single7

Ok I have read all these complaints about umpires ! I have called for 28 years 25 at the college level,I'm certain I didn't get their by being a cheating and bad umpire,Why do I umpire? # 1 - I love Baseball #2- I love kids #3- I want to be the best umpire I can be #4- I am a single parent and the little money helps First and formost I have never been on the buddy system,I work very hard on knowing the rules and I hustle like it is the chamionship game every day ! I will give Cloundland a low A division school the same game as I do if I'm calling UT at ETSU , I agree some umps don't hustle and they are not consistant behind the plate sometimes,I have had bad games too but I didn't have them because I just wanted to have a bad game,pitchers,catchers and the way ballparks are set up has alot to do with the way we see the ball,one ballpark in college I call at has a 4lane right behide centerfield now try to consitrate on that ! I know you fans who don't umpire don't realize it but if I have a bad game or miss a call I really get mad at myself I have called every district .reg,sub state,state and college tournys u could call,I did the best I could at all of these but I didn't call any different because they were big games I think all games r big ! I est and watched my son play in the substate and watched the first base ump stand their with his hands in his pockets all night and they to didn't know how to work the 3 man crew,yes that bothered me bad,we do need to train umps on the 3 man but will thay show up? I just know it's hard to get umps now because the time it takes up and the money isn't very good and really how do u tell someone they need to call and take the abuse that I have noticed is getting so much worse than better ! I just know one thing when I walk on that field I have one friend the other ump I know I am just 1 call from being the worst ###### that ever drew a breath ! So complain all u want I still love the game and I am going to keep calling as long as the good LORD allows me too ! I have just 1 more thing to say to the bleacher umpires the next game just 1 time use your energy supporting your kid or your team and say positive things to them and just see how much better u feel after that game and how people respect u ! Heck u might like it ! Play Ball

Congrats to Gibbs they have a good team ! As far as the umps they were the most unprofessional crew I have ever seen in my 49 years on this earth,the plate umpire was so in consistant that I really felt sorry for the pitchers and hitters they had know clue what to do , both of theses pitchers pitched the corners and sometimes they got it and sometimes not it was terriable,they didn't know how to work a 3 man crew they would have the 1st base ump at first when no one was their and a runner on 2nd ,when he was on first he stood their with his hands in his pockets and not even looking in to home most of the time,they never rotated when they should and the 1st base ump shure didn't know what a balk was and didn't care,their was runners on 1st and 2nd and a ball hit back to the pitcher he threw to 3rd and the field umpire was looking at 2nd for some reason and the plate umpire didn't see it either so he called him safe,they also was not dressed like we are taught to dress they just were so unprofessional ! then in the 7th Elizabethton loaded the bases and gibbs coach came in and started arguing they should have another run on the board we all knew it was to stop momentam and it lasted 22 mins with ofcourse the plate umpire not taking charge,then the gibbs coach and gets into it with Coach Payne and none of the umpires was even watching,they need to be turned into TSSAA for the lack of controling a game and the plate ump a couple of times was caught talking and laughing with the 1st base coach of gibbs,now how would this have changed the game we will never know I'm not saying the Cyclones would have one but it was a 2 run game in the 6th,I feel for the players that they had to play through this it's a shame the game is about kids and the umps should give it their all,as for the seniors at Elizabethton it was a great ride and I only wish was for the 3 senior pitchers who never got to hit or play another postion if you were able too what if?Good Luck Gibbs maybe you will get better umps next week!

Unaka 9-1 in the 6th anyone know about UH ?

