Quote:
Originally posted by WindyCityBlue
This'll probably rankle a few...
An umpire's gear NEVER belongs on the field of play.
There...now I feel better. Think about it, you are bringing something onto the field that could affect the game. Don't do it...Put it behing the gate or back stop, not in one of the dugouts. I recognize that some of us work a couple of games in a row and may be alone...keep hydrated. But, we get enough grief without causing it ourselves.
At most good varsity parks and above, build a repoire with the kid retrieving foul balls. Smile, say thank you and when you need a drink, ask him if he can bring you one. Don't forget your partner(s).
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Windy;
You are absolutely correct for NCAA ball and above. At those levels, they take care of us. Unfortunately at the lower levels, the umpires have to take care of themselves.
10 years ago, I was doing a high school level game. During that game, I followed your advice because it was the advice of big dogs everywhere. My cooler was outside the field of play. Between innings, I would walk over and drink.
The next day (after this game), I was violently ill with the runs. After running tests, the bacteria causing the problem was identified and it took three days of antibiotics to clear it up. The health department came and checked my well and all kinds of things around my house. On a hunch, I gave them my cooler from that game since it still had some water in it.
The cooler tested postive for fecal matter. No other source of contamination was found in my house and none of my other family members got sick. I had not been to a restaurant in over a week at that time either.
Other umpires I know have caught players urinating in their coolers.
From that day forward, when I do baseball below the NCAA level, I keep my cooler next to the backstop, in the field of play, where I can see it. (At the NCAA level, they bring me water or gatorade in sealed containers.) I don't care what is appropriate, looks good, or the big dogs say. My health and well being comes before perception.
BTW, I wrote up this horror story for ABUA in 1999. I cannot find it over on their site however. It was part of a long 4 part article that I wrote for them on working the plate.
Peter