indicators
 

Does anyone else wonder why they actually click up to strike/out 3 and ball 4?

Not all do, but I'm sure at the time when introduced it seemed logical to include all numbers involved in a count and those are. Of course, back then there wasn't such an economical move to minimize everything.

anybody ever wonder why car speedometers go to 100 or 120 mph... but the highest posted limit is 70mph (around here anyways)

I will answer my own question... NO.

Mine goes alot higher then that.

I drive German. :cool:

Anybody ever wonder why most bathroom scales end at 400 pounds, and most doctors scales go to 500? And how do you find out if you weigh 560? :D

shamwow!!

why would ya care?

Because maybe I want to be a contestant on "The World's Biggest Loser!"

I use 3-2-2 indicators (with the wheels in the order of the count, too... ball, strike).

I use them just to keep other umpires from borrowing my spare! :D

Go to the local butchering shop. :cool:

Sham Wow? Damn, makes me want to punch a hooker...

I use 3-2-2, ... 2.
Don't lend 'em out, cuz they don't come back. :)

I have a policy with partners who forget their stuff. Leave a deposit for the cost of the item being borrowed. That way, if it doesn't come back, I really don't care!

I have one of those as a spare. By accident I grabbed it the other day. Boy was I screwed up the whole game. Send me your address and I will mail it to you :)

Try: "driving in Germany" !!!
There's no speed limit on the highway. Only a recommended speedlimit (at 140km/h). :D

But...
don't get involved in an accident. If you coused the incident with a higher speed than 140km/h, you will be fined aswell for speeding AND for in-dangering other trafic... ... ...

I could give you my ex-wife's address. :rolleyes:

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Oh snap.

Speaking of ex-wife stories...

I was calling an ASA state tourney a few years back. The pitch came in, hit the inside corner of the plate and bounced straight into the batter's... twig and giggleberries. He flinched a bit (as did I), and I held up the next pitch to ask the batter, "batter, are you all right?"

"Oh yeah, my ex wife took those from me a long time ago."

I had to hold up the pitch for another 10 seconds while I regained my composure.

I know how that batter feels! :rolleyes:

You can my ex-wife's address as well. I have serious ulterior motives for giving hers out like this. :cool:

lol... mine tried.... but i hid them in a bag of dried pinto beans. they've never felt the same since. :)

d@mn its friday and im bored as heck at work
pissed off too... gotta do two games (wreck ball) tonight and a tourney this weekend and i wont get to see LSU play. till monday (love my dvr)

Yeah, they are good..........for one-pitch games! :D

LSU Class of 1992 Geaux Tigers!!!

I'm impressed y'all could cover so many topics in one thread. For those that don't have time to read the whole thing, let me summarize what's been covered so far:

<li>indicators
<li>speedometers
<li>German cars
<li>bathroom scales
<li>shamwow
<li>"The World's Biggest Loser!"
<li>indicators (again)
<li>butcher shops
<li>hookers
<li>lending gear
<li>leaving deposits for lending gear
<li>driving in Germany
<li>ex-wives
<li>‘twigs and giggleberries’
<li>sympathy for the batter hit in the 'twigs and giggleberries'
<li>dried pinto beans
<li>being bored at work
<li>one pitch games
<li>LSU

Anybody got a good recipe for a tuna casserole?

Well, I've notched mine and I dont actually look at those numbers - I click past them to the start point. I'm used to my 4 wheel clicker that has 4-3-3-9 and so I stick with it. I'm a creature of habit.

16 oz wide egg noodles
1 can tuna
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 8 oz package cream cheese softened

Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside. Blend together all remaining ingredients. Stir in cooked pasta. Place in lightly greased two quart baking dish. If mixture seems dry, add additional milk. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, remove from oven and stir. If mixture seems dry, add a little more milk. Place back in oven and continue to cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

:)

It's because in our weekly pickup game we call 5 balls.

I'm sure somewhere they call 4 strikes.

:p

Confucius say: softball wrong. Man with four balls can not walk.

Here ya go
 

http://www.epicurious.com/images/rec...rch/106324.jpg

* 2 6-ounce cans tuna, packed in oil
* 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
* 3 10-ounce containers purchased refrigerated Alfredo sauce
* 2 cups thinly sliced green onions
* 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain tuna; reserve oil. Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan in small bowl. Mix in 4 tablespoons reserved oil from tuna.

