With all my assignments for the day complete, I headed over to Lamade to watch our Southeast Region team take on the Northeast. It was a real dogfight and a gem of a game to watch from the stands. From this vantage point, I could see what the fans see. I felt the energy from both sides as I was sandwiched between the, uh, enthusiastic parents of both teams.
After the third inning was complete, I took the opportunity to visit the Video Replay booth and observe the remainder of the game there. Fascinating! As I mentioned before, Little League is very progressive in using technology to review close plays. Thanks to the ESPN broadcast, there are many camera angles available, and I got to watch a couple of reviews as they happened.
What is truly fascinating is that each angle tells a different story. And sometimes, those stories appear to be in conflict. The result of the play will appear to be obvious in real time . . . until the next angle is shown in slow motion.
Suddenly, an entirely different perspective. A gap between the foot and the base that didn't seem to exist previously, and a beautiful tag laid down by the catcher. Of course, none of this was visible to the fans as the play unfolded, but our umpire got it right.
A fitting way to end my day.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Blimey! The Aussies are here!
Leave it to Little League to put the "World" in "World Series!"
It's always exciting when a country (or continent) has its first team in this prestigious tournament, and this year both Australia and the Czech Republic made it to Williamsport. I was honored to participate in Australia's first game, albeit on the Left Field Line, but it gave me a wonderful view of their team in the dugout.
Again, I couldn't stop smiling at their excitement. At the plate meeting, the Australian manager was so emotional, I thought he would burst into tears any minute. All that hard work had paid off, and here they were, in a packed stadium full of heart. Every single spectator, including the parents from the opposing team, knew this was a little bit of history being made in Volunteer Stadium.
There were those special moments - - the first pitch by the Australian team, their first hit. The balls were quickly collected and are now headed, I'm guessing, to the Little League Museum. I'm hoping they'll add a home run ball to the collection before they head back to the Land Down Under.
The team from Mexico is always full of talent, and this year's team is typical. Well-coached and aggressive. They dominated the game from the beginning.
Great fun, great kids, great baseball.
It's always exciting when a country (or continent) has its first team in this prestigious tournament, and this year both Australia and the Czech Republic made it to Williamsport. I was honored to participate in Australia's first game, albeit on the Left Field Line, but it gave me a wonderful view of their team in the dugout.
Again, I couldn't stop smiling at their excitement. At the plate meeting, the Australian manager was so emotional, I thought he would burst into tears any minute. All that hard work had paid off, and here they were, in a packed stadium full of heart. Every single spectator, including the parents from the opposing team, knew this was a little bit of history being made in Volunteer Stadium.
There were those special moments - - the first pitch by the Australian team, their first hit. The balls were quickly collected and are now headed, I'm guessing, to the Little League Museum. I'm hoping they'll add a home run ball to the collection before they head back to the Land Down Under.
The team from Mexico is always full of talent, and this year's team is typical. Well-coached and aggressive. They dominated the game from the beginning.
Great fun, great kids, great baseball.
Hello, Mr. Replay!
If you read my previous post, I believe this is what the literary types call "foreboding."
Yesterday morning was the first chance I had had to actually be in the stadium area. Wow. First of all, I had to go through security - - and I don't mean just show my official credential to the nice volunteer at the gate. I mean going through a full-blown metal detector! Oh, yeah, while carrying an umpire's uniform that I thought strongly implied I'm one of the good guys.
Like I said, Little League takes the safety of the kids very, very seriously.
There are two adjacent stadiums, Lamade and Volunteer, and the area between them serves as a giant community concourse. It's like being at a super-charged, sports-themed carnival. Every sort of food you can imagine. Cotton Candy, Funnel Cake, Roast Beef Sandwiches, Hot Dogs, Pretzels, Smoothies.
Souveniers aplenty -- there's even a designated area for pin trading, and there are some rabid collectors. I've even picked up a fan who is there to greet me when I come off the field. And by "fan," I mean "stalker." If anything happens to me, please look for Barry.
ESPN has set up the stage for the broadcast of Sports Center, so everyone gathers there when the show goes live. It's especially exciting at night when everything is lit up and the kids are all hamming it up for the camera.
But, back to the game . . .
