2022 High School Season

@CoachB25 and others - an update

Kid has been DHing in scrimmages and that's OK because his orthopedist cleared him to hit while he's doing his RTT and before he returns to the field. Personally, there's some risk here...if he had a really bad fall and stuck out his hands to break the fall, it COULD injury the UCL. Then again, it would have to be a pretty violent fall forward and even then it might not injury the UCL.

He's not playing the field in games. He's been manning 1B in practice and in pregame I/O (along with 4 others) and he is not throwing. He either flips the ball to another 1B standing by him or rolls it into the catcher.

All this unnecessary? Maybe but it's also maybe good for his mental health because he's not happy when completely idle.

Meanwhile he is now on week 2 of RTT and has no intention of rushing or returning until 100%. I suspect the real test won't be until week 4. But by then, it will be almost 3 months since he was hurt.

@Francis7 posted:

@CoachB25 and others - an update

Kid has been DHing in scrimmages and that's OK because his orthopedist cleared him to hit while he's doing his RTT and before he returns to the field. Personally, there's some risk here...if he had a really bad fall and stuck out his hands to break the fall, it COULD injury the UCL. Then again, it would have to be a pretty violent fall forward and even then it might not injury the UCL.

He's not playing the field in games. He's been manning 1B in practice and in pregame I/O (along with 4 others) and he is not throwing. He either flips the ball to another 1B standing by him or rolls it into the catcher.

All this unnecessary? Maybe but it's also maybe good for his mental health because he's not happy when completely idle.

Meanwhile he is now on week 2 of RTT and has no intention of rushing or returning until 100%. I suspect the real test won't be until week 4. But by then, it will be almost 3 months since he was hurt.

Your example is why my knucklehead's ortho was reluctant to clear him as a DH. Between the pandemic and injuries, my kid only played the field as a freshman. He is okay with it now, given he was on the edge of not getting cleared by the doc to DH. He does not like to platoon either, but he is happy he is seeing the pitches well, hitting the ball hard, and sometime placing them "where they ain't".  The weather here is returning to Spring later in the week but the kid will be heading south for several days on his senior trip. The wife will spend that time learning to drive her car again....and cleaning it. 

@2022NYC -

True story. When mine was 11, he got hit in the face with a ball. Nothing broken but had swelling, cuts, bruises, etc. That was in a travel game.

A few days later, we have a Little League game. I'm the manager. My wife says don't play him. I say: I will stick him in LF the whole game. He should be fine.

Sure enough, someone singles to left, the ball hits a hole in the ground and springs right up and hits him in the face.

That's baseball. The highly unlikely likely happens!

@Francis7 posted:

@2022NYC -

True story. When mine was 11, he got hit in the face with a ball. Nothing broken but had swelling, cuts, bruises, etc. That was in a travel game.

A few days later, we have a Little League game. I'm the manager. My wife says don't play him. I say: I will stick him in LF the whole game. He should be fine.

Sure enough, someone singles to left, the ball hits a hole in the ground and springs right up and hits him in the face.

That's baseball. The highly unlikely likely happens!

The morning before my son's first coach pitch game I took in the backyard to hit a few balls. My wife asks if he needs a helmet. I shake my head like, "uh no". Sure enough, I plunked him in the head. Hence the username

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

The morning before my son's first coach pitch game I took in the backyard to hit a few balls. My wife asks if he needs a helmet. I shake my head like, "uh no". Sure enough, I plunked him in the head. Hence the username

Years ago, I was asked to coach a Little League All-Star team. They made the mistake of letting me throw BP once.

Three years later, I'm at the Little League complex and I ran into one of those former all-stars. My team was practicing and I asked a coach to throw BP as I was talking to the kid. I said to the kid "Better that he throws BP because I suck at it" and the kid says "I remember. You hit me in the back twice during all-stars."

He wasn't wrong.

Has a HS senior committed to play in college ever quit his HS team during senior year?

@Francis7 posted:

Has a HS senior committed to play in college ever quit his HS team during senior year?

Yes

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

Yes

What were the circumstances?

@Francis7 posted:

What were the circumstances?

He quit

@Francis7 posted:

What were the circumstances?

One that comes to mind was due to a new coaching staff coming in. He didn't like the way they ran the show so he called his future college coach to let him know he was going to take the season off to train and get ready for college ball. Wasn't an issue for the college coach.

I'm sure this isn't very uncommon.

I know one who did and some on the bubble for reasons already mentioned.

