Umpire Death in Chattanooga

[derwil]

Just an FYI - We lost a fellow "blue" last Friday during an exposure tournament in Chattanooga. I'm unsure of the circumstances around his passing, but apparently he had complained of headaches and had just come off the field. He was throwing up and lost consciousness. EMS was called and could not revive him. Apparently he had some additional medical issues.

The reason I'm writing this is remind everyone to drink lots of water during their Summer tournaments and don't push yourself too far. While we may be put in some situations where we feel compelled to push our limits, the cost of doing so can be severe.

During the same tournament, I was asked to do 9 games in a row. While my partner and I didn't have an official break between games, we took additional time and made sure to rest for 10-15 minutes, kept water and food going and made the best of the situation we could. We finished an hour and a half late, pissed off the UIC but we were OK - just really really tired.

Watch out for each other out there.