Arrogance and accuracy
Bfair faults Carl Childress for his "arrogant statements". He also commented about Carl's book wherein he advocates about "...about not calling a balk on F1 for specifically violating a pitching rule because his INTENT was not to deceive the runner. Yet, you have the audicity to admonish those who don't carry a book on the field implying their inconsistency in their following of the general guidelines of umpiring." [Bfair's quotes as I screwed up the quote function here]
Webster's describes arrogance as "the assertion of one's own importance, together with contempt of others." It also uses "haughtiness" as a definition. Just like the umpire who said we don't know the abilities of an umpire merely by their submissions to these boards I would suggest that I can't call Carl "arrogant" without having have met him. But lets say I meet him and find him to be arrogant. What does that say about the accuracy of his comments? Too many Carl-haters focus on his style and seem to ignore his substance. I choose to do the opposite but I don't consider myself an apostle.
I read this again on page 14 of Carl's latest book or should I say booklet (51 Ways to Ruin sa Baseball Game). And I felt a whole lot better about the Mickey Mantle game a few years back where I didn't make that call where the picher switched from the windup to the set without properly disengaging... in the last inning of a one-run game with the bases loaded. (No one noticed the non-call).
I'll not try further to dissuade anyone from their negative opinion of the tone of Carl's messages. In fact some anger might be reasonable. I'm also not selling his book which sounds a lot like the best of all his posts. But I can and do learn from what Carl "preaches". In making sure you don't hinder the catcher Carl states in going after foul balls catchers "..typically turn to their right because they are right-handed." Now I knew that instinctively but not concretely. You could have situations like I do where 95% of your games are played with an overhang from the backstop so few catcher chase foul pops behind the plate but Carl's advise may help especially at tournament time when we're on that field with the backstop 150 feet behind the plate. Jim/NY
|