Here three things I’ve learned recently.  Maybe you’ll find them interesting.  Or maybe you already knew about them in which case you can go to the head of the class.

Disclaimer:  These opinions are from his experience.  They may do things different here in the Big Ten.

Who calls the game in case of bad weather?

I got thinking about this question because of the Saturday game against Indiana State that was cancelled.  I found it unusual that the game was called five minutes before the scheduled start.  The fans were in the stands and the players were all warmed up then the PA announcer told us the game had been cancelled because of cold weather.  I was curious who made the decision.

Todd says that generally speaking, up until game time, it is the home team that makes the decision whether to cancel a game because of weather.  Once the game starts though, that decision is handed over to the umpire crew.

By the way, if you’re curious, that photo above was taken at a Michigan State-Illinois game on March 29, 2009.  And yes, they finished that game.

How long does a home plate umpire wait before going out to the mound to keep the game going?

We see this several times a game.  A manager, catcher and who knows else goes out to the mound for a conference.  Sooner or later, you see the home plate umpire stride on out there to hurry them up or they’d be out there forever.

I once asked Todd if he had a set time limit that he gave teams for a conference on the mound.  Now keep in mind that every umpire is different but this is Todd’s routine.  He tells me that once the conference starts he waits about ten seconds then takes the time to brush off home plate.  If it doesn’t seem like it’s going to break up anytime soon, then he makes his move toward the mound.

Again, every umpire is different, I’m sure.

What is that device strapped to the umpire’s belt?

Time is of the essence now, apparently.  These devices are stopwatches.  Todd tells me that as of this year, umpires have an additional duty.  They are required to make sure pitchers deliver the ball twenty seconds after they receive the ball from the catcher.  And unless the game is televised, there should not be more than 90 seconds between half innings.

This USA Today article has the details on the rules:

“With the 20-second pitch clock, when the bases are empty the pitcher has 20 seconds from the time he receives the ball from the catcher to begin his windup. Should he fail to do so within 20 seconds, he will be given a warning. Each violation after that, a ball will be added to the pitch count. Hitters that fail to enter the batter’s box within the allotted amount of time will be given a strike for each violation following the initial warning.

— The 90 second clock begins once the last out of the previous inning is made. From that point, the pitcher has 90 seconds to warm up and the leadoff batter must be in the batter’s box.”

Some NCAA stadiums are even installing pitch clocks.

I appreciate the inside info my buddy gives me.  It helps me enjoy the game more.  I’ll even sometimes hear those stories of when he’s had to eject a player or a coach.  Glad he’s not an ump here in the Big Ten… he may have a quick thumb.

10.  A warm jacket.  Those early season games get pretty chilly.

9.  Money…but only if you want to get something from the concession stand.  Illini baseball games are free this year!

8.  Your Orange and Blue gear.  Wear it proud.

7.  Your voice.  Let the Illini players know you’re there!

6.  A glove.  Handy to catch those errant foul balls.  Don’t forget to turn them back in to the media office, though.

5.  A camera.  I always bring mine.

4.   Did I mention a warm jacket?  It’s supposed to be 41 degrees at gametime tomorrow.

3.  Your enthusiasm, love of the game and sometimes, patience.

2.  Your friends, family, anyone you know. Let’s fill the stands.

1.  Yourself.  That one’s important.

Forecasts show a high of 43 with showers.  So wear something warm.  It’s a 3pm game time (for the moment… you know how these early season games go).

The Illini preview isn’t out yet so it will be interesting to see who the starting pitchers will be this weekend.  My guess is that Coach Hartleb will go with the usual Johnson-Anderson-Kimes but it wouldn’t surprise me either if Will Strack (left) was thrown in there somewhere considering his outstanding performance on Sunday.

Rick Heller is in his second year as head coach of the Sycamores.  Under Heller, the team went 35-19 in 2010 and he has the distinction of having the best record for a first year coach.  So it’s safe to say they’re happy with him so far.  This season, the team has come down to earth with a 11-9 record so far.  No doubt that’s good but the Missouri Valley Conference is competitive so it’s anyone’s game.

Outfielder Robby Ort is the big threat with the bat.  He leads the team in homers, rbis and runs scored.  Colin Rea is a pitcher to watch as well.  He’s 4-1 with a 3.89 ERA.  He can bring it, too.  He’s got 31 strikeouts in 34 plus innings.

Random Ramblings

No word yet if there’s a bus trip planned for St Louis when Illinois plays Missouri on March 29.  Once I hear anything, I’ll post it.

