IndianaTwin

With using Thielbar there, I'm thinking that seals the deal on Funderburk being sent down when Duran comes back.

If a homer gets a sausage, does an RBI single in a tie game in the ninth at least get a hot dog or a little smokie?

One of the few guys in baseball who looks for a triple on balls into the left field corner.

I think the shortage is pretty universal. Work takes me to several states, and a Nebraska parent said their area is doing the same thing. They take turns having Thursday games to help the situation. If I was 10 years or so younger (and didn't have glaucoma), I'd still consider giving it a shot. I think my temperament would do pretty well. Depending on how long I work, I may still get my starter's license for track and field. My body would hold up to that, and there's definitely a need there as well.

Has Kopech been hanging out with Duran? He was pretty electric.

Now tied for the team lead in steals.

Now let's have some sausage. Eventually leading to some chicken.

At least in our area, the ADs and principals, etc., have taken a fairly active role in approaching belligerant fans. It also helps that the games that I go to are usually small schools where everyone knows everyone, so they don't want to be perceived as a jerk when they are seen in the grocery store or at church. I liked the touch of the former AD. At soccer games, when a fan was getting out of hand, he would give them a yellow card. The card seemed to have the effect of bringing at least a bit of lightheartedness, and it tended to make the parent stop and think, "Yeah, I'm being kinda stupid here."

Good thought on not using the "not out." They did conference on a couple plays, which was good. Though it was the home plate ump that botched this play and both were inexperienced, it was clear that the home plate ump felt more comfortable than the base ump did. The crowd was decent about both plays I noted. There was the initial, "No way" reaction, but they let it go pretty quickly and didn't let things build. It also didn't help the umps that the field had very little foul territory, so pretty much everyone was right on top of the play. Had the two teams been at the other site, we would have been much further from the action.

Yes, that was what I was coming up with, yelling, "He dropped it." I like adding the "Not out." Another play they botched was having a runner on first and the batter hits one in the left-center field gap. Defense through to third and the base ump called him safe, while the home plate ump properly rotated toward third and called him out. After some discussion, they ruled the runner safe, though in a conversation with a prior coach after the game, the base ump admitted that it wasn't his call. But again, I'm grateful they got licensed and were there...

That's been my experience as well. Can't get to the best seats, but still get to pretty good ones. I'm generally not the kind of guy who gloats in people's face when winning, but I to make an exception at Comiskey/Cellular/Whatever. I've found that one of the more enjoyable experiences at a baseball game is to stand up after a Twins homer and announce, "You can put it on the booooaaarrrrd. Yes!" More than five years out, it's starting to lose the effect, but it still feels therapeutic.

Any umps on the thread tonight? I have an umpire extraction question. No, not of the rectal cranial variety, but rather how to extract himself from a call. I went to a high school game tonight. Runner on third, nobody out. Coach calls for suicide squeeze. Pitch is very low and the batter misses the bunt attempt. Runner is hung out to dry so he just keeps coming and more or less gives himself up as he coasts to the plate. Ump calls the runner out on the tag, but the catcher drops the ball, so ump corrects it by signaling and saying, "Safe." Runner continues toward dugout. Defense yells that he missed the plate. They tag him and the ump now calls him out. So here's the question. After the original "out" call, what's the ump supposed to do. By calling him "Safe," the runner assumed he can leave the field, so he was hung out to dry when the defensive coach called for the catcher to make the tag. Ideally, the ump would have not made the original "out" call, so he could have just remained silent if the runner missed the base*. That would have given the signal that the runner had neither touched the base nor been tagged. But he made the out call and then the safe call. After the first mistake, what could he have done to avoid the second? What say ye, TD friends? The call went against the team that won 13-2, so it didn't really have an effect on the game, but I'm still trying to figure it out. I do have one idea, but I'd like to hear from the experts here. *He didn't miss the base, by the way, but that's another issue. In reality, they were inexperienced and shaky all night, but as I told IT Jr., at least they were out there at a time when there's an umpire shortage.

I did wonder if that played a role in Funderburk going two innings and 38 pitches last night.

That's what I'm saying. There's not an obvious pitcher to send down in his place.

Except I don't think he has an option. Jax, Sands and Funderburk do.

I didn't know thumbs have a crotch. (I'm also not sure how to deal with this new information.)

It's a good problem to have. I'm not sure there's an obvious answer for Duran to replace either.

I'm waiting for a bat boy to run out with a foam finger.

As opposed to...

Along with an open tab for Google.

Unfortunately.

It's easy if you try.

A Vazquez stolen base.

Not only that, but he stole 20 percent of my couch. Ouch.