Okc
 

Pretty sure my flight is going to be able to make it. Anyone not going to make it?

We will see, we are driving through all this stuff leaving later today. So I hope we make it!! I do know it's going to be rough getting there on all accounts, airports having been closed (not sure if they are open yet) are always fun!! And the roads from here to there aren't the best right now! On main interstate that we have to take has been shut down 4 or 5 times in the last 2 days for various accidents.

Good luck to all and safe travels.

Talked with Phil K last week, and he told me his flight leaves today. Hope he gets in all right...

My flight is still on as of today.

My understanding is that the storm is supposed to blow through today and the weekend should be clear, but cold.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

I just checked in for my flight tomorrow... gotta go thru Denver, so we'll see.

Okay, checked in also for my flight tomorrow. DFW better be open!

Note to self: Pack my tabasco bottle!

See ya'll in OKC!

Glenn Crabtree is at work at DFW; indicates some roving power outages on facebook, but open.

You guys have it easy; I am supposed to drive out tonight, driving thru the night from Atlanta, thru Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. It's all interstate, but the Oklahoma DOT isn't recommending travel yet.

YIKES!! U b careful on your drive up to OKC.

Two hours ago from KR:

All,
The weather here in OKC is improving but still very cold. The roads are better and the trip from the airport is short but still a little snowy. So the good news is the storm is gone from here but still in other places. If you see you will not be able to attend due to travel issues please let us know as soon as you can and we will cancel you off the list. Please have safe travels and those who come I am sure we will have a good clinic.

Safe Travels

Kevin Ryan
ASA Supervisor of Umpires

I'm connecting through DFW also...what time are you coming through?
I'm there for about an hour right around noon...Flying American.....

Im also through Denver.. so see ya .. what .. oh mon or tues? :p Hope to finally meet all of you i havent met and my friends.. c u soon.. i hope!

There have been "selective blackouts" throughout North Texas today to conserve the power grid. Each blackout lasted around 15 minutes per zone. We went through four of them this morning. They ended around noon, but are expected to pick up again tonight as the power demand increases.

I'm checked in for my flight!
 

I am due to arrive at 4pm but I may try to go standby on an earlier flight. All of the flights from Houston to OKC arrive on time today so I'm hoping the same holds tomorrow. You blues driving in (3 others from Houston are driving in as well) be careful!!!! See you blues there!

Made it!!!
 

Thanks to the generous (not) folks of Continental/United I was able to go standby on an earlier flight and made it to OKC. LOTS of snow on the ground but nothing falling. Hope everyone has a safe trip. See you soon.

Im here too :)

see you all around!

Well i already knew steve but saw him again. hes awesome of couse.. i met andy! great guy.. and i have a new friend. Mike (irish).. the rest if u id love to meet even better take a forum group pic :) , anyway email Me andd lets meet up!

Good idea. How about tomorrow after lunch by the pool?

Well, SRW & I are here

Thanks
 

I'm here!

I was there. But had to leave yesterday morning. :D

Hope all enjoyed a safe and swift trip home.

Had a few members of the board there, so it was interesting.

Of course, some people know about the 3.2 beer in OKC, but apparently a few believed they were drinking 3.2 Jack Daniels :rolleyes: Well, by the time they found out they were misinformed, it was too late. ;)

I was there!

Sorry about the group picture, guys....just didn't have time to check the board while I was there!

Good to see Sean again...thanks for the beer!

Got to meet Mike (Irish), Wadeintothem, Steve, Sergio...nice to put names with faces. Saw some other old friends and made plenty of new ones! Great time! Looking forward to 2013!

You're welcome... :)

I hope you tried to educate them about beer

We need to talk......

Oh no!! The infamous "we need to talk"!! :eek:

I didn't know they were married. :rolleyes: :)

You dont gotta butter me up, I'll kiss ya again next time. :p

oh yeah, now git yer *** on facebook. ur little rebellion is over.

For those that went to OKC. I understand that the 'paper test' was discussed or demonstrated. Can anyone give a more detailed (as much as one can over a message board) description of how the paper test works, how to do it, and what I should be looking for? Or any other helpful information about this.

TIA

I didn't see it this year, but there were two separate sessions on bats and equipment testing; it could have been demonstrated in the other. But, I did see it in detail and practice at the Clinic two years ago (2009).

In the most simple terms, breaking in a bat by hitting balls creates fibers to break/compress in small spots at a time. There would never be a uniform pattern that can be discerned if this legal method is used.

But, when rolling a bat, to accelerate the break-in period, the bat rollers compress lines or planes at a time. This creates waves, patterns that can be identified when running your hand down a bat, just as we (assume you have been taught to) do when looking for dents or other imperfections. I have always done that with metal bats, but not composite bats (since they don't dent), until I understood the rolling process.

The sensory perception is magnified in your hand if/when you hold a single sheet of paper in it, and feel the bat slide through your hand through that sheet. Slide the bat from the taper to the end, then back up while turning it to feel all sides at each location along the barrel. If the bat has been rolled, you will normally feel the waves or patterns.

This can only be counteracted by a bat "roller" spending hours, days, even weeks, to compress spots individually, rather than sections at a time. As a rule, that simply doesn't represent the amount of time they are willing to spend for a return on their time investment.

I was lucky enough to perform this in 2009 with Kelly McK and it was really amazing how that piece of paper adds to the sense of feeling.

It does not guarantee that you will catch a rolled bat in this manner, but there is a discernable set of ridges you can feel with that paper. Having been challenged locally and performed for commissioner and players. They provided the bats without any knowledge to me which was rolled.

They were shocked that I got it right, but insisted on carrying the player's denial that it wasn't possible and I got lucky.

It should be noted that it provides such a delicate sense that you can feel the decals under the coating, so I recommend it be done on the taper were there rarely decals of any type.

Is that so? What's the difference between obstruction and interference, bot? :p