Incompetent Partner

[Phil Vivenzio]

My high school assignor, called me on tuesday, and asked that I do him a favor. He needed an ump for a sub-varsity game and the scholl would pay varsity rates. I live in the North East and with the weather, I only had one game under my belt, so I agreed to take the game. My only mistake was that I didn't ask who I was working with(I presumed because of the urgency of the call that I would be working solo).

I get to the game at 3:15 for a 3:45 start. No sign of partner, so I dress for the plate. 3:45 no sign of partner, so I start the game After 2 batters in the first inning, my partner shows up. It turns out to be my neighbor. I saw him pulling out of this driveway at the same time that I was leaving. I'm digressing, Their were 1 out and R1 on third, my partner trots onto the field, I update on game. He positions himself on the outfield grass between 1b and 2b. The home team coach(a fellow umpire) asks for time and tells me that I should reposition my BU. I didn't want to embarass him so I went out with my line-up card and advised him that we aren't on a ll field that he should be positioned inside the diamond. He moved this time, but the whole game he was always outside the infield on the outfield grass. I can't tell you how many pick off plays he missed. On 1 sequence, you could have called the out from the parking lot, but he called safe and on the next pitch the f2 threw down and he was obviously safe he calls out. The icing on the cake was in the bottom of the 7th r1 on first. The pitcher attempts to pick him off and does, my partner is calling out before the ball even gets there, so you guessed when the f3 applies the tag, the ball squirts out, my partner verbalized the out call, but when he changed the call to safe just gave a hand signal. R1 didn't see the hand signal so he thinks that he is out walks off the base, so he gets tagged. The fielders are walking off the field, so I stopped them and advised both coaches that due to the mix up I was palcing the runner back on first. The game mercifully ended.

I realize that this is a long post, but I need to vent. This umpire started umpiring the same time as myself. I am by no means the greatest umpire in the world, but I work very hard to improve at our craft. I study the rules, I attend Camps, I always attend my association meetings and I keep up on the internet. So I am a confident umpire. This guy is doing it for the money and on top of it all I smelled alcohol on his breath. He does not attend many association meetings and he obviously has no desire to become a better umpire. Carl calls this type of umpire smitty. I don't ever want to work with this guy again, and I will always ask my assignor who I am working with. I was embarrassed by this game and I never want to go through this again. I take pride in my work as do most of you out there. Any suggestions of how to get this guy off the field?