Two weeks down

Cant believe we have been at this for two weeks, this week has flown! Well we have now finished running through all plays for the 2 umpire system. We are also in Section 7 of the book and should be finished that this week. We have also completed 7 of the 14 exams.

This week has included check swing calls, batters and catchers interference, oh and lots of pivot drills. But we also started the Angle and Distance comp..a few people have scored a point - but the are the exception. We also covered awarding of bases, time of pitch, time of the throw, detached equipment - they all run through your head, must ensure we take our time and think before we award.
We were also introduced to Jim wheel, which selects a player to take the class for a particular review of work or the like - No number 54's please!!

Yesterday we were entertained by the instructors and Jim with the act of an ejection - for which we had to write up the report for. Great quote from Jim - "why don't you turn the plate over you might find some directions".

This week will see the introduction of camp games - we were given the run down of procedure. Basically you are teamed up (two umpire system), fielding side, you umpire real situations, while the red short evaluate. This will now continue for the next 3 weeks.

By the way had a little incident myself on Friday, was running after being a base umpire to be a plate umpire and was hit with a wild throw by a fellow student, in the back of the right hand. Yes I swore and yes it hurt, but medic Chris was quickly on the scene to check it and make sure nothing was broken, which confirmed it was ok, but it quickly blew up, plenty of Ice Friday. With it still swallow, and not able to make a fist (funny strike/out calls) I took the field on Saturday, but as the day got warmer and I kept using it, it quickly blew up more - so unfortunately I had to spend the rest of the afternoon with an ice pack. But lucky the night air was able to continue the ice treatment (yes it was very cold) and i can report today that whilst it is bruised and still a little sore to touch I can now make a fist and don't look like i have a man hand, as someone put it!

Why was I out in the cold last night......well for the past 3 nights they were suppose to be launching a Spy Satellite from KSC, it was scheduled for 7:33, well at 9pm it was still supposed to be happening, and eventually at 9:47 it was launched. I can now say I saw it, was it great - NO, it was a light moving in the sky that got brighter as the boosters went off. Tick - done one thing on my list of 100 things to do before I die.