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Carl Childress · #47 (**permalink**) Sun May 30, 2004, 02:34pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser

Quote:

Originally posted by Carl Childress

Quote:

Originally posted by Carl Childress
A bad habit is a weakness. Turning your head is a bad habit. Therefore....

Now, do you believe the umpire who turns his head at the plate after a call gains something from that "mechanics"?

Quote:

I say it is not a weakness or a bad habit. Stick to rules, Carl, where you can rightfully claim to have superior knowledge.

[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on May 30th, 2004 at 12:14 PM]

Rich: I appreciate your admitting my superior knowledge about the rules.

You seem to disparage my knowledge of mechanics.

Here's my resume:

Referee Enterprises published:

Behind the Mask (c) 1987
On the Bases (c) 1987
Take Charge (c) 1990

RightSports published:

51 Ways to Ruin a Baseball Game (c) 2000

Gerry Davis Sports Education published:

Working the Plate/Working the Bases (c) 2002

Due out at the end of the summer:

50 MORE Ways to Ruin a Baseball Game (c) 2004

I don't claim I have mechanics knowledge superior to yours; but three separate publishers, in three separate decades, have thought my work sufficiently "plausible" (shall we say) to stake their money on my ideas.

I repeat:

The umpire gains nothing when he turns his head away from the field.

The umpire may lose when he turns his head.

As yet, I have heard nothing other than "cosmetics" (I like to do it!) to support this bad habit.

I'm not disparaging anything, Carl. Your resume speaks well of your WRITING ability, of which I will not debate either.

Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Michael Moore, and many others have been able to find publishers. People like reading authors with strong opinions and with reputations. Your work at Referee was excellent, however much of your more recent works seem to be written to tilt at windmills rather than to educate and inform. Your "never in position A" writing is a good example of this, Carl.

I don't have the time or inclination to write books or even write articles on umpiring. I'm sure that I could do so if I had the time or the desire. I have neither. But that doesn't mean a darn thing.

I'm more impressed with your umpiring resume than your resume as an author.

Turn your head, don't turn your head. I don't care. Teach new umpires not to turn their heads, I agree. But don't make a blanket statement that all umpires benefit from this. I don't -- the ball is either caught or not caught well before I signal a strike.

Very interesting: When I offer something new, you disparage it. When I stick with something old, you disparage it. I'm afraid that it's personal with you.