Cubs/Cardinals

[lawump]

Tom Lepperd, current MLB umpire executive, told me a funny "war story". Once, he was called up from AAA to fill-in for a sick (or vacationing?) MLB umpire for a game in Yankee Stadium. His flight arrived late in New York.

He said he got in the cab at the airport and told the driver to, "hurry up I'm supposed to be umpiring the game at Yankee Stadium."

The driver responded (I paraphrase), "sure, Mac."

The driver was listening to the game on the radio. And sure enough less than two minutes after he had said to Mr. Lepperd, "sure, Mac" the announcers says that the game "is being played with only three umpires as the fourth umpire, a AAA call-up, is a late arrival."

Tom said the cab driver turned around in the cab, gave him a long look (as if to say, holy S***...your serious)...and took off like a bat out of hell. Mr. Lepperd just walked onto the field when he arrived.