Unaka up 9-1 in the 6th

Elizabethton wins 9-1

Elizabethton 9 Rutledge 1

Elizabethton made it to the regional championship in 1975 I remember I played then we were in the big 9 conference with Kingsport and JC their wasn't A -AA-AAA and so on ! As far as is Davenport their number 1 they 4 real good starters and and I guess that is up to who is judging it, He is 8-1 with a 2.54 era he threw a 2 hitter against Rutledge a 4 hitter against Pigeon Forge won the district game and was the winning pitcher in the district championship game last year ,he doesn't get alot of press because he doesn't throw 90 miles per hour but he wins and he knows how to pitch,the kid pitching tonight is as good as anyone in our conference so I expect a good game from him

I coached a summer high school aged team the last 3 years we went to Georgia and played in a wooden bat tourney and they had a blast,they all agreed it proved the type of player they really were,as afar as the guy who said watching 0 to 0 11 inning game we played with them when I was in school and I don't remember any games like that, if he thinks that way then he must think no one can really hit at all, come on lets see the real players not half of them,if u remember a few years ago the main man who worked for the metal bat company resighed because their was prove how dangerous the metal was and they suied him to try not to show the prove but he did, bottom line if u can hit with the wood u can hit plain and simple !

I believe it's time to bring our great game back to where it once was,these metal bats are a joke to the game, kids hitting 500 and pitchers with era's at 4 and 5 is not how the game was meant to be played,New York has woke up and put the wooden bat back in baseball and let's follow suit and do the same,go watch a good summer game with the college wooden bat league and see what I mean,a check swing or a great pitch on the hands is a grounder to the mound not a hit to right field,as far as pitchers they have proved that a ball throw at certain speeds and batters swinging the same that no human could react in time to stop the ball,I seen a college pitcher get hit in the head I was calling the field and it was hit so hard I didn't see it,he lived and was ok after a few weeks but what if? I'm so tired of watching and umpiring 15 to 14 baseball games and hereing the ping of the bat instead of the crack of the bat , this would also put coaching back in the game and we can tell just how good these kids really are ,a kid that hit's 400 with a metal bat hit's what with a wooden bat? When you think about it compared to other sports it would be like making the basketball goal twice the size to shoot at now how crazy would that be? Let's respect this great game and put it back where it belongs and start playing with the wood !!!!!!

I like the cyclones in this one,have you seen the look in their eyes? They want it bad you can tell on the field and off they are hanging out together after games and still talking baseball, as far as the last time they played good pitching stops good hitting does not matter what level you still win with pitching and defense and elizabethton has that, home field is huge for the clones and I believe they come ready to play wed !!!!!!!

I would like to thank all people involved with hosting the district tourney at Cherekee High this past week ,it was a class act from coaches to the lady's in the concussion stands,we as umpires were treated great and I want to thank you ! All the teams and coaches were professional and that speaks volume for your conferance,we had a great championship game with 2 teams who never stoped playing until the last out ! As for the one fan behide home plate who not only embarressed hisself but the players because I had about 4 or 5 kids apologize for him all I can say is if you want to umpire that bad write to 3333 lebanon road , Hermitage Tenn and take the test and get your license,you without a dought can umpire better than me and know more ,I have done this 28 years and 25 in college so maybe I have been doing things the wrong way and maybe you can help, I'll try if I have your team in the regional that I can satisfy you more then !!!!!!!!!!!! really if you love your team why not use your energy to praise your kids they will appreciate it more and nothing you say or do to an umpire is going to help you or your team,I'm going to call it the way I see it and I'm certain I can see behide the catcher better than you can behide the backstop!!! Play Ball and let the fun begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How about them Cyclones ! In the district championship game for the second straight year, let's give them some credit they have showed they can play with anyone , just a good all around baseball team that plays good together and cares about eachother ,Go Cyclones

Erwin beat Sullivan North and Elizabethton beat Chucky Doak it's North vs Doak at 5pm tuesday in the elimanation game and Erwin vs Elizabethton at 7:30 in the winners braket

A college coach ran and i mean ran on me last year on a call and said you are missing a d_ _ _ good game blue and I said well since I am than lets not go to that party alone go hit the bus and run when you leave because I know you can run

I agree it should be mandatory in districts to work 3 man crews ,it has always blew my mind anyway that it takes 3 officials in every basketball game to cover a court but they just want 2 umpires to cover a whole baseball field some of them like at Elizabethton that is 400 feet from home plate huh now figure that one out,the one problem is you know where to be on a 3 man the rotation is different but when you do it right it's a thing of beauty like last night I was working the plate and went down to a play at 3rd and the first base ump rotated down to cover the plate it showed we were doing our job and why coaches don't want that is beside me,you make a great point on check swings too being in high school ball you probably have 4 or 5 a game and if the ump is on the same side of the batter than you can't even check with him because he can't really see it,the state needs to step up and take control of how many umps call in playoffs and not let schools deciede!

