[CVLLBlue]

I have been reading this board for several months, since the merger with myteam.com. Great Posts.

I could not get through online either regarding the Editorial so I am sending the following via the US Mail.

FINE THE UMPIRE!

" Television replays of the pitch showed it to be six inches, more or less, outside"

Should the umpire be fined by the inch? Even with the television replay, the decision can not be totally determined by this Editor's judgement of the pitch. Should the plate umpire split his pay for the day with the base umpire who rules on the appeal for a check swing? Best of all, how about we indict the umpire as a co-conspiritor on assault charges for not ejecting the pitcher everytime a batter is hit.

Judgement is the operative word here. It takes an average of 8-10 years of training and work to get to the plate of a MLB game. Tens of thousands of pitches called from behind an iron mask with only the time between innings to rest during a game.

Consistency, not perfection is what gets them to the forefront of their profession. Their ability to improve upon their judgement , with the help and support of the peers as they progress through the ranks. Hopefully, mentored by those who came before them, they are given the proper insight on the rules and ethics of their chosen profession. But, that is enough on journalists.

Messrs. Piazza and Valentine were ejected for a rules violation, not at the whim of an umpire. I am quite certain that Messr. Piazza has never been ejected for arguing a pitch outside the strike zone while he was behind the plate, receiving the the pitch as a catcher.

Fortunately for me, I am only an amateur baseball umpire that has to endure the opinions of parents and volunteer coaches who, I am sure, are as equally expierenced as is this author of the Editorial at performing this position.

John W. Fink