think I was one of those yahoos that have to go discuss things with fans between innings.

[outathm]

I had a 10U game yesterday where the fans were all going nuts. At one point a GM was talking about the Stanford v UCLA gaem so between innings I casually went over and in a loud voice asked the lady if she was from Stanford or UCLA.
When she said that she has just watched the gaeme and was impressed by the play i said, again in a loud voice, "oh, I just thought as amped up as everyone was about this game you were the college scout that was here." Everyone laughed and realized that the game was about the girls. my score was 13-12 but after the scouts left we all just had a good time.