New Tournament Rotation

[tcannizzo]

We have been seeing locally a shift from the traditional Plate-Base-Off rotation to a Plate-Plate-Off-Base-Base-Off.

It has some advantages and some disadvantages.
Among the advantages and disadvantages based on my experience and as stated by others:

Advantages
- Keeps the game schedule going, although the traditional practice of previous BU remaining for first few minutes while previous PU changes out never seemed to me to be an issue with the schedule

- Fewer equipment change outs, many feel strongly about this but changing out has never bothered me

Disadvantages
- Loss of focus, my preference is to be as fresh as possible for any given assignment and have found that late in the second game in the repeat position close calls are more difficult to make

- Physical challenge, early in the season, it is not so much a problem doing back to back plates, but I think that many will struggle in the dog days of summer. And taking weather out of the equation, (at least for me), I would rather do 3 plates back to back than 2 bases back to back. The base game is harder on my back and feet than plate.

Anything to add?

[Insane Blue]

This past weekend at a Men's NAFA tournament the crew asked for this rotation and the UIC said no he wants us fresh on every plate game. his reasoning was if you have a bad Plate and have to do a second plate it could be very problematic.

[BretMan]

My new mantra is quality over quantity. Sure, I've worked plenty of days where I did 4-8 games. That just isn't physically or mentally as much fun anymore. So, my new preferred rotation would be...plate-base...home!

[Manny A]

I can't even begin to imagine what I would look like after doing back-to-back plates when it's in the 90s with 95% humidity. When I finish my plate, I look forward to removing that wet uniform and even wetter gear for my next game on bases. And then I can don a fresh uni (not the same one from previous) for my second plate. I'm sure for the second game, the coaches during the plate conference, and the batters and catchers during the game, would appreciate my not looking and smelling like I swam in the water treatment pond.

Also, doing back-to-back base games in the same uniform makes you look and feel like crap (wet and possibly dirty uniform, salt-crusted hat, shoes than look like brown hush puppies) for the second game. I really prefer having the opportunity to look like an umpire and not like Pigpen for every game.

[Steve M]

I do 1 tournament - in Mike's area - where the rotation is this plate-plate-off-base-base-done. It isn't bad.
But my preferred rotation is plate-off-base-off... With a maximum of 5 games per day, this keeps me freshest.
The plate-base-off has too much changing and really does not provide enough recovery time.

[MD Longhorn]

I'd say 90% of the tourney's I've done in the past 5 years (all in the Houston-ish area) have been PPoBBo. The rare PBoPBo tourneys always throw people a bit, probably simply due to unfamiliarity.

That said, I do prefer PBoPBo - it's easier to stay fresh... and also, it eliminates the situations where you have the same PU for semi and final games - which seems fairer, generally speaking. I hate getting the noon and 1:30 plates - especially in 100 degrees.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Manny A

I can't even begin to imagine what I would look like after doing back-to-back plates when it's in the 90s with 95% humidity.

With a heat index of 127 F, I can't imagine doing a single plate.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by BretMan

My new mantra is quality over quantity. Sure, I've worked plenty of days where I did 4-8 games. That just isn't physically or mentally as much fun anymore. So, my new preferred rotation would be...plate-base...home!

I like this line of thinking. Unfortunately there aren't many UICs that want to assign an umpire to just a couple of tournament games a day.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Welpe

I like this line of thinking. Unfortunately there aren't many UICs that want to assign an umpire to just a couple of tournament games a day.

I don't know that I would fault the UICs.

In my neighborhood, we wouldn't have enough umpires provide availability to do a one on, one off rotation. Then most of the ones that would provide availability would complain because they aren't getting enough games to make any money....

[IRISHMAFIA]

The preferred rotation is one and one. Then a P-B-O.

AFA mixing it up, you can always make a move to another field/crew coming off the break, but much of that depends on how the tournament is going. You can set it up that way, but the UIC & umpires must be flexible and willing to forego that, or any schedule, if the situation dictates.

[azbigdawg]

Originally Posted by Andy

I don't know that I would fault the UICs.

In my neighborhood, we wouldn't have enough umpires provide availability to do a one on, one off rotation. Then most of the ones that would provide availability would complain because they aren't getting enough games to make any money....

LIES!!! THis would NEVER happen!!!