Recent Midwest League game...

[jwwashburn]

We were visiting friends in the Chicago area this weekend and took in the Beloit Snappers vs Kane County Cougars game.

We were lucky enough to get great seats about ten rows behind home plate.

I figured I would get to see the professional AMLU guys. The Midwest League must still be using the replacement umps because(according to certain blowhards here) what I saw could not possibly have been professional umpires.

1) Three different bangers, the BU had his fist clenched and partially raised as the fielder was throwing the ball to first.

2) The BU buttonhooked instead of going out on two "trouble balls". One of them was a diving play by the right fielder.

3) Five times that I noticed, the BU ignored the BR's touch of first. He did, however almost put his nose on third base to watch the BR touch on a HR...very odd looking deal there.

4) The PU sent a batter to first on ball three. He did eventually call him back after checking his "clicker" about thirty-seven times, talking to his partner, and checking the scoreboard a few times.

5) The PU's strike zone's uppermost level was the middle of the cup. It is impossible to say how much this zone had to do with the 9-7 score.

Joe

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

2) The BU butthooked instead of going out on two "trouble balls".

That sounds painful.

[Lawrence.Dorsey]

Go to minorleaguebaseball.com and use the scoreboard drop down menu. You can then select the MWL and the date you were there. If the umpires are listed by name, then they were AMLU guys. If not, they were either replacements or the box score just didn't list the umpires.

Lawrence

[SanDiegoSteve]

The umpires were AMLU alright. The were Clint Fagan and Ike Boykins. If Joe went to the Friday game, Ike was PU and Clint was BU. If Saturday, Clint was PU and Ike was BU.

[jwwashburn]

See, I knda knew they were AMLUers...I was trying for sarcasm.

I'll try harder next time.

It was the Friday game, by the way.

Joe

[pdxblue]

You HAVE to be lying!!! There is NO WAY that any AMLU umpire could perform such amature stunts like that! Those guys do EVERYTHING right all the time.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

See, I knda knew they were AMLUers...I was trying for sarcasm.

I'll try harder next time.

It was the Friday game, by the way.

Joe

I caught it the first time, you don't have to splain!

But this is unmistakable, professional sarcasm!:

Originally Posted by pdxblue

You HAVE to be lying!!! There is NO WAY that any AMLU umpire could perform such amature stunts like that! Those guys do EVERYTHING right all the time.

[pdxblue]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I caught it the first time, you don't have to splain!

But this is unmistakable, professional sarcasm!:

Why thank you for the compliment!