[aceholleran]

Summer league: college players, some ex-pros, guys just looking to get some at-bats. Verry little grumbling in general. One night, hotshot D1 college batter drew a line past the outside corner after my strike call to make it a full count. I dummy up and put the incident in the hard drive.

Then St. Chylak, the patron of all umpires, intervened. The pitcher (now my buddy for life) threw the next one right down Broadway, maybe 3-4 inches above the belt. The line-drawer took the pitch. Thanks again, Nestor.

My usual strike-three ring-up is short and sweet. I drew this one out like I was Kiri Te Kanawa doing Carmen at the Met. Batter-rattus was a good 5-6 feet down the line toward 1B when I finally finished my aria. He turned toward me, mouth majestically agape. I beat him to the punch.

"Draw a line up there, Meat," I said.

Not a word from him, his coaches or teammates for the rest of the game.

As the Shakers say, sometimes things turn around until they come out right.

Ace in CT