The stadium was full of fans, and given it was Panama and Puerto Rico, there was great Latin enthusiasm!! Can you say, "Loud?" As mentioned in my earlier post, those butterflies were a real concern. The atmosphere was so electric, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through every cell in my body. I had to jump up and down a few times like a pogo stick, just to calm down. Ok, more than a few times. And it only worked a little bit.
Plus, I couldn't stop grinning. I am having so much fun, it's just an explosion of sensory experiences I can't describe. I really hope I'm not being picked up by the cameras, because as officials, there's a certain dignity expected, and yet I look like I have a coat hanger stuck in my mouth.
I took my place at first base and waited. Here came the runner, here came the throw. He's out! Not a tough one. Whew! That's all I needed, I felt like a door opened and my 17 years of experience had kicked in.
And then - - I am not making this up - - a butterfly flitted in front of me, from the field into the stands, and I laughed out loud. You have to love the symbolism. The butterfly was free. And now, so was I.
The Panama team got an early lead. I had a pretty close play at first and a ruling on a checked swing. The crowd signaled its agreement or disagreement, depending on their designated seating area.
Language can be an issue. Each team has translators in the dugout, but the base coaches do not necessarily speak English. This can become a problem if the plate umpire is trying to give them a warning or remind them of their use of a time-out.
Then came the play all of the umpires had talked about, the moment we dreaded: the video review. Bases loaded and the ball was hit to the infield. He went home to get the runner, then the catcher fired to first for the double-play attempt. I anticipated the throw, had begun hustling into position, and was ready. SAFE!
Hmmm. Or maybe not. We typically watch the runner's foot, listen for the pop of the ball in the glove, then look to the hand to make sure the fielder has control. It was a very close play, and with this kind of stadium noise, it's very difficult to hear anything. I knew immediately this would be a review play, and it was.
As it turned out, I was incorrect and the correct ruling was made. Ouch. Thank goodness the Little League officials had spent a great deal of time with us, explaining the replay was our friend. Still, being on the first game, having the first call that was reviewed, and of course, being the only female officiating at the Little League World Series . . . it made it tough.
The Panama coaches were very sweet and kept apologizing to me for questioning my call. The translator explained to them that I didn't take it personally and in the end, we really want it to be the right call.
None of us wants to be the reason a team missed their chance at the championship, so I'm ok with that.
Yesterday morning was the first chance I had had to actually be in the stadium area. Wow. First of all, I had to go through security - - and I don't mean just show my official credential to the nice volunteer at the gate. I mean going through a full-blown metal detector! Oh, yeah, while carrying an umpire's uniform that I thought strongly implied I'm one of the good guys.
Like I said, Little League takes the safety of the kids very, very seriously.
There are two adjacent stadiums, Lamade and Volunteer, and the area between them serves as a giant community concourse. It's like being at a super-charged, sports-themed carnival. Every sort of food you can imagine. Cotton Candy, Funnel Cake, Roast Beef Sandwiches, Hot Dogs, Pretzels, Smoothies.
Souveniers aplenty -- there's even a designated area for pin trading, and there are some rabid collectors. I've even picked up a fan who is there to greet me when I come off the field. And by "fan," I mean "stalker." If anything happens to me, please look for Barry.
ESPN has set up the stage for the broadcast of Sports Center, so everyone gathers there when the show goes live. It's especially exciting at night when everything is lit up and the kids are all hamming it up for the camera.
But, back to the game . . .
The stadium was full of fans, and given it was Panama and Puerto Rico, there was great Latin enthusiasm!! Can you say, "Loud?" As mentioned in my earlier post, those butterflies were a real concern. The atmosphere was so electric, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through every cell in my body. I had to jump up and down a few times like a pogo stick, just to calm down. Ok, more than a few times. And it only worked a little bit.
Plus, I couldn't stop grinning. I am having so much fun, it's just an explosion of sensory experiences I can't describe. I really hope I'm not being picked up by the cameras, because as officials, there's a certain dignity expected, and yet I look like I have a coat hanger stuck in my mouth.
I took my place at first base and waited. Here came the runner, here came the throw. He's out! Not a tough one. Whew! That's all I needed, I felt like a door opened and my 17 years of experience had kicked in.
