War Stories

[GarthB]

Tim(period):

The difference between how you would handle it and how I would handle it is simply this:

I don't assume that I am the arbiter of taste for others: If I was that unhappy about any site, I would leave it, as I did. And, knowing someone doesn't change that. In fact, it strengthens my resolve to not attempt to act as a censor.

For one to assume that what they approve of is what everyone should approve of smacks of narrow-minded vigilanteism as practiced in the past by axe wielding prohibitionist in frumpy dresses,

I have an ego, but it isn't large enough for me to try redsign the internet to my personal perference.

You can attempt to justify it all you want. It still comes down to you attempting to impose your will, your taste and your opinion on others and a private business.

As to your statement that the "end justifies the means": that in itself is very telling. It takes almost a brown-shirt mentality to live by that mantra.

Thank God this country was founded by those who didn't believe that.

And, as many who appear "holier than thou" your involvement in the petty bickering with PWL is not much different from what on at McGirff's. The language may be better, but the attitude, the personal attacks and the non-stop arguing is all McGriff. And, you brought it here.

You can, of course, have the last word. I won't be party to another back and forth post-a-thon.

[Edited by GarthB on Dec 18th, 2005 at 11:42 PM]

[LDUB]

Originally posted by BigUmp56
I did mention to Gary that if wanted me to stop, all he had to do was require registration and then ban me from the site. That in and of itself would have accomplished what I had set out to do anyway.

1. Who made you in charge of what is posted on the internet?

2. Gary has ads, so I assume he is making some sort of profit off the site. Who are you to blackmail him, causing the baseball portion of his forum to into disuse, inturn costing him income?

3. If you wanted to take on an internet site, why did you chose the baseball forum of McGriff's website? There are many websites which make our society look much worse than that forum.

4. Possibly the Google Youth Baseball Umpire Forum is more detrimental to umpiring that McGriff's forum ever was, for that group of Smitties you have assembled there makes us all look bad.

[BigUmp56]

Originally posted by LDUB



1. Who made you in charge of what is posted on the internet?

Well, Luke, As a man, a father, and a free born American citizen, I'm in charge of whatever is within my legal rights to feel I need to be in charge of. If I feel the need to try to get change implemented on an existing law, for example, it's my right to attempt to implement that change by any legal means I deem necessary, and call to my aid any who are of a like mind willing to help.

On the McGriffs issue, I did just that. I'm not in charge of Gary's forum, he is. He is free to do whatever he chooses, as am I. He chose to run a site that become a menace to the officiating community, and I chose to try to institute change to the operation of that menace.

Do a Google search on the word "umpire." The first hit you'll get is the Refferee Umpire Homepage. So, the first site an new umpire, or an umpire new to the internet will visit for asking questions will be that forum. Do you think it's appropriate that they find the debauchery that was taking place on that forum under some of our aliases? I know I don't. I believe someone on this forum called me a zealot.
I wonder if they understand what kind of good company that would put me in were it true.

I simply will not be swayed to feel apologetic for what took place. I believe myself to be a man of action. McGriff's was the first forum I found to post on, so that's where I started posting. After I was defamed in all sorts of profane manner, I simply chose to stand my ground and put up a fight. I could have gone running like a dog with my tail between my legs as others have, but that's not my style. I took a firm stand, and you need to live with it.

2. Gary has ads, so I assume he is making some sort of profit off the site. Who are you to blackmail him, causing the baseball portion of his forum to into disuse, inturn costing him income?

I won't get into the "who are you" discussion with you again, Luke. I will tell you that this is one of the less intelligent thing's I've seen you post. Do you really feel that the type of individuals posting on the baseball side of McGriffs were bringing him income? Most likely, they were costing him money. Sure, Gary needs traffic to turn a profit, but the kind of traffic he was getting was chasing so many people away, it had to become a losing proposition for him. You could tell from the writing styles and comments that there were teenagers frequenting the board. How many of them do you think purchase officials equipment?

3. If you wanted to take on an internet site, why did you chose the baseball forum of McGriff's website? There are many websites which make our society look much worse than that forum.

If I wanted to frequent an Aryian Nation board and all I found was baseball umpire talk, I might consider trying to get the site administrator to make some changes. If I wanted to frequent a board for homosexuals, and all I found was baseball umpire talk, same thing. The point is, I chose to frequent an umpires board and found both of the two aforementioned groups on it, and decided to try to get change implemented there.

4. Possibly the Google Youth Baseball Umpire Forum is more detrimental to umpiring that McGriff's forum ever was, for that group of Smitties you have assembled there makes us all look bad.

Perhaps, but before you shoot your mouth off and insult an entire group, I suggest you find out who it is you're insulting. If you want to insult me and call me a smitty, go right ahead, but some of the members of my board have obtained status within the umpiring community you could only hope to obtain.


