Saturday will be my final umpiring gig of the season, and I should have started in late March instead of May. Its been very satisfying-affirming again, even that wicked foul tip to forearm bone that I thought might have broken it first weekend back. I can still take getting drilled, #BoomerwithAttitude, y’know.
This is commitment time for baseball families, when All-Star teams start traveling in the winnowing process to Little League World Series, whole communities raising $$$ as their local heroes advance.
I’ll be plate umpire ($60) for a 9:30 scrimmage between two local teams, less than five miles from home, be done about 11:30. A beer and maybe whacking tennis balls down at Freedom Park with Josh, yep, that and Carolina blue sky qualifies as A-1 Social Goodness-New Normal lifestyle.
People easily understand my saying, “If you hear the ball crack! into something, that’s not a problem. If you don’t hear it, it got meat.” –With Sincere thanks to guy with ice pack after foul tip injury.
Its factually True, if not an actual umpiring credo: Don’t reward stupid. (You’re out!) “Don’t pose like I missed the pitch,” is a one-time warning.
Actual calling of balls, strikes, out-safe, has to be consistent, and yes, between inning chats that let people know about catchers moving the ball is legitimate. ‘Whose kid is the one who just nailed the runner at third with that BIG throw?’ will always be a Mom-pleaser comment.
Looks good from here, Blue!
I’ve never offered my clicker and face mask to anyone shouting that common comment, but I’m still the authority figure for this situation. Two sides of coaches-players: When you tell a player to move away from a potential situation, the correct Next is act of moving, never “I’m not in the way.” Coaches usually get that straightened out without extra hoo-ha.
“Why was that last pitch not a strike?” by the catcher clarified a long-running situation, where coaches had questioned *every*single*call* for two games as they came back through Losers bracket. “You need to turn around, and Coach,” I signaled, “you need to come here, because ten year olds wouldn’t have the stones to question an umpire about a pitch if you coaches hadn’t been d*cks for two games.
“Get all the coaches and buckets back in the dugout (they had 4-5), and if I hear anything more about X, you can watch this game from the parking lot,” was gist of my instructions. Getting specific about catchers trying to get sucker swings by setting up on outside corner – “It crosses the batters box line, I don’t care how good a catcher is about bringing it back, its NEVER going to be a strike,” is my mantra.
Not all catchers relate that fact to pitchers, who get frustrated post-move, seeing catchers glove in strike zone. Many pick up sand on low throws or even jump, then position glove dead center.
When I plant my foot so I can see plate and batters location to it, as catcher, you WILL need to set up closer. I’m grateful for shorter spaces between plate and backstop many places, too many passed balls with run-run-run scoring isn’t cool.
Coaching and Other Stuff
The coach who used ’22 years pitching in big leagues’ as credibility might be counting minor leagues too, but thinking he’s getting better pitching from a 10 year old arm by nibbling outside vs. getting it over plate so kids learn what strikes really look like, is flat wrong. Its also contrary to ‘get them to swing’ by calling strikes attitude we’re told to use. If a batter couldn’t reach it with a pole, I’m not calling your kid out.
Special bats – You hear an obvious difference in a sturdy ten year old’s PING! of 200-plus feet into trees and whatever is brought to the plate in less competitive leagues. If a kid ‘got all of it’ putting it over an outfielders head, thats not a Drop 5 level bat.
Curve balls – If you KNOW your pitcher’s got one, and you try telling him not to use it a lot because it WILL hurt young arms, that’s not going to work when he keeps getting people out with it. When a pitcher smiles and fiddles in their glove, you know their Special Pitch is coming.
On Fathers Day: More power to millions of Dad-coaches, who often started because of their kids, but keep things going over ten or twenty years. I smile every time I hear one say, “If there’s a passed ball, you should be here!”
Admitting I have NO respect for the coach who left his pitcher in for *8* runs in top of first (eventually 12-0 hole), actually saying, “Don’t look at me, I’m not taking you out.” What could possibly be on his mind? when they lost 15-11, humiliating a kid who couldn’t find the plate with Google Maps?
Its said the only person you can rely on is one dressed like you, but when every parent at a recreation league game thanks you for being there, man, that’s affirming! As long as little sisters have enough snacks, the American Family Experience that is Little League carries forward. For anyone who offers me a Gatorade on a 95 degree day like today, yay you!
After last years success at the Saratoga track and casino, my Blue paychecks are mad money for NY vacation in July, New Normal at its finest.
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