Cubs/Cardinals
 

Did anyone notice tonight in the 8th inning that older gentleman in the cubs dugout with an official umpire uniform on? He had a light blue jersey with the black hat with the major league logo on it. Just wondering if anyone caught a glimpse of that guy and wondering who that was.

Was it Montague?

Yes, he arrived late due to his flight being delayed. He just watched the rest of the game from the comfort of the dugout. The rat!:D

What a way to umpire a baseball game... from the winning dugout. ;)

Of course, the Cards gave up the lead, but we are used to that now whenever we play the Cubs.

Everyone knows that the best view of any play is from the dugout.

I don't blame him for staying in the dugout. We all know that's where you get the best angle for the outside corner!

I didn't see the game but I think it was the attendant for the umpires room. I've seen many Cubs games and he's usually in the Cubs dugout wearing an umpires cap.

I didn't see Montague, but I do think that was the umpire attendent. He was wearing a royal blue shirt under his umpire jersey. Why wouldn't Ed just hop in there when he arrived? What inning was it when he got there?

Here's how the umpires appear in the box score...somewhat funny...(from Sportsline)

Umpires - Home - Jerry Layne, First Base - Mark Wegner, Second Base - UMP Nonindividual, Third Base - Marvin Hudson

In the game notes it says: "The umpires worked with a three-man crew because Ed Montague missed his flight."

I heard Nonindividual didn't miss a call all game! Plus, he rotated left or right depending on if it was a right or left handed batter at the plate, just like Joe taught him!!!:D

An intriguing question....
 

How do you all feel when your 'partner' shows up after the beginning of the game?

In our League, Junior Umpires are dismissed when they show up late. It's marginally acceptable to miss the Home Plate Conference (assuming an acceptable reason) but after I call 'Play', just keep on driving, do not pass go, do not collect your fee.

I think after one complete inning, they could be allowed in the game but some rat somewhere would complain I'm sure.:p

In our HS association, if you arrive anytime after the start of the game up until the beginning of the bottom of the 4th inning (mid-point of the scheduled contest), you get 1/2 fee. If you arrive later than that you get no fee and your partner gets both fees, same as a complete no-show. Might as well keep on driving at that point.

Allowances are made for cars breaking down or medical emergencies, as these are just about the only viable excuses for not being on time.

at the MLB level, if Montague arrived at the ball park in say the 6th or 7th inning, do you think he should have gone on the field? Certainly both managers and MLB would be understanding of his situation, but do you think it would be unprofessional?

My feeling is no, as long as he's ready to umpire the game, get him out there. Getting four guys on the field should trump "what looks good" IMO.

Why wouldn't his crew have come together since they worked in Oakland the night before.

Tim McClelland arrived late (after the 1st inning or so) a while back for a Cleveland-Chicago game and just came on the field in between innings.

I think Ed lives out in California...maybe he stayed home for an extra night? Usually the 4 crew guys make their own arrangements, I believe.

the guy in the dugout was an assistant i believe. ive been to tons of cubs games and theres usually either that old guy in an umpire hat and shirt, or a younger kid wearing a black umpire shirt (usually wearing shorts). im sure there are more, but i dont think the guy in the dugout was one of the scheduled umpires...could have been though.

He didn't miss his flight. Weather conditions forced cancellations and postponed flights.

Bob

Well yeah, but the media can't report on something like that, in their eyes the umpires always did something wrong.

I was there, mrm. He walked onto the field in the bottom of the 2nd. My buddies and I thought that was rather different.

I wasn't there, but I watched the game on TV. If he got there in the 2nd inning, why didn't he just jump in and umpire? They worked 3-man the whole game.

I'm talking about the Sox game, not the Cubs game. McClelland got into the game when the bottom of the 2nd began.

Mr. Lepperd
 

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.