And then - - I am not making this up - - a butterfly flitted in front of me, from the field into the stands, and I laughed out loud. You have to love the symbolism. The butterfly was free. And now, so was I.
The Panama team got an early lead. I had a pretty close play at first and a ruling on a checked swing. The crowd signaled its agreement or disagreement, depending on their designated seating area.
Language can be an issue. Each team has translators in the dugout, but the base coaches do not necessarily speak English. This can become a problem if the plate umpire is trying to give them a warning or remind them of their use of a time-out.
Then came the play all of the umpires had talked about, the moment we dreaded: the video review. Bases loaded and the ball was hit to the infield. He went home to get the runner, then the catcher fired to first for the double-play attempt. I anticipated the throw, had begun hustling into position, and was ready. SAFE!
Hmmm. Or maybe not. We typically watch the runner's foot, listen for the pop of the ball in the glove, then look to the hand to make sure the fielder has control. It was a very close play, and with this kind of stadium noise, it's very difficult to hear anything. I knew immediately this would be a review play, and it was.
As it turned out, I was incorrect and the correct ruling was made. Ouch. Thank goodness the Little League officials had spent a great deal of time with us, explaining the replay was our friend. Still, being on the first game, having the first call that was reviewed, and of course, being the only female officiating at the Little League World Series . . . it made it tough.
The Panama coaches were very sweet and kept apologizing to me for questioning my call. The translator explained to them that I didn't take it personally and in the end, we really want it to be the right call.
None of us wants to be the reason a team missed their chance at the championship, so I'm ok with that.
Game 1: Latin America v Carribean, 1st Base
Who forgets to set their alarm for a day like this? Fortunately, my body clock kicked in and I woke up at 4:40 am, technically "oversleeping" a mere 40 minutes. Kinda sick, don't you think?
So, here we go. My biggest enemy will be butterflies. In my opinion, 1st base is the most difficult position - - it's where most of the action occurs and for the umpire, there's no place to hide. Everything you do (or don't do) is there for the whole world to see. And today, the whole world is watching.
Butterflies make you react too quickly. You're apt to make a call based on what you THINK is going to happen, versus what actually happened. Former MLB umpire Jim Evans always says, "Anticipate the play, but not the result."
That's why we umpires always say PAUSE - READ - REACT.
Our crew will have big adjustments to make today. These are truly the best-of-the-best. Talented athletes, some the size of adults, playing on a small, 60-foot field. During their regular seasons, they were all pitchers and shortstops, the cream of the crop. They will get to balls and make plays we umpires were not expecting. The right fielder will come up throwing to get the batter-runner out at first. They will be lightning on the basepath. EVERY play will be a banger.
In short, we'll need to be alert, focused, and ready for anything. And I must remember, the replay is not the enemy. It's the 7th member of my crew.
My hope is that we have a good game whose outcome is determined by good play (and not errors), that none of the kids gets hurt, and that everyone enjoys this remarkable experience.
Oh, yeah. And that those little butterflies stay home.
So, here we go. My biggest enemy will be butterflies. In my opinion, 1st base is the most difficult position - - it's where most of the action occurs and for the umpire, there's no place to hide. Everything you do (or don't do) is there for the whole world to see. And today, the whole world is watching.
Butterflies make you react too quickly. You're apt to make a call based on what you THINK is going to happen, versus what actually happened. Former MLB umpire Jim Evans always says, "Anticipate the play, but not the result."
That's why we umpires always say PAUSE - READ - REACT.
Our crew will have big adjustments to make today. These are truly the best-of-the-best. Talented athletes, some the size of adults, playing on a small, 60-foot field. During their regular seasons, they were all pitchers and shortstops, the cream of the crop. They will get to balls and make plays we umpires were not expecting. The right fielder will come up throwing to get the batter-runner out at first. They will be lightning on the basepath. EVERY play will be a banger.
In short, we'll need to be alert, focused, and ready for anything. And I must remember, the replay is not the enemy. It's the 7th member of my crew.
My hope is that we have a good game whose outcome is determined by good play (and not errors), that none of the kids gets hurt, and that everyone enjoys this remarkable experience.
Oh, yeah. And that those little butterflies stay home.
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