ASA National Umpire School
 

Just got back from the NUS in Ohio.

DaveASA/FED, did you make it there? I was looking forward to meeting you, as you would have been the first person from this board that I had met in-person.

Not having the slightest idea what you looked like, I asked four different guys who had name tags that said "Dave" if they were from Indiana. I met three guys from Ohio and one from Maryland!

Maybe if you gave me your last name- or just the first letter, if you want- I could narrow down who you were from some of the other "Daves" whose names were read off at the closing award ceremony.

I was the one guy there wearing a black MLB style jacket. I know, I know...major ASA fashion faux pas, but it wasn't exactly like we were working a game...

Tell em they are lucky you decided not to wear your plate coat.....

:D

Not a bad clinic huh?

Get that GPA all squared away and your nose on the ball and all that stuff? :cool:

I"m not sure who the third person from Ohio was but I've worked games with the other two if they were Andy and Dick. Both mentioned to me they were attending the clinic when we were together at a clinic in Charlottesville VA last month.

Maybe I was too vague- all the guys I met from Ohio were different guys named "Dave"! :confused:

The black jacket was an upgrade from what a lot of the other guys were wearing. The only reason I wore that was because the only ASA jacket I have has the older-style logo and seems to have faded a notch in color. So it's not "official" either. The black one is a lot more comfortable, too.

Haven't plunked down $45 for the newest jacket- yet. Probably will before the season starts, even though I wore the old just once or twice all last year.

Had the jacket off about half the time and was laid out in my bestest blue pants*, official hat, well-polished base shoes and powder blue "freebie" ASA NUS polo shirt.

*The pants were not purchased from a licensed ASA mechandiser. :rolleyes:

Now, I'm halfway expecting Dave from Indiana to check in with, "How could you miss me? I was wearing blue pants, a blue shirt and an ASA hat!".

Real umpires wear gray. :cool: :D

Bretman,
Ya I made it and now that you mention the black jacket I did see you from a distance, not close enough to read your name badge:( I was looking for you those two days, not as many Bret's there...didn't see any Bret name tags when I was looking! Sorry I missed meeting you I was also looking forward to it.

Can't believe you didn't see me, I was the guy in the light blue shirt and navy pants (honest to goodness ASA pants too) with black shoes wearing an ASA hat....:D (since you were expecting it I didn't want to let you down) And for the record I am from Middletown, IN....although my certificate for the clinic says Middletown, OH.....O well I got a shirt that shows I was there! I believe I was the first David in the Ch catagory. My wife went with me (shopped all day she is not an umpire) and I told her Saturday night that I felt stupid that I didn't give you a description of myself, or ask for one of you, with 100+ umpires there it was like finding a needle in a haystack!

Wade,
FYI during high school season I do wear gray! And at my national last year I also wore gray....and I am assumming since my national this year is also in Ill. that I will wear gray for it too!! So does that qualify me as at least 1/2 an umpire??

Gee, thanks Wade. You just confirmed that baseball umpires are real umpires!

Yep, Dave, I wasn't counting on that many people being there and figured you would be easy to find. Wrong! The state commissioner told me that there were 130 umpires in attendance. As the National Supervisor of Umpires told us all, that was the largest turnout for any NUS this year.

Hey Dave,

Are you coming to Moline for the 18-U? Wild Bill is our UIC again this year.

Hope to see you here.

Yep that is where my contract says I am headed!! That is cool that Wild Bill will be there again. I am looking forward to it!! And to see if Moline lives up to all the hype it was given in Normal last year!!

Thats strange, we dont find out our stuff until april.. you guys get to know early!

Ya I thought it was early also. But I got my contract fairly early last year too, might be state dependant? Whenever they meet to decide who they send where? Let me rephrase, must be state dependant....