Sad sign of the times.

Opening Day is tomorrow for our HS team. So...very...exciting!!

But, wait. The game is canceled. Why?

It's not a conflicting school event or holiday. It's not the weather. It's not because the visiting team can't get a bus. It's not because of COVID-19.

It's because they can't find any umpires to work the game tomorrow. No one is available.

True story. Welcome to 2022.

Really? Why are there no umps?

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

Really? Why are there no umps?

Too many games in the area at the same time and not enough umps to go around...or willing to work the game.

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

Really? Why are there no umps?

Chip shortage

@Francis7 posted:

Too many games in the area at the same time and not enough umps to go around...or willing to work the game.

Are umps quitting? Is that game considered to be bad because of the parents ripping umps in the past?

@adbono posted:

Chip shortage

Now that made me laugh. Well done

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

Are umps quitting? Is that game considered to be bad because of the parents ripping umps in the past?

That's part of it

Damn, the supply chain has impacted HS baseball officiating. Rumor has it there is shipping container full of them sitting in Port Elizabeth.  My kid's season was supposed to start on Monday but it was cancelled (weather?). They played yesterday at the opponent's home field, it was >2.5 hour drive for me with traffic so I passed. It was tight game and kid's team took the lead on the top of the 7th with a double, kid was punched out at home trying to score from 1st. He was disappointed for walking and not scoring, told him he part of the rally to win the game, but he is a teen and I am the "dad", so I am guilty of "dad 'splianing". He left in the middle of the night with the other seniors for their class trip to FL, so the team's next game is not until next week.   

@Francis7 posted:

That's part of it

IMO, AD's need to start getting control of these parents. I've seen it quite bad recently. Parents following them to cars, making inappropriate or threatening comments, etc. I wouldn't put up with that for a measly $50 either.

@Francis7 posted:

Too many games in the area at the same time and not enough umps to go around...or willing to work the game.

We had something similar happen last week with our sub varsity teams. The sophomore and JV teams had their Friday night games canceled and moved to the next day. The reason was because there were no umpires to work their games. Someone told me that the umpires were having a "walk out" that weekend to protest something. I didn't get all the details or don't know if that story is true. The next day the two teams did not have umpires again for their games. Luckily one of the dads on the JV team is an umpire and had his gear with him. Both schools agreed to let him umpire the games rather than cancel them.

We have a serious shortage of umpires in the STL area. At our team's "parent night" the AD and HC emphasized this and asked everyone to be mindful of comments made to them. Reactionary expressions are one thing, but riding them is another. We were told that there may be games with only one umpire. The other day we had two, and they were great, and no griping from either side.

It has been very difficult around here finding young men and women to umpire, or, to continue umpiring, as they have to deal with nutty coaches and parents. Seems like the younger the players, the worse it is.

I'm surprised that coaches (like me) aren't required to take some kind of training course on how to work with and approach umpires. Probably makes too much sense.

It would be like everything else.

Everyone would be on their best behavior during the training class and 90% of them would revert to past bad habits once the training was over.

@ARCEKU21 posted:

Proud dad moment. My 2023 threw a perfect game tonight with 16 K’s! So fun to watch. Stressful last inning and was so awesome on the last out. Dang allergies were bad tonight. Lol.

Bumping this post to let everyone know that @ARCEKU21 son named 6A Pitcher of the Week in the state by Texas High School Baseball. Congratulations!

@adbono posted:

Bumping this post to let everyone know that @ARCEKU21 son named 6A Pitcher of the Week in the state by Texas High School Baseball. Congratulations!

Thank you! It was a good week for the kiddo.

Francis, you not correct. During 25 years of International Baseball, Area Code games and Coaching, I have not experienced the "parents behavior" as you described.

The greater the baseball knowledge and talent level of the players = the greater the respect for the game by coaches and parents. Our coaches are former pro players or pro scouts.

"Constantly teaching and learning". Wearing the uniform the correct way, observation. study & learn.

Bob

@Francis7 posted:

It would be like everything else.

Everyone would be on their best behavior during the training class and 90% of them would revert to past bad habits once the training was over.

Our LL would get the local HS's to send their players out to umpire our games and we'd give them a donation of $50/game for the program. It was a big fundraiser. The kids started complaining and feared umpiring. A couple times cops were called for safety for a HS kid to walk to his car. I then became league president. For 3 years I had a zero tolerance policy for yelling at kid umps. After a few suspensions things calmed down and for those 3 years we had no problems with umps. Some of the old adult volunteer umps started coming back. By the 3rd season we had 4 umps for every majors game. I handed it over after the 12u season and the new guy did away with the rules. It is now a mess and they are struggling to find 1 ump per game.