Tim.

[Gulf Coast Blue]

Strikes & Outs!
Handling "Situations"

by T. Alan Christensen

So here comes the Skipper and he says, "Cripes, you’re the worst (insert your favorite expletive here) umpire I’ve ever seen, all you have been doing is screwing us all day!"

So in my own arrogant way, I answer, "gee Skip, I hope this games on TV!"

And he answers perfectly for the ‘set-up’, "Why’s that?"

And as that comes from his lips I can’t wait to get to the payoff, "Cuz, Skip that’s the ONLY way you’re going to see the rest of this game, cuz You’re OUTTA HERE!"

So there I was, 19 years of age, with the first notch on the handle of my ejection resume.

I have been a baseball umpire for 27 seasons. I was also a major college basketball official for 12 years. I learned my most important lesson in officiating while working the roundball game.

I never called a technical foul that made the situation better.

An ejection is an interesting part of baseball. Since we don’t have 15 yard penalties as does football, or technical fouls as does basketball, we are asked to listen, discuss, and then make an ultimate judgment. To paraphrase The Clash, "should he stay or should he go?!"

Before I get too deep into this, remember one thing: I once ejected seven players on one pitch -- so yes, I do have some experience with this issue.

I just want to cover a process that an umpire SHOULD go through when the inevitable argument breaks out.

For this discussion let’s assume that the call was yours and (in your heart) you got it correct. While it was a real wacker, you were in position, saw the whole thing with the correct angle and distance, had good timing, and ‘sold’ the call well.

Here comes Skip:

(1) First thing that usually hits your mind while he’s coming is: "Did I screw-up?" You run through all the things that I said you did correct and now you know you’re right.

(2) When the Skipper gets there, follow the Doug Harvey Rule: don’t say anything for 20 seconds! Let the manager rant and rave, explain or discuss, point and complain.

(3) When he has gone through his entire speech, slow things down and ask, "OK Skip, now tell me exactly what you saw!".

Many times when coaches and managers come out to argue they didn’t really see the play . . . they may have been talking to someone, looking elsewhere, or just plain not paying attention.

(4) Always be thinking, "How can I keep this guy in the game!"

(5) After the coach has explained everything to you, slow down, again! Now you get one chance to explain exactly what you saw and why you called it . . . use that time wisely.

(6) When you have completely explained your call simply tell the coach/manager, "Now, that’s what I called and that’s the way its going to be, we need to get back to playing ball, Skip! Let’s play."

(7) Turn and walk away, no anger, no showboating, just walk away. MAKE HIM FOLLOW YOU TO CONTINUE THE ARGUMENT. If you are the base umpire in the infield, walk towards the outfield. There’s no reason for him to follow you. If he does follow he starts to ‘cross the line.’ If you are the plate umpire move towards the mound section of the infield and ask the pitcher for the ball. Again, if the coach follows, he is making a statement.

(8) IF the manager follows you, there is one more chance to diffuse the situation. MAKE SURE YOU DON’T PLACE YOURSELF IN A ‘NO WIN’ SITUATION. In other words, make sure you don’t say anything that closes the door to getting the argument over and ‘keep the coach in the game.’

One of the biggest problems we face is saying something stupid like, "One more word Skip and you’re gone!" This is an irretrievable position. The challenge is set and most of the time the manager will accept that challenge.

After controlling the urge to make a brash statement, simply turn to the coach/manager and say, "OK, I thought we were clear . . . all this is doing is delaying us from playing ball. Both teams want to play, all the fans want to see a game and it appears to me that you are the only one delaying that opportunity . . . Let’s Play!" And walk away . . . for the final time!

Don’t argue again! It is OVER. You have reached ‘The Point’. You have been fair, it is now the managers choice if he decides to eject himself.

I spoke with Tom Welter of the Oregon School Activities Association (the governing body of all high school sports in the State of Oregon) about ejections.

"We have a real problem with the concept of having a sport (baseball) where it is acceptable behavior for a coach to run onto the field of play and argue, in some cases violently, with the game official," said Welter.

Welter continued, " The OSAA has always prided itself in helping teach the good things that sport brings. Things such as competition, teamwork, and discipline are things that I learned from sports . . . I think we have lost that direction."

Since I offered a way that things ‘should go’ it is only fair to tell you about a situation that was handled violating all these common sense procedures.

I was working an American Legion State Semi-final game between two teams in Oregon. The first two games were average. Each team winning a game to set up the "big" final showdown.

Now I don’t want to give anyone the impression that the game went well, as the visiting team fell behind early and the pressure began to mount. Soon we were in the top of the eighth inning and the home team led 9-0.