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Transfer pasta mixture to 3-quart oval baking dish. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake until pasta is hot and topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

need to move LSU to top of list please.... Thanks. :D

Might be the only list they have ever topped :cool:

yeah, I am if anything... loyal :o:mad::(

ULL is out... LSUE is out... LSU is out.

ohhh no, we suck again!!

Never have I seen as much purple and gold than a couple weeks ago. It was enough to last me a lifetime!

awww.. you know you loved it. come on, you can admit it. ;)

Not at all. You wouldn't believe how many of those people got upset when I told them they would have to get a new shirt or hat because those declaring they were the NCAA National Football Champion are just plain wrong :rolleyes:

see... now i gotta put you back on ignore..... damn.
j/k
We all know that we are right and we take great joy in others claims that we are wrong.

But I know you are kidding... cuz if you told all those people that.... you wouldn't be here posting today. :p

Actually, only jokingly mentioned it to a couple of folks, but it is true. LSU has not won an NCAA Championship in football. They may have won the BCS Championship or have been declared #1 by a wire service, but the NCAA does not even recognize a football championship at the Div IA (now FBS) level.

pickin nits .... we kick @ss :D

Not when my team actually has one the NCAA Div I National Football Championship!:D

If I were a batter and the umpire told me I had four balls I would STRUT to first.

It's even better topped with crushed corn flakes or bread crumbs before you place back in for those last 15-20 minutes.

No, no, no... broken up potato chips! :D

Yep, those too. Regular or sour cream?

Good luck strutting anywhere with four balls!

This thread has gone so far off topic, but is so fun to read!

As intense as our focus can be on the fields, we umpires tend oh look a puppy!

Ha!!

They should have a dress code for fans at the park... one hot mom had me calling a IFF with no runners on.... :o :D (gotta blame it on someone)

I'm still trying to figure out what your complaint is...

me too.

The "hot moms" dial on his indiclicker only went up to "9" is my guess. :)

Thanks for reminding me!

http://sabian.whispers.org/indicator2.jpg

i don't use an indicator..it really makes you focus on the game and each pitch...give it a try (in a rec game first)

No thank you. While you may be right about focus, the indicator is a required piece of equipment for all umpires on the softball field; it isn't optional.

I rather focus on the next pitch, rather than the last pitch. :)

Someone lost his focus :D

I always have it. If I find myself drifting during a game,:o I'll put it in my pocket for an inning or two. It's my way to bring my focus back to where it belongs.

JMHO, rubbish. Your focus ISN'T on the game, but a memory exercise.

You can sell that snake oil all you want, haven't bought it is the 43 years I have worked baseball and softball. It is a tool of the trade just as is a mask, chest protector, shin guards or cup.

There is an umpire in our association who thinks not using an indicator is manly and professional. He hides behind the catcher, moves on pitches, spends more time talking to the coaches and fans than watching the game and he often loses the count. It gets so absurd, teams try to keep female coaches off 1B and even the coaches jerk him around about the count. Oh, BTW, did I mention the pebbles he carries?

I also agree that this is total hogwash. Having the indicator, as noted, is required in every organization. You can focus on the game with an indicator there. I may look at mine a couple of times in a game. However, if I need to look at it that one or two times, I am glad it is there. That way I don't have to go to my partner to get the count like those of you without the indicator do. IMO, anyone who takes the field without the required equipment for any reason are just like the clowns who proudly say that they never wear a cup when working the plate. :rolleyes:

You mean the ones rattling around in his head? :D

Nope. Would not dream of going without one, in whatever level. So what happens when you lose focus for one second, which even the best do, and drop the count, which we all have done?

Thanks for the advice, Mr. Wise Baseball Umpire, but this is a different game.

BTW, MiLB requires the use of an indicator, and I see lots of MLB PUs using one as well.

Sadly, this bravado of not using an indicator and the lame reasonings for it are not limited to just baseball umpires, I know of two strictly FP umpires who tout not using an indicator all of the time.

touting that and $1.00 gets them a cup of coffee at any gas station. :rolleyes:

Mine doesn't
 

My indicator only has 3 balls (don't laugh!), 2 strikes and 2 outs. Nothing else is needed.