@Consultant wrote, “Francis, you are not correct.”

Can’t tell you how often I have uttered those same words.

@Consultant posted:

Francis, you not correct. During 25 years of International Baseball, Area Code games and Coaching, I have not experienced the "parents behavior" as you described.

The greater the baseball knowledge and talent level of the players = the greater the respect for the game by coaches and parents. Our coaches are former pro players or pro scouts.

"Constantly teaching and learning". Wearing the uniform the correct way, observation. study & learn.

Bob

I would argue the parents act a little differently at ACG than your typical travel or HS game. I've watched the biggest A-hole parent in the universe switch to the role model fan/parent with the committed college coach came to watch his son to check in on him.

Our 2030 daughter started playing club volleyball after a few years of church/school league volleyball, where there was typically a HS aged referee and either parents/coaches or other HS age kids called the lines, kept score/book, and everything seemed to go well.

For club in league and tournament play, an idle team from the age group calls the lines, provides the 2nd referee, and keeps the score and book (their coaches assist them). For a bunch of 9/10 years olds, it was impressive how well they did. Very, very rarely did a coach appeal to the first referee on a call, and I don't think ours ever did. I guess they figured the calls would even out over the evening or weekend, and these coaches are from a perennial HS and club volleyball powerhouse. It was also made known to all parents that the 1st referee can and will toss any coach or spectator from the facility for poor behavior, often without issuing a warning (never happened in any of our matches).

It was rather refreshing to simply watch the kids play without anyone getting all over someone. Same holds true at the older ages.

Edit: She still plays church/school league. When that season ends, club picks up.

In NJ there is a short supply.  Those that are still around are on the older side.  At our association meetings, there has been no talk of unruly parents.  Some of my observations.  The covid hit and canceled a season.  Those that were umpiring and needed the $ found another job to pay the bills.  Not many NJ teams have fields with lights.  Games start at 4pm.  Travel time and prep time means most umps need to be out of their other job by 2:30.  For me personally, that is not possible so I do LL and Cal Rip - USABL.   Those that get into other sports see a greater income / hour.  A varsity level baseball game in NJ - 7 innings - often takes 2.5 hours.  Part of that is the umps own fault for not managing the time between innings.  Some is the talent level and walks / errors extend the game time.  The sub varsity levels are now looking to have a 2 hr time limit implemented.  Var level umps get $85 / game, sub var 67.  Lacrosse umps in NJ get that and more for a 1 hour game.  Softball - a much shorter game get the same as baseball.  I hear the same holds true for other sports.   Now take into consideration Uncle Sam.  Many schools have moved to on line payments through one vendor.  Just a few years ago - you could hide your income by not umping more than $600 worth of games at one school.  Now - no matter what school you ump - the income is all managed and reported thru the vendor.  Assuming a 30% tax bracket (fed + state) that $85 is now net $60.  The state also charges a fee as dose the association.  Then there is the unemployment benefits - the PPE and other subsidies that surrounded the pandemic.   For some the cost is not worth the effort.  There were also a number that chose to retire during the "off" year.   I don't know that there is a quick fix to the problem or that there is one fix.  Getting the young kids involved at 12 yo to do 8yo games on the bases in rec leagues, get them training before each season.  As they get to 15-16 yo get them behind the plate.  And for the state associations - do not have a 18yo age minimum to do games.   Let a 16-17yo fo F or JV games on the bases.  Let them work the lower level schools and work their way up to V and higher levels.  Pair them with an experienced ump one that can evaluate and corrrect as needed.. but then you get push back from the experienced up because he / she will be on lower paid / skill games. 

HS sports officiating supply has been dwindling - even before covid...  There's another thread about where hsbbw members sit during games. In that thread you will find a reason why there's fewer umps - parents who don't get it and why we don't sit near them... Feeling entitled to attack the coach/umpire or talk smack about others children - yikes.  Administrators / coaches fear for their jobs from parents that will go above their heads. If a player or coach gets ejected from a game, there are repercussions including suspensions, taking anger mgmt / sportsmanship courses, etc.  An umpire cannot eject a parent only an administrator / coach could do that. Imagine a coach stopping a game and telling his star pitcher's parent to leave because he's riding the ump for a single pitch his son didn't get called his way. I had to track down an administrator recently who was sitting way away from the "fans" who were riding the opposing pitcher because of his weight. Once he moved closer the jeering stopped, but no other parent or person nearby dared to step in and say knock it off. The coach knew who it was but was not getting involved.

