CUBCADET

I get a good laugh every now and then too Riverdaleman, but my point was the poster was saying that the strike zone in the two disrticts are different and I cant understand why because the same guys work the 7 and 8aaa games in this area..(binns area ) Norfleet and Binns and also Jody Hargis all do a great job making sure that they have the best people possible to put in the games around here.. (Coffee Co. and surrounding areas)Some of the things you hear are hilarious and some arent. Doesnt bother me on the field but I do get a tickle every now and then..What is fun to me is to sort of listen to the fans' interpretation of the RULE about a call that has just been made, to the other fans and knowing that they are wrong, but will convince the fans they arent..Makes you smile on the inside..You are also right in the fact that different umps are better in that it makes the teams better by being able to adapt to different zones and such..I love working games where NO ONE knows me or my partner, dont you?

Binns, dont you love the people that can tell the difference between the 7aaa and 8aa strike zone???? They are the same ones that can see the corners from beyond the dugout or up in the stands on EITHER SIDE of the plate!!! Do you also think that they might just with their perfect eyesight alone recognize the umps that call these two districts as being mostly the same group of guys ?? probably not , because they are too busy "calling" the games from the bleachers..Most umps dont react to fans because that would be exactly what they (fans) want and it really is not about what the fans think, it is about doing a good job and keeping the game on the field where it belongs..Why dont you invite them on out this summer when it is 95* in the shade and let them see how easy the job is?? ANY TAKERS???

He wont wear them...says they make his face look fat!!! Just kidding Binns...Besides that we all know the umps just guess most of the time anyway, right???Good luck Jody, see you at the park real soon...GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS!!

david...you are correct i believe that in the season, the game would be restarted if not thru 4 1/2 with home team ahead..the other night , Warren Co. was leading siegel in the 3rd when the rain washed it out..They started over the next night from scratch..in tourn it is different

AMEN...THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO ...COACH T COULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND R'DALEMAN AND THE OTHERS TO KEEP EVERYBODY STRAIGHTENED OUT..KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!

Sports ed...you wouldnt happen to be a Cubs fan would you? I guess somebody has to root for them!! ha ha Just kidding! Sorry I missed your debut behind the mike but I am sure that you will get another chance soon..Seems like I remember another time that you got on the radio and announced to the listeners that if they wanted to come out to the park that they could holler all they wanted to at the ump who just happened to be from WC....Was that you???I have had the pleasure to work games this season for both siegel and WC..both can be great at times and maybe this will be another classic..Lets hope the weather cooperates and lets a great contest take place..Good Luck to both teams although my heart is with only one of them..

I posted in the other thread about this rule and I will put it in this one too... The rule is that if a player CARELESSLY THROWS A BAT, THEN A TEAM WARNING IS ISSUED, then the next offender is ejected. BUT, if they DELIBERATELY THROW A BAT OR HELMET, THEN IT IS AN EJECTION.....

You are correct in the fact that there is no actual protest in TSSAA..If the coach wishes to have something reviewed he must call in the report to TSSAA and they will look into it and decide what action if any will be taken.. I dont think that they would consider a judgement call under these circumstances, only a rule interpretation..correct me if wrong... Also a couple of things on the thrown bat rule: The rule book states that if a bat is CARELESSLY THROWN, then the ump shall issue a team warning and then eject the next offender, BUT if the BAT OR HELMET is DELIBERATELY thrown, then it IS an ejection, no questions,.. Some umpires will tell the coach to calm the player down and usually that works ..Most coaches do not approve of their players acting this way and will immediately put a stop to it themselves..Just seems like you sure do hear a whole lot of batting helmets flying in the dugout atfer a player makes an out or error..

One more note about the bat throwing issue..It seems it would make a difference if the bat was slung immediatley after hitting the ball or if it was thrown in disgust or anger.. One is poor hitting technique or slipping of the grip and the other is plain old poor sportsmanship and lack of class. Either is dangerous and should not be allowed..

