Editor’s Message
Greetings, NVBUA/MAC umpires,
For those in and around high school baseball this is indeed the start of a special time of the season. For the umpires especially…slots will be earned. Judgements will be called. Rules will be applied. Legends will emerge. War stories will be written. And when the last games are over and the champions are crowned…the umpires will leave the field and sing more mighty songs of The Brotherhood. In my short time in the association, I have come to understand that little…VERY little happens in the association by fluke or chance.
Calendar
Association Meetings
- Monday, Sept 14 - Virtual - 7:00 pm
Save the Date
- Umpire Night @ Capital One Ballpark, Tysons VA (June or July TBD)
- Saturday, December 6 - 2025 Association Banquet, Vienna Legion Post 180, 330 Center Street N, Vienna, VA – 7:00 pm
Presidents Message
Lots going on, so let’s jump right in. Today, I want to talk about uniforms, rules, the banquet, our association’s constitution and by-laws and membership dues. I’ve heard a fair amount of negative feedback on the proposed modification to the uniform guidelines…
Mechanics
The primary benefit of the three-umpire system is having one umpire in front of a runner and one behind. Not always, but in most cases. Communication is crucial. You must know where your partners are and what they are doing to function as a unit.
Rules
It’s not uncommon for a play to have more than one umpiring element that may need to be umpired. Our play below has three potential umpiring elements:
- Injury – Immediate vs. Delayed Dead Ball
- Force-out vs. Timing play
- Scoring
Umpire Profile
Blue Crew Blues
Blues, your trusty BCN correspondent is busy putting the icing on the cake of our next umpire profile. This ump has cooked up an entrée for life: “If you pursue perfection, you will achieve excellence.” To say he’s in hot pursuit is intensely inadequate. Fasten your seatbelts! And tune in please on June 2nd for a study that I’m hoping you won’t find to be simply okay. -Gary
BCN Staff/Contributors
- Editor – Robert Fobian
- Co-Editor – Tim Strutzel
- Co-Editor – Mike Chmar
- Presidents Message – Dave Maher
- Mechanics – Paul Porto
- Rules – Greg McEvoy & Vin Vena
- Umpire Profile – Gary Reals
Letters to the editors welcome at [email protected]