Time and pay wise, yeah other sports make more per hour. You have to love baseball to want to take 4+ hours out of your day (travel, game, travel) for what you get paid and deal with a few ignorant parents. Many associations have mandatory off season training and then there's the FED test. I have to wonder how many parents would get an 80 or better on an open book test of FED rules. How many can track 3-500 pitches a game satisfactorily and judge in real time safe/out, fair/foul, balk or not, etc.  While roboump could solve one problem - I think it would shock you how the game would change at the HS level. It could be longer without the ability to steal a strike. For the most part, pitchers aren't that good yet with control.

Umpires aren't blameless... In some associations there's an old boy network to get to the good/better games. Then again, imagine how hard a 1st year umpire would be ridden at a cross-town rival game when he makes a mistake... Those that are new sometimes have grand dreams, but some of those that have been around for a while don't want to let the newbie get the experience. It's a balance. The newbie gets discouraged and moves on. You can make more per hour at travel or tournament games which are usually timed and you can do 5 or 6 games in a day.

One final thought - the players aren't getting any younger and neither is the average age of the umpire. In a sport where the age of the player is constant, but the age of the umpire increases eventually supply runs out - it's only a matter of time.

@JohnF - we see that a lot by us...the umpires are usually over 50 and most of them are in their 60s or early 70s.

I get part of it. You have to be retired to be able to umpire a HS game at 3:45 PM on a weekday. Nobody is going to make a full time living being an umpire.

But I also think some of those real old timers are doing it because they need the money. And that's sad. People shouldn't have to work like that in their 70s...with the cold or heat, having to wear gear, behind behind the plate for 2.5 hours. Not for $50.

agreed the ump situation is bad.  there's no accountability for the umps so the longer tenured, older umps get the better games. Also, i was told by a friend whose son just started umping that HS games are a higher "status", but weekend tournaments are where the money is.  His son can make 70 bucks a game during a tournament, doing 5 games a day for saturday and sunday.  that way, he can just work weekends and not worry about one-offs during the week.

Umps?!?!  We’re talking about Umps???  Who needs umps!!!

Last week for a double header we all sat around for 25 minutes waiting for the umps.  At that point both teams decided that a coach would call the games from behind the pitcher.  Umps never showed.

This week in middle of a game the field ump took off to the parking lot.  Plate ump called the game for a while.  Then out of no where the field ump just came back on to the field.

Not related, but also a lot of fun, our team showed up for away game and there was a second away team there.  So our team did not play.  Just had to get back on the bus and headed back home.

Sorry but our HS experience has been suspect at best.

My son’s high school games started at 3:45pm. A majority of the umpires were of retirement age. Most were 65-70. One was eighty-eight. He was in great shape. He was sharp. He knew the rule book. But, it’s a turn off to have the field umpire standing behind second ask the HPU if the ball bounced over or cleared the fence.

I might umpire when I retire. But I'm doing 46/60 and 10u and younger. Easier to track the ball and not get killed.

@Francis7 posted:

I might umpire when I retire. But I'm doing 46/60 and 10u and younger. Easier to track the ball and not get killed.

A friend (at the time) was a freshman basketball head coach. He’s now a D3 head coach. He showed up at one of my 12u games (I coached) dressed as a ref. I was surprised.He told me he couldn’t possibly suck as much as some of the refs. So he took the test. What he discovered was making snap decisions in a second wasn’t that easy. He was mediocre at first. But, he improved quickly.

So Around_The_Horn you do understand that as you age the chance to have a middle of the game "need" is greater than that of the <25 yr old who seemingly can go hours... It sucks to have no shows, but sometimes that's the fault of the coach and/or parents... I have no idea in your case, but it's hard to get excited to go for a DH somewhere that every decision is questioned by those that have zero interest in figuring it out.  And Francis7 - trust me when I say 40/60 and 10u is not easier to track the ball. Yes, it's easier to get out of the way, but parabola's and waiting for gravity for kids that are under 4 feet tall is not as easy as you think it is !

@JohnF the other thing that scares me about umping little kids is the parents. Small field parents are insane. I know...I used to be one of them who took the games too seriously.