Just remember...you CANNOT PROTEST A JUDGEMENT CALL ,ONLY RULES INTERPRETATION...I have seen a few players ejected for this after a warning...I believe one was ejected in the state a couple of years ago...

Warren County's Josh bratcher is as good as they come..He is solid behind the plate , and can throw to any base accurately..Also a very good hitter...tough out at the plate and real good in the clutch..This kid just sets back there, stays still to give blue a good look and has never turned around to question a ball/ strike call that I know of ..Umps appreciate that..I know there are alot of good catchers in the state, but this kid deserves to be mentioned with the best...going to make some college a very good player next year..

O K same point I was making..it is like in the movie Field of Dreams, the doc just wanted one little chance to play if only for a fleeting moment in the bigs..Just to play one inning is a thrill that VERY FEW get the opportunity to even come close to realizing...Some of the kids can listen to all the hype and just let it roll right off their backs and some will let if get to them and affect the way they perform..Sometimes it hurts them and sometimes not.. anyway it is an honor for a kid to even be talked about or talked to by the college or pro scouts...at least they noticed their ability to some degree..PLAY HARD and good things will happen

Please tell me why the kick at Cat walker?? he didnt go in the early rounds just like a lot of players who are playing every day in the bigs..In fact, a lot of early rounders make it someday but there are more of them just just go "poof" and fade off into the sunset...THink about the odds of making it to the bigs...about 800 major leaguers from AROUND the world, and we have a small town kid from my neighborhood, that pitches for the detroit tigers...I would say that should be an inspration for any kid from smalltown USA..If you have talent , attitude and desire along with the right breaks, you CAN make it..You gotta have a dream and then GO FOR IT!! so tell me how many other so-called sure things from this area are playing in the majors right now or lately?? dont think the list is too long

CONGRATS TO CSAS!!!!! I knew when I heard that Brandon was going to be the coach there that they would really blossom into a good team. Brandon Lowry is a CLASS ACT and will always instill that in his players..I have known him since he was in little league here and he hasnt changed a bit...110% effort all the time...I even had the chance to work one of his games at his old alma mater . We had a lot of fun that day and it was easy to tell that he was well liked by his fans and players....Congratulations to Coach Lowry and the Patriots!!!

The players I am sure everyone appreciates are the ones that make an out or whatever and then go to the dugout and then your hear loud cursing or something and then the helmet hits the wall of the dugout or floor and he is throwing a little tantrum like no body can see or hear him..then when the ump gets on him he turns around just like who me???What did I do wrong??? The scouts do see and pay attention to the way the players act before, during and after the game...not JUST the way they play..Most scouts will find out the kids social behavior as well as academic traits..They try to judge the whole picture..I had a pro scout tell me one time that they do look foremost at the talent but they also look to see if the player can be transformed into a pro level player including MATURITY, skill, and baseball ability..They invest large sums of money into these kids and really need to make wise reccomendations to the front office ..their job depends on it, so they do look closely.YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MAY BE WATCHING!!!!!!

THANKS Riddlers.....I said I was thru on this subject, but I am a bigger man than that..No apology needed from other poster and I agree I got a little worked up..For that I am sorry but I AM an umpire and I DO work HARD to do it right and be fair.. I work mainly 8AAA and 7AAA area and we as a group work hard and take pride in the fact that we have very few problems..I think it all goes back to our assigning officers being some of the best and encouraging us to be the best umpires we can possibly be..My hats off to Binns Jordan, Jody Hargis, and the others who put it all together to get the best umps they can to all the games, no matter what class the school happens to be..Lets all have a great rest of season and post season..cant wait!!

