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JULY 12, 2005
It's been a while since we've written anything, so I'd like to take a few moments to share some thoughts as we head into the home stretch of the HTL season.
First, I'd like to thank Dave Thom -- when we took over this job, we agreed to each take on half the work and, subsequently, receive half the pay each. Then I was asked by my day job to spend two weeks in England so I could be trained on delivering two of our courses once I returned to work in the states. About the same time, I was asked if I was interested in working an international baseball competition in the Netherlands the week after my two-week gig in England. Well, since I was already over there....it turned into a 24 day trip and Dave's been saddled with everything since I left on the 17th of June while I was in Antwerp (Belgium) and Apeldoorn (Holland) working baseball and drinking beer. So that's probably why there hasn't been anything written here in a while.
As we've mentioned in the past, plans are underway for all the HTL playoffs to be played in a 3-umpire or 4-umpire system. While in Europe, I worked 16 baseball games, all of which were worked in the 3-umpire system. I think I worked 5 plates, 6 games at first base, and 5 games at third base.
Many of the umpires working this tournament were unaccustomed to working the 3-umpire system, but the entire time over there I can only remember one play I saw (I was not umpiring this game) where a rotation was missed and the hole was plugged late and it affected the call or the perception of the call (BTW, there was no ejection or even heated argument on the play, which surprised me).
Working a 3-umpire system provides superior coverage to a 2-umpire system, without question. A few situations helped by three umpires are: Outfield coverage, pickoff coverage at first base, balk coverage on left-handed pitchers, double plays being handled by two umpires, coverage on force-play slide rule, few times where umpires must cover multiple runners, check swings, and others I'm forgetting now.
But in order to take advantage of the extra umpire, we must be proficient (or at least not uncomfortable) in the system. To that note, a clinic will be held on July 30th provided that the 3-umpire system receives final approval from the league. The date and time will be announced after plans are made -- I'm hoping that we will be able to do part of the clinic in a classroom setting and the other part on a field. Materials will be prepared and distributed and put on the web site for those that can't make it. Attendance, though, is highly encouraged for those umpires who want to work the playoffs -- especially for those that are fairly new to the league.
More later.
--Rich