While I agree with you, I will say that I have worked a game or two without an indicator because I realized, maybe right before I took the filed, that I left it in the dressing room or car or whatever.

In the case of a cup..... I would go get it (even if it delayed the game a minute or three.....:D

Chinese Proverb: Umpire whose indicator has 4 balls very well endowed. Umpire whose indicator has 3 balls well endowed. Umpire whose indicator has 2 balls has problem and may need indicator doctor. :D

(Sorry, just couldn't resist! LOL)

Hey, quit stealing my jokes! :)

That was a joke?????? :confused:

God I hope so!

One other observation: With all the pickoffs and the waiting between pitches in baseball, keeping the count is harder than in softball even with an indicator. Why the heck would an upper-level baseball umpire WANT to go without an indicator? :confused:

Oh right, because he's "focused on the game." :rolleyes:

do any of you ever use the inning wheel of the indicator for coin flips? i just spin the wheel continuously, have one coach tell me to stop, and have the other guess "odd" or "even", I figure, heck, it's a 50/50 odds getting it right so what difference does it make from a coin toss? Or I may just use my ball wheel (0,1,2,3) and have the coach pick any two of those numbers and have the other coach tell me when to stop.

I'm thinking about using my strike wheel (0,1,2) and have Coach A guess a number (say 1) and say it stops on 2, then I'll tell coach A that it's NOT 0 and ask her if she would like to switch her choice to 2...heh heh, maybe i'll try this in a league full of probability people, (google game show switch strategy if you're so inclined, the odds of winning if you switch is actually 2/3, and not 1/2).

Thats not a bad idea - prolly not as good as rock paper scissors.. :D.. I must admit I have on rare occasion flipped the clicker when my coin was abducted by aliens. ;)

... lizard, Spock :D

yeah but I can never remember who vaporizes spock and cuts the head off the lizard and all that stuff...

But it might be fun to say during pregame. :D

Quite simple realy. Fill a very large container with distilled water (you can not use salt water or beer as substitutes). Put in a small boat capable of supporting your weight. Mark the water level before you enter the boat. Enter the boat and mark the water level again. Calculate the volume of water displaced by you in the boat. If the container is rectangular multiply the width by length by height difference of before and after you enter the boat. If the container is round like a very large beaker then it is height difference times ¼ times pi times diameter². If you measured in feet then multiply the results by 62.42796 and that will give you how many pounds that you weigh. If you measured in inches then you should use 0.036127 as the multiplier to get pounds. Formetric and odd shaped containers PM me.

The other option that comes to mind is to go to the circus and ask the amazing Randy to tell you your weight.

In coed slow pitch ball, sometimes we usually let the well-endowed female captain pick home or visitor. Usually the male captain from the other team is too busy staring at the rack to even notice. We umpires are sometimes counting our cash and wondering the price. :D

I once had a catcher with an absolutely GORGEOUS rack in coed SP, and she often wore spandex while behind the plate. During her pitcher's warm-ups, she said to me, "you're so lucky."

Me: Why's that?

Catcher: Because you get to stare at my fabulous *** all game.

Me (mentally): It ain't that fabulous, honey. Turn around, and I'll enjoy your fabulousness.

Should read:

Dave: Why's that?

Catcher: Because you get to stare at my fabulous *** all game.

Dave: Ball

Catcher: Didn't you see that? Wasn't it a strike?

Dave: Don't know, I was looking at your fabulous ***.

And if the batter is looking at the rack, call all the strikes you want! :D

We used to do the "clean and sober league" here.

Among others, we had some strippers. I remember, six years later, this one catcher in particular. The formulae for figuring out weights, specific gravity and water displacement comes to mind. Not that she was heavy, mind you, but them coughsufferers were much more than a mouthful and she didn't wear a whole heckuva lot when she wasn't a stripper.

At the end of the third inning, she turned around and shook my hand.

"I've got to go now, but I wanted to thank you for not drooling on my shoulder."

It wasn't that fabulous! Girl coulda lost about 30 pounds first. Then, it'd probably be fabulous.