[BlueLawyer]

Thanks for the kind words. All valid points.

I have someone in my association (my assignor and the rules interpreter, as it happens) with whom I regularly butt heads on umpiring issues and association business (I'm on the exec board- he's a former President). It usually works like this: he says something or posts something I disagree with. I argue against him with varying degrees of passion, depending on the issue and how wrong I believe him to be. We argue, sometimes he wins, and then we go have a beer and make up. The loser of the argument buys the first round. He is slowly getting an education in courtroom technique.

The relationship works, I think, because of mutual professional respect, necessity (we have to work together both on the field and off) and beer.

There are very few umpires I have met in person who I don't like, including the two or three MLB guys. Maybe the general lack of personal contact is what we lack, although I would still think we share a whole lot more in common than any thing that divides us.

By the way, my name is Zega. Only my mother and the judges I work with call me "Steve".

Strikes and outs!