Then it started. A single followed by a base on balls, another single through the middle, and another walk. After a hit batter, and a ringing double down the line, the march continued.

8-2, 8-3, 8-5 . . . and now everyone had their attention closely into the game.

Soon there were two out, the bases were loaded and the’ star’ player for the visitors at the plate. The count quickly went to 2-2, then "The Play!"

A slider, low and away in the dirt. Easy, "Ball Three!"

Of course not, I hear . . . "ask, that was a swing!" And of course I ask and of course my BU rings him up.

Strike three and three outs!

Now remember, this game hadn’t gone well anyway.

So I get an immediate "F. . . Sakes!" from the hitter and I get him so quick my head spins (1), as I turn to my left the manager of the club is on his way from the third base coaches box and he is mentioning something about my mother, so there he goes(2). Now, as I finally get a chance to take my mask off, the first base coach is crossing home plate bent on cleaning up the area with my behind. Bye, bye! (3). However, as I turn to get away from the first base coach, the on-deck hitter is firmly planted right in the middle of the right hand batters box screaming at the top of his lungs (4).

Now, at last, I have been able to take my mask off, and at least get to start walking up the third base line. Then, from what was going to be the hitter in-the-hole, the catcher that I have been friendly with all day, I hear "Crap, Tim you can’t" . . . yep, he’s gone (5).

Now since I have already moved my attention to the dugout, here are two reserves screaming at the top of their lungs something about a bodily function, that I don’t think is humanly possible, so I get them (6 & 7) with one wave of the arm.

Then things got quiet . . . actually it was a surreal moment in my career. The players went quiet, the crowd went quiet, one could hear a bird chirp (yeah, I’d have thrown him out too!) . . . and then you hear the smallest, faintest voice of a little girl playing in the sand behind the grandstands, "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, my fair lady."

Honey, it already crashed!

Strikes & Outs!

[Always Wright]

This is not embarrassing but I think pretty funny - but I guess you'll be the judge of that. Around 1985 New York City hosted the AABC Mickey Mantle regional. The final was held at Shea Stadium and I worked 2B. A team from Brooklyn beat a team from the Albany area. The upstate team was not particularly happy with the umpiring that day, especially with the PU. There were plenty of remarks from the stands that their team was getting homered.
So, after the game, I'm walking to my car in the lot and as I approach I see that I am parked right next to a whole bunch of the upstate team members and families. Of course. So I put my head down and try to walk past them hoping they wouldn't recognize me. One of the parents comes over to me and says, "We were robbed." I reply somewhat dismissively saying something like "Yeah, right." He replies, "No! We were robbed." It turns out they had failed to lock their van and had a bunch of luggage stolen. They didn't have a clue I was one of the umpires.

[Bainer]

Our association still tells the tale of the nervous ump who was shaking in his gear trying to impress his crew and the umpires who were watching him do the plate in a high school final.

He had been searching all game for THE CALL. The one that we would all congratulate him for catching, and that he could brag about making.

Ask and ye shall receive...

Female player takes her place at bat and rips a low pitch off her instep which rockets toward the mound.

Exploding from behind the plate, the young umpire gathers all the excitement in his body, all the air in his lungs and flails wildly into the infield screaming
"FOUL, FOUL, FOUL, IT HIT HER IN THE BOX! IT HIT HER IN THE BOX!"

And a hush filled the stadium...


Bainer.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Bainer

Our association still tells the tale of the nervous ump who was shaking in his gear trying to impress his crew and the umpires who were watching him do the plate in a high school final.

He had been searching all game for THE CALL. The one that we would all congratulate him for catching, and that he could brag about making.

Ask and ye shall receive...

Female player takes her place at bat and rips a low pitch off her instep which rockets toward the mound.

Exploding from behind the plate, the young umpire gathers all the excitement in his body, all the air in his lungs and flails wildly into the infield screaming
"FOUL, FOUL, FOUL, IT HIT HER IN THE BOX! IT HIT HER IN THE BOX!"

And a hush filled the stadium...

ROTFLMAO!!! Now that's funny!!!

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by PWL

ARE YOU BEGINNING TO SEE A PATTERN, TIM? WHEN SOME ONE TELLS YOU THAT YOUR WRONG, YOU START GRINDING YOUR GEARS AND SPEWING YOUR VENOM FOR ALL TO SEE.

I don't see any "venom" in my post. What I see is a good debate. Do you notice any name calling or childish rants in my posts? No, what you see is Garth, Luke, and myself engaged in a fervent discussion about a nasty situation. There are going to be disagreements between members of this board. What sets these differences apart from the dissention you create is most of us disagree as adults rather than throw child like temper tantrums.


Tim.

[NFump]

Who's feeding who?