Riverdaleman, please forgive me for venting in the last post, but people like that are what makes the game no longer fun for a lot of people. No more from me on this subject

I think I will be sick now..If you need to get on here and blow about some mythical professional all star career, then go ahead..I think the players in any level of ball need to learn that to get respect, you have to EARN it, not expect it just because of what you happen to do for a living..You totally missed the point but that is ok. I guess it is way beneath you to understand that the hs and juco umps try just as hard and in some cases do the job as well or better than some of you pros....By the way, if it is so much easier for you to understand and read the strike zone, why are you not still in the bigs or where ever your fantasy land happened to be?? How come it is that a baseball player can succeed maybe 3 out of ten 10 times and be a star ? What else in life could a person get that kind of money for and FAIL about 70% of his opportunities??? I think maybe playing the game with all that godgiven talent running out of a persons ears does make it just a simple game after all!!! After all Its only hitting running throwing and catching...thats all there is to it..As far as your being forgetful, I can only hope that someday you do remember what baseball is...Just a Game.

absolutely correct there Jody...on a given night Some of us could make a training video about what NOT to do on a ball field..I also agree... never MAKE UP a blown call...just try to take your time and get the next ones right if possible..A lot of being good is hustle, knowing the rules and practicing good people handling skills..I try to treat the coaches as I would like to be treated if I were in their shoes...It works pretty well because they know that I and my partner whoever it is are trying to be fair and make good decisions...and I think the coaches appreciate it..Maybe I am wrong but our group probably has a lot fewer ejections and problems than anywhere else, at least that what I have been told by other umps in other areas..Who knows?? jody, cant wait to get you back on the field..Hurry up and get better..

I dont live WITH them but I spend a extremely large amount of time between them..right behind the catcher if you know what I mean..If some of the fans could only see themselves and realize how silly and ignorant they are of the rules, I bet that they would act a whole lot different...But then again, some probably wouldnt care, they would act crazy anyway...By the way, I double checked and I was absolutely correct with the call ...no doubt..We try to be the best we can and I think honestly that our group in Tullahoma and Grundy Co. do it as good as any association in the south. Still some people act like they haven't been to town in a while..

You are right Riverdaleman...timing is critical in making good calls...remember..IT AINT NOTHING UNTIL THE UMP CALLS IT!!!!!!!. If you want to know what it is like to not have a friend in the whole world, then try kicking a call in a big game..you know it the second it happens and then everybody lets you know also.. A good ump realizes it and will bear down to get better and do it better from that moment on....Sometimes mistakes happen, and I do not believe that an Umpire walks on the field with the intention of screwing anybody...some are just not up to the task..some are more than capable...Even the good ones toast one every now and then,,maybe even some of our guys in the tullahoma assoc., you think?? Probably not!!LOL

ALL of these guys are really studs, but in defense of Killian, I am pretty sure that his loss to Sparta came when he was coming off a sore shoulder and was not getting but a couple of innings at a time of work..He is like a racehorse, sometimes starts a little sluggish but if you will let him break a sweat...LOOK OUT!!!! He just throws the cover off of the ball...His two no-nos this season were both called by umpires that work in the minors since they are on strike at the time and they both were impressed with him..Great to see young talent like Killian and all the others from this area...

David, let me tell you a couple of examples of how I responmd to someone questioning my eyesight..1. sure I saw it well coach, I can see the moon from here and it is a go-zillion miles away! 2. coach, my eyes are good enough to be able to pick fly poop out of a pile of black pepper!!!! I am sure I can see a big old baseball in that glove!!

Couldnt really help it ..He came by my house and MADE me go..lol...Besides that your pal sitting next to you was a lot larger than who I was with!! I know I run with some tough customers but when you umpire you can run out of friends pretty quick sometimes, if you know what I mean..Binns is good one....Good to see you and will see @ the park during the district tourn..

Got no problem with coaches coming out to DISCUSS a close call or whatever but they KNOW they cannot argue balls and strikes and othe judgement calls..It is when they come charging out of the dugout like a woman with a new credit card at a shoe sale at Dillards that the umps take offense to...Sometimes they are just trying to fire their team up and sometimes it is just pure frustration ove the way their team is performing or whatever..Sometimes they really think they got hosed and want to let the ump know about it..Like I said in an earlier post, they are wanting a better call on the next close one ..If the ump blew it and tells the caoch he is sorry and will not change or try to make it up but he will try to do better next time, then the coach will probably respect him more than ever..Some coaches NEVER make a mistake and I guess they think that everybody is perfect too!! LOL!!!!!!