New Balance plate shoes

[etn_ump]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I love the way BB umpires bleat about individualism in their uniforms and then follow, sheep-like, the latest thing the MLB umpires are wearing.

What, exactly, do the Major League softball umpires wear?


Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by etn_ump

What, exactly, do the Major League softball umpires wear?


Yeah, that's what I thought.

I think it is a good thing there is no big time professional softball. It keeps all of the wannabes over on the BB board.

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I think it is a good thing there is no big time professional softball. It keeps all of the wannabes over on the BB board.

Tom,
Now I have to clean the Diet Pepsi off the monitor.

Thank you.

[RPatrino]

Rich, from what I can tell, everything matters in softball. We were told to examine the softballs to be sure they have the proper coeffiecent ratio or some such nonsense. They take this so seriously around here that if they have the wrong balls we are to postpone the game. Imagine that.

When I do softball I trade in my point to the side strike call for a modified hammer. Not the big, stand-up ASA hammer, just a little jab. I don't paint my "N" black and I still wear a number on my jacket (navy with red panel). I have yet to be told to stay home, and I'll work my NCS playoff games in baseball and leave the softball to the nit pickers. LOL

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

Rich, from what I can tell, everything matters in softball. We were told to examine the softballs to be sure they have the proper coeffiecent ratio or some such nonsense. They take this so seriously around here that if they have the wrong balls we are to postpone the game. Imagine that.

When I do softball I trade in my point to the side strike call for a modified hammer. Not the big, stand-up ASA hammer, just a little jab. I don't paint my "N" black and I still wear a number on my jacket (navy with red panel). I have yet to be told to stay home, and I'll work my NCS playoff games in baseball and leave the softball to the nit pickers. LOL

The difference between genius and ordinary is the attention paid to every little detail. That's not original to me, but it's close to my heart.

That's why many can do baseball, but only the really good umpires get to do softball (especially fastpitch).

If you're not too lazy to shop, you can get those base shoes with a black N. If you ever have to do more than one game in a day, you might consider getting some SuperFeet for your shoes. When you get them and want to remember who suggested them, you'll thank an umpire who once was proud to work at a high national level - likely doing NBCWS while you were doing Little League - but is even more proud to work with thousands of good umpires and good people. Ninety-five percent of these guys and gals check their egos at the door.

But don't think it's just a few baseball umpires. Ran into two BB umpires the other day, both of whom I worked with in HS basketball this year. BUT, since they were now BB umpires, they couldn't dare talk to a couple of softball umps

[Welpe]

I hate to derail this thread even further but it seems to be already quickly spiraling.

Originally Posted by bkbjones

But don't think it's just a few baseball umpires. Ran into two BB umpires the other day, both of whom I worked with in HS basketball this year. BUT, since they were now BB umpires, they couldn't dare talk to a couple of softball umps

I'm sorry to see that, unfortunately egos aren't limited to one sport. When I joined ASA, after being a baseball ump for about 5 years, I caught a lot of crap from my fellow softball umpires because I chose to work both sports.

After a few years of doing softball I decided to go back to just baseball. It wasn't anything major, I just prefered working baseball games. It's what I know best and the game I grew up loving. I've met a lot of great people on both sides and I respect the job of a softball umpire, I know it's not easy.

FWIW, I've found softball fans in my area were louder and more obnoxious (ASA girl's fastpitch) yet I never had cause to eject a softball coach.

Just my $0.02.

[RPatrino]

John, I firmly believe that you have to have a healthy ego to umpire. Softball/baseball it really doesn't matter. Check your ego at the door if you must.

I have worked with many good umpires doing both softball and baseball, don't get me wrong. Rules must be enforced and we can't choose to enforce only the ones we agree with. My quarrel is when the enforcement of rules takes away from the enjoyment of the game.