That was a good pitch! I think they get that pitch all the time in Triple A! Maybe he should call the union president. Never mind....he is not in the union. I dont feel bad for the guy at all.

I don't know. The catcher sets up outside, and the glove goes to the outside shinguard. Watch the catchers reaction too. He knows it wasn't a strike. It was bad for all concerned.

Has anyone heard from the PU yet?

SI story
 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...extra.mustard/

Pretty good write up.

Funny. I was involved in a teacher's strike twenty=eight years ago. A substitute teacher's car was trashed by a group of otherwise educated people who allowed the emotionalism of the strike and union group-think rule their behavior instead of using their intellect.

I felt very sorry for the substitute, as did most of the rational teachers on strike. We took up a collection and paid for the damage to her car.

No one, union or non union, deserves to be treated like that bat throwing punk treated that umpire. I am disappointed that anyone would approve of what happened.

Then you are not a member of a union, you are a cult member.

Garth,

Well said. I am also disappointed--but not surprised. Many union members would literally drink the Kool-Aid in Jonestown, if asked.

Joe

Any "union member" who would drink Jonestown kool-aid IS a cult member. FAMILY comes first. Followed by true friends. THEN some damn job.

great logic right there...
i had a feeling that might be your attitude on this, thanks for proving it.

Clint, Clint, Clint........ statements like this makes you look.....what's the word? ignorant :D

Were those 'professional' umpires that this A-hole got angry with before? Couldn't be, a SCAB must have been working those games too huh? If you're an example of what a 'professional' umpire is then I think I'll change sides.... I hope that you don't advance any further in the umpire ranks, your attitude isn't good for the game.

You opened your mouth and your brain fell out..... pick it up, dust it off, maybe the fall jarred it in such a way so that now it will work.

A little hypocritical don’t you think?
 

Now we are comparing union members to cult members where thousands have died. I guess those kind of comments are OK, but calling someone a scab is not. :rolleyes:

Peace

Going into the stands to fight a fan is a significant event to the NBA, and a season long penalty was delivered (and it was early in the year). Slinging a bat at an umpire seems comparable to me. Season long suspension is the proper call here.

The minute you start posting with your real first and last name, maybe you could have an opinion on the issue that would be taken seriously.

Why would he want to publish his name? So you union boys could call and harass him in his home, stalk him and make his life miserable. Yeah right, sign me up for that.

How about the union members start acting like responsible adult human beings instead of degrading and harassing those whose opinion is different from yours. It's a freaking job for goodness sake. You guys act like it's a religion.

Justme,
If that guy was hit by a college player in a college game i would have been on his side. It very well could have been me or one of my friends that work in that league. But I have tried and i can not make myself look at the guys working these game as my umpire friends. Just can't do it. I have a lot of friends that umpire high school and college baseball. They got me started so I will do anything to help other umpires. But I can't feel bad about what happened to this guy. Sorry.

Clint:

It's these types of statements that are killing us as union members. The prevailing attitude that you purport here does no union a service, rather it tends to make others turn a deaf ear to the unions plight. It makes no difference whether this was a union member or a replacement worker. No one, I repeat no one, deserves to be treated like this man was without receiving some compassion from his fellow human beings. I believe you're letting your emotions over the union issue cloud your judgment on what should now be a humanitarian issue.



Tim.

unfortunate
 

And it's this attitude, along with the harassment, that has soured so many fellow umpires on the AMLU guys.

Outrageous...
 

Okay Clint, you've proved that you enjoy opening Pandora's Box, so here goes. Prior to the walk out, you and many others sent emails to encourage amateur umpires to join your cause. These messages spoke of the concern for all umpires and the need to stand as one against those who give little value to our work. Then Andy's Kids walked out and threatened those that accepted games as replacement umpires. The sense of camraderie and espirit de corp went out the window. "How dare they take those games!" All along, your blinders and ear plugs prevented you from understanding what we all said. Some of those guys need the money just as badly as you do. You can't begrudge them for taking the assignment. Others who accepted those games realized that the first rule of umpiring is 'The umpire is not bigger than the game.' They did the job, under more intense scrutiny than you ever did. Your cactcalls and photo gallery were the height of hypocrisy.

No one forced you to begin this journey. When you undertook the training you were aware that the salary and benefits were truly sad. The AMLU brethren took a gamble that they may have the mettle to make it. Most of you were aware that no promises were made and that in eight to ten years you would be in the Show or finding another job. Yet, some of you still hang stubbornly to the premise that your avocation is a career. It is not and has never been considered so.

I did your job, without the benefits of a union and at a lot less money. Some of us know far more about the roach filled locker rooms without hot water, eating meals out of a bag and sleeping in a car because the game went extra innings and our next stop is four hundred miles away. Stop pretending that every umpire that replaced you was a sandlot buffoon.

The umpire who worked the Young game was a seasoned NCAA umpire. From what I've read, he had worked all divisions and was rated very well. Delmon Young was the reason that this incident occured, not the umpire. History shows that this punk enjoys intimidating umpires and opponents. By your logic, if a MLB umpire had been working the Southern League game two years ago, Young would never have bmped him in the chest. It's a good tale but one without logic.

You stepped up onto the stump and fearlessly told us that you don't respect the umpires who worked in your stead. I hope you appreciate the sentiment in return. I can't respect men who claim to be professional, yet cast apsersions about amateur umpires. How many incidents of ill behavior occured during the last three weeks? According to Yund, when the AMLU boys were working there were more. Hmmmm?

Respect is a double edged sword. You should learn that while your talent may give you a place atop the heap right now, some day you will begin sliding and that is when you will truly be judged. How many friends will you have when your hobby is in decline? From the statements you made, it seems that not many will be there to support you.