[IRISHMAFIA]

Joel,

I was not refering to anyone on this or McGriff's board, but the old crusty veterans that learned to umpire 30 years ago and haven't cracked a rule book since.

As for the "unasked" question being the dumbest is not always true. I sat through a Fed Clinic this year and the clinician spent 15 minutes explaining the appeal process, live ball and dead ball. There was a veteran who apparently calls ONLY Federation rules who could not grasp an umpire allowing a request for time for the purpose of a dead ball and wanted to know why they just can't keep doing it the way he has been doing it for years by just declaring a runner out. His redundant questions lasted more than the 15 minutes the clinician spent on the rule. The clinician eventually just asked the umpire to reread the rule in this year's book and moved on.

Actually, the rest of us appreciated the break as almost everyone else at one point or the other, went to the bathroom and got a soda during the discussion.

BTW, when we run a New Umpire Clinic, we give them two hours to complete the test. We allow discussion between the participants. We also provide knowledgeable monitors who roam around the room. When a person or group is hung up on something, they will ask the questions and provide scenarios which will lead them to look up the proper ruling. But at no time do we supply them with the answers.

On the other hand, a few years ago I took a serious look at the tests turned in by umpires in my area. I was shocked to find out that of 70 test, 11 scored less than a 70 and they were all veterans on an OPEN BOOK test. These are the guys who just believe they know the rules and don't bother opening the book.

The ASA test is there to help educate, not frustrate the umpires, but it is nothing more than a tool that cannot help an umpire unless he or she decides to use it.