[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Let's take this a step further:

What is your definition of a fair umpire?

What is your definition of a good umpire?


As I intimated earlier, a fair umpire might not make the correct call. He just calls them equally the same. He doesn't see a red team or a blue team, he does the job as best he can. He tries to be fair when applying the rule and is conscious of the concerns of all involved. He must know the rules well enough to apply them equally. Yet, this says nothing about his judgement or ability to control the game. We all know umpires that are fair and they are universally liked. We usually enjoy working with these guys.

The umpires we consider to be good, usually demonstrate the ability to set themselves apart from the ordinary. Maybe they hustle more, communicate better or have outstanding timing and judgement. I don't consider umpires that cheat or don't give their best efforts to be good. I believe that good umpires must be fair, have a working knowledge of the rules and excellent communication skills. I want to work with these guys.

Now, I have nothing against those of you who consider a fair umpire more admirable than a good one. I would just like to see how you define them.

The orginal question could just as easily have been "Do you like the pitcher who works fast but is a little erratic or the dart thrower who is really slow? One makes the game move along but causes you to call ball four too often. The other makes your job easy - think strike, strike, sit down; but he kills your back and knees after another three hour marathon. Neither one is bad; perception is everything.