YES WE ARE WORKING 3 MAN CREWS IT'S GOOD FOR US AND THE TEAMS

Hey Wad, ARE YOU WORKING A Distric tourney this weekend? I'll be at Cherokee 7:30 friday and 2:30 saturday working triple A !

I'm right their with you man,I'm thinking about hanging it up too, lets see what these coaches and so called fan umpires are going to do when they have no one to call the games or it gets to where they only have one ump calling they keep forgetting they can't play a legal game without us,but you know the bad thing about it is TSSAA doesn't back us either as far as having schools start on time and making sure we get paid when we do a job .I'm still calling and emailing 3 schools trying to get money from games I called 2 to 3 weeks ago,about that dumb coach I bet he has made some bad baseball decious this year that hurt his team ,but I forgot we has umpires are supposed to be perfect[duh] I would like to thank you for 15 years of busting your butt to call 3 sports and what it means to our profession to be able to stick around and have to listen to the crap we have too,good luck!!!!!

Having umpired at the high school and college level for 28 years it never seems to amase me at the people who knows so much but reallyknows so little about umpiring! I go to meetings camps and help teach umpires, now like some players are not all of us are this dedicated but most of us are,We also have other jobs I do this because I love the game and the kids but it is getting to the point where we get no respect from fans or schools we drive sometimes 50 to a 100 miles at 3 dollars a gallon of gas we rush to get their 30 mins before game time then they never start on time then they make excuses for not having our checks and we usually have to make long distant calls just to get our money but then we are expected to go out and call the best game ever , I know the rules and I husstle I give the best I know how and when I can't I will quit,we buy our on uniforms which by the way is not cheap and they make me pay upfront ,so really why would someone be interested in being an umpire around here? Football and Basketball is God to these schools and baseball has always been treated different so for all of u who think u r so much better than I am let's take a test and let's go over where we should be on the field on a 2 or 3 man cruw so either put up or shut up because we do the best we can,I haven't seen a well played ballgame in high school this year and not many college games ,just remember 1 play does not deciede a game and 1 call doesn't either,when was the last time someone told a umpire they appreciate them for just being their for the kids?

Having seen most of the teams this maybe as weak as i have seen it in years,having said that the cyclones seem to be a cut above the rest they have no weeekness as far as i can see,I believe their will be a good race for second but I guess that's why they play the games,pitching is very weak on most teams i have seen,Elizabethton has 3 senior pitchers who have been through the playoffs and know what to expect this should help them and give them an edge

WE DIDN'T RAISE THEM TO BE PITCHERS WE TAUGHT THEM TO BE BASEBALL PLAYERS ,WE ONLY ASK THE COACHES TO ALLOW THEM A CHANCE TO PLAY LIFE WILL GO ON GARY AND I KNOW THAT WE WILL JUST HAVE TO AGREE TO DISAGREE REMEMBER THOUGH UNTIL U WALK IN THESE SHOES YOU REALLY CAN'T UNDERSTAND,THEY DESERVED A CHANCE TO COMPETE,THAT'S ALL THEY R TO IT

The bottom line here is everyone who is on a baseball team has a right to work and try to push the other players , this makes everyone better,nobody ever said anything about changing the line up ,I know why he did this and you do too, why would any high school coach not want to go to the bench and bring out a proven senior or have them in case of an injury, these kids have accepted their rolls but they had no choice,I really hope they win the state because of the love i have for the kids as far as the coach he did them wrong and he will have to live with it,he should be a teacher first and baseball coach second,what kind of message has he sent to them? Funny thing to me is no other coach in the tri cities can understand why he did this and they all said they would love to have all 3 of them to play and not just pitch,I guess every coach in the world is wrong and Payne is right so I am done with this but I watched all these kids grow up and play and he didn't you and i and alot of other coaches always gave these kids a CHANCE to play and that's what they deserved at this level too.