One more thought:  somebody get Brian de la Torriente some innings so that 99.00 ERA can go down.

Let’s go Illini!

The gist of it is that the University of Illinois has announced that they will make admission to all of its ‘Olympic Sports’ free of charge.

From the Illini press release:

The University of Illinois announced Wednesday that it will make admission to most of its Olympic Sports free of charge. The move was made to give Illinois fans more opportunities to enjoy quality family entertainment in challenging economic times.

Illinois wrestling, gymnastics, track & field, baseball, softball, and soccer will now allow free admission. Illinois will continue to charge admission to football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball.

I’m already hearing from fans who are saying they are thinking of attending more games this year.  While a $6 admission (what it has been in recent years) is a bargain in my opinion, the free admission will certainly make it easier for families.

Thanks Illinois!

After work today (yes, I worked on a Saturday), I crossed the cemetery that separates the U of I campus and the baseball field and got another look at the nearly completed clubhouse addition at Illinois Field.  While I was there, I shot some photos.

As you can see, the construction fences are still up.  It does look like that landscaping, signage, and perhaps some minor work still needs to be done on the outside but for the most part the actual brick and mortar looks done.

I’m hoping that once the inside is done, we’ll see photos of it on the Illinois Baseball web site.  Word has it that it should be really nice.

One month from yesterday, the Illini baseball team will be playing in their first game of the 2011 season.  It’s hard to believe.  I remind baseball fans from here who are counting the days to MLB Spring Training or Opening Day that Illinois Baseball starts so much earlier.  I tell them, “Hey, only a month away”.

2011 Recruiting Class +1

Before I forget, there was some actual Illini baseball news over the holiday break.  The Illini coaches added one more to the 2011 recruiting class.  Chase Hainline who comes from Olympia HS in Stanford, Illinois signed a letter of intent.  Hainline who is a 5’9” outfielder, has some formidable numbers so far.  He hit .427 with 26 stolen bases and 47 runs.

Clubhouse addition

I’ve gone past Illinois Field recently and underneath all the ice and snow, it looks like the new addition to the clubhouse is nearing completion.  I can’t speak for how the inside looks but the outside looks great.  When I get a chance, I’ll bring the camera out there and get a few shots of the progress.

How you can follow IBR

Finally, in the spirit of the new year, I’d like to remind everyone of all the ways you can follow the Illinois Baseball Report.  If you are on Facebook, consider becoming a fan of the Illinois Baseball Report’s fan page. If you do, you’ll get notified whenever there is a new article on the website.

If you prefer using Twitter, we do that too.  Follow @illbaseballrpt and similarly, your Twitter account will get notified when IBR is updated.

… or you could just come here to the web page.  I like that, too.

Good luck to everyone in 2011 and especially good luck to the University of Illinois baseball team!

Willie Argo gets a hit in Game 2 of the 2009 Orange and Blue World Series

I found out just today that the dates for the Orange and Blue World Series have been scheduled.  The team plans to play on October 4-6.  No times have been given but weekday O&B games in the past have been played in the late afternoon. 

For those not in the know, the Orange and Blue World Series is an annual series played in the fall.  It’s played by the Illini team split up into the Orange team and Blue team.

It’s a good chance for the Illinois baseball fans to get to know the team that they will be seeing in the 2011 season.  It’s especially handy to see the new guys, the freshman and transfers. 

So mark your calendars for October 4, 5 and 6.  If I get some definite times, I’ll pass them on.

Update:  Word has it that games will start around 4:30… give or take a few minutes.

Other Stuff

If you’ve already seen my photos of the progress made on the new clubhouse addition at Illinois Field, you might also want to see the official pictures posted on the U of I Baseball site.

Also, I’m a little late with this but kudos to Corey Kimes for getting named to the list of Top 10 Prospects by Baseball America in the Prospect League.  Corey was 5-1 with a 2.64 ERA and allowed only 16 walks and 42 hits in 47 2/3 innings.

Congrats, Corey!

From across the street:

A little closer:

From the west side:

…and from the southeast.

While I was out at Illinois Field today, I noticed they had made some discernable progress on the clubhouse renovation.  There are now walls!  Well, they’ve started on them, at least. 

Here’s a view from the southeast side:

It gives us, and more importantly the players, a concrete (no pun intended) idea what the size of the addition will be.

The players look good.  Specifically, Matt Dittman looks to be in good form after his injury last year.  That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering the great summer he had with the Rochester Honkers. 

I did take a couple photos of the progress on the clubhouse.  Seems they laid a tarp over the expansion area now. 

The construction is scheduled to finish by 2011.