our surroundings at the baseball field are important for several reasons. It’s crucial that you know where the dead ball areas and fences are located in every park. But it’s also important to know what to expect from the game site in other areas. Let’s see if you have thought about those issues prior to a game.

Pre-game

All baseball organizations ask the umpires to inspect the field prior to the game. If you’ve worked at a particular field, that inspection may be a brief visual sweep around the park. But if this is your first time at a field or the field is new, you need to take a walk around the perimeter to look for gates, open areas in the fence, marked dead ball areas, etc. Make sure you clearly cover those areas in the pre-game with your partner and with the coaches. That should be second nature and done prior to every game.

I firmly believe that other areas are just as important to recognize prior to the game. Is there a concession stand that will provide the umpire with water? Where will the fans be sitting? Does the field have a press box and will it be used? In most cases, all umpires will need a source of water. Some parks have great concession stands that actually carry water to the umpires during the game. Other parks are miles from the nearest store, and you’d better bring your own water. If a team offers you water, don’t refuse it. But try to have your own neutral source so you don’t go "begging" for water at the dugout.

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