I’ll get to our summary for this edition in just a moment…first, I’d like to send our association’s best wishes for a speedy recovery to MLB umpire Hunter Wendelstedt who was struck in the head by a foul ball recently. I don’t know what your experiences have been of late, brothers but, I have been setting a personal best on pitches worn on the plate and I know others have had some scary incidents as well. There is inherent risk in this umpiring thing we are all willing to do; even when we are where we are supposed to be and doing what we are supposed to be doing. The ball indeed finds us. As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus (Michael Conrad) used to say on one of my favorite old TV shows, “Let’s be careful out there…”
Remember that time you were umpiring a game or watching a game or talking baseball with a buddy and you said to yourself, “Why is that rule that way? That should not be the rule. That should be written a different way…”? And maybe you felt a little powerless to influence that situation? Well, the NFHS is giving you “some influence”! The NFHS has a rules survey on their website and they are welcoming umpires to fill it out.
Here’s the link: https://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/nfhs-sport-questionnaires
Please be advised this survey closes tomorrow, Tuesday, April 29th.
BCN would like to thank Ron Adamczyk for sending in a link to the annual Umps Care Charity Auction! There are all kinds of great and interesting and unique items up for auction. As Jim McKay might have said, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports memorabilia!” And just by placing a bid, even if you don’t win the item, you are helping to generate incremental revenue for a most worthy cause. The auction closes Thursday, May 1st at 10:00PM EDT. To learn more about UmpsCare, the work they do and to review their auction items and place a bid, please visit:
https://www.mlb.com/official-information/umpires/umpires-care
And finally as we close out the housekeeping portion of this message, I would like to turn your attention back to our last edition and the article we ran on Illegal Slides. We have made a small correction to that article changing the sentence discussing a slide that “intentionally breaks up a double play” to simply state “…is a violation of the NFHS force play slide rule as outlined in Rule 2-23.” April 14 Rules Article.
President Dave Maher has taken off his shoes and socks and he’s out in the virtual parking lot on his favorite folding camp chair waiting earnestly with his bi-monthly address. So, grab your favorite frosty beverage, bring one for Dave, and read his President’s Message.
Vin “The Iron Man” Vina has been sifting through his mail bag and his extensive files to bring us another edition of some additional baseball rules myths that inexplicably continue to endure, despite umpires’ collective efforts to the contrary. Grab a copy of Vin’s latest right here.
Craig Hughes from MAC/NVBUA’s training department has put together a piece for us entitled “Umpire Mechanics for Engagement with Assistant Coaches”. NFHS is pretty clear in their rules and numerous publications about what kind of role they want assistant coaches to have in the high school game. Managing these situations as an umpire is quite a different matter, of course so, please update your game management toolbox here with Craig’s piece.
We started with an MLB umpire and we’re going to finish with another MLB umpire. I am pleased to announce that Gary Reals has returned from parts unknown to share with you his most cromulent sitdown with MLB umpire representing the pride of Northern Virginia and our association, Brennan Miller. A tip of the ol’ 4-stitch to Gary for getting this interview together and a very special thank you from all of us here at BCN, our readership and all the local brothers of MAC/NVBUA to Brennan for taking the time to share a little slice of life at the top. Read about Brennan’s journey to MLB.
So, that will do it for this edition of the Blue Crew News! Please keep your cards and questions and letters coming into our glass-enclosed nerve center here at the home offices [email protected] And, and I hope to see you all on the baseball field soon.
Please note! Friday Night Watering Hole has moved! We are now at Glory Days Grill, 13850 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20121!
No set start time. Please come following the end of your Friday night games. We’re there every Friday night, rain or shine, games or no games! (If this location is not optimum for you and you’d like to set up an alt-location, please let us know and we’ll post it here!)
Best Regards,
Robert Fobian
Editor, Blue Crew News