[greymule]

Thoughtful comments, and I agree to some extent. I do not believe that umpires who dance with mascots are unsportsmanlike (and I never said anything of the kind), and I don't think that such antics necessarily detract from their ability to control the game. But those things are not for me, and I wouldn't umpire where I was expected, as part of a "show," to participate.

I find it telling that spots101 thought the character of Patch Adams appealing. So did many people, including, obviously, Robin Williams and the producers of the movie. But I saw Patch Adams as an annoying, facetious, self-indulgent a$$, and my sympathies were entirely with the physicians who opposed him. Good bedside manner is important, even crucial, but in my view, gratuitously dressing up like an angel for a terminal patient is crass.

I don't believe that an umpire has to be stoic and robotic. I talk to players; I laugh about things that happen during the game; I say, "Nice play," quietly. But just as when I taught high school for a while 30 years ago, I feel better keeping a certain professional distance. For me, that distance is greater than it is for others.

I don't believe it's a matter of "lightening up." We all have our own distinct personalities, and we have to umpire in a way that's comfortable for ourselves.