Quote:
Originally posted by David B
That makes more sense, (g)
I was not completely paying attention I guess.
Internet umpiring - that at least sounds interesting, and it keeps guys coming back to the boards.
I just wonder how much of it is actually making its way onto the field.
Thanks
David
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David;
Thanks for more opportunities to promote my article. I'll give a brief outline here since there seems to be some confusion on the subject.
The aspects of Internet umpiring working its way into the real game is only contained in one or two parts of the 11 part series. However, since this is one of the most eyecatching part, it is easily promoted that way.
The series is entitled "Creative Ejections". It begins with the proposition that youth ball umpires are allowing way too much bad behavior in their games. The article expounds at length on why this bad for the umpire. (as if it wasn't bad enough for the kids.) Just read any of the recent news blurbs on this site about youth baseball games degenerating into near riots.
The article gives lots of specific examples. The following examples are not from the article but it might give the reader a flavor:
Imagine if you will, the following far fetched scenerio:
Friex and myself head to Australia on a vacation together and go to a typical bush league baseball game to take in the local flavor of baseball. Lo and behold, Warren Willson is working the plate. This is not the type of baseball that he has led us to believe that he does, this more closely resembles MSBL. Warren does not know that Freix and I are there and have linked up. Freix takes a seat behind third and I take a seat behind first. (among the 22 other fans in attendnace.)
In the third inning, Warren calls a worm burner a strike and while the dugout groans, I yell out "Hey, Warren, is this the AAA baseball that you have led the Internet umpires believe you work?"
From over at third Freix yells out "Come on Warren, no need to call pitches like that, the sheep will wait for your body."
For the rest of the game, I yap at Warren about AAA baseball and how this isn't it, and Freix yells "BAA, BAA" and other suggestive things about what Warren does with sheep.
Now here on the anonymous Internet, where Warren does not know anyone, he goes crazy when someone questions his integrity or suggests that he has the hots for animals. He dropped off the site and stopped writing for a year because of questions about his integrity. What would he do when this occurred up close and personal at a baseball game? Does anyone seriously believe that it would not affect the quality of his calls?
You think the above is preposterous. OK, let me give you a real life example, also not from the 11 part series. I wouldn't want to give anything away for free.
Several years ago, we had a true a$$hole umpire that made me look like a saint. I couldn't hold a candle to this guy when it came to being disagreeable. Anyway, he found out that whenever a certain minor league umpire (from the Carlonia League, single A) came to town, he stayed with a woman we'll call Karen.
Our umpire fan would go to the games where this minor league umpire worked and make references to Karen all game long. Comments like "I'll warm up Karen for you if this game goes into extra innings." Every time a close call came up against the home team, he yelled out a comment (usally sexual) about Karen. The minor league umpire's performance went into the toilet as the game would go along.
If this happens to minor league umpires, what happens to journeyman umpires when the negativity starts. For the coaches and fans will jump in right on the thing sends the umpire up a wall. (In exactly the same way that I jump on Porter about his mental problems.) Warren's inabilty to deal with this in an anonymous Internet setting is why I have doubts about his status as an umpire in Australia.
They coaches and fans show no mercy. The 11 part series gives the umpire ways to be an a$$hole and launch preemptive strikes against his tormenters. Hence the title, "Creative Ejections."
Peter