@Rossford ... welcome to the world of umpiring. My son (14 years old) has just gotten started in it and I have taught him about not listening to nay-sayers....my philosophy is to always try and get the call right of course, but as long as you don't blow the easy ones, you never have to listen to people complaining. Every close pitch and close call is going to bother/anger 50% of the people there. As the BU this weekend at a tourney, I heard two fans complaining about umpires from the previous day's game, talking about how they can do it so much better. I of course didn't say anything, but my thought was "then get out here and do it". I played baseball my entire life, I played D-1 college, and it has taken me years to feel really comfortable out there. I wrestled in HS, probably could have in college if I didn't do baseball, coached wrestling, but when I officiated my first HS match, I felt like I didn't know a damn thing. Just a totally different perspective and not nearly as easy as people think. Just don't miss the blatantly obvious stuff and you won't hear a peep from me.
@thavoice...where are you located? NE Ohio? Couple times you have referenced things that I saw in the tourneys I worked, wonder if it was the same one, including batting out of order. I have not had that happen once in 5+ years of officiating, and it has happened twice in the last week. Once in a tourney this past weekend and another in a local travel ball game.
As for the sunglasses, the umpire can ask a pitcher to remove anything they deem is distracting. Some sunglasses are very different than others, very reflective, colors (some are just black, some look like multi-colors reflecting off the lenses)
Truthfully, the battery spots (plate and mound) should always be facing north and south so they never look directly in the sun; so shades shouldn't be necessary unless a kid has a medical condition of the eyes requiring protection. I might let dull dark lenses go, but highly reflective lenses I would have removed.
