Released

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck

you will be enlightened when her book comes out. i only had a small taste of it as i was only on her crew after we returned from the strike until she went home with a concussion (which was legit, she got smoked and it knocked her into last month...) about 5 weeks in.

for two small examples, a catcher who will remain nameless asked me two nights after she got smoked by a passed ball, "did you see me let that one get her the other night?" that, among other things he was doing that pissed me off, led to a pretty heated discussion between he and i that lasted for the duration of the game. i was not conspicuous about how i felt and it brought the manager out between innings to see what we had going on. hopefully he learned something from it cuz he was called up and started shortly thereafter, and he he's going to be a regular starter in the bigs soon.

the second was a DH that got dumped then spit his gum at her and screamed, "you don't belong here, we know it and you know it."

I can understand how this all comes to play. We have two females in our HS association. I helped train them and worked many games with them. I let them get their balls busted and came to their defense as needed (just as I would with any other partner). However, I never allowed anyone to run up their back side just because they were "and easy target". It was a bit of a struggle but they were accepted as equals in the association. I think that after five years, they even have the respect from most of the Varsity coaches now.

So this is what I was referring to in my earlier post. I personally have no problem working with a female partner. As a matter of fact, these two women are more competent than some of the "old farts" in our association. Now, when these same women tried to join up into another association for Summer ball, they were not welcomed at all. They paid their dues (monetary) but were only assigned LL Minors games together. They were not welcome to the post game bull-sessions or even the meetings.

When they explained what was going on, I advised them to finish out the season (only a few weeks left), take the pay and not return. I then got them into a Summer association that welcomed them with open arms doing 90" diamond work only.

Hyprocritical? No, it is called being practical when I say "if you are accepted, fine. But if you are not (and that seems to be the way pro-baseball is about women), why fight an already lost battle?"

Regards

[Lawrence.Dorsey]

It's important to remember that umpires get released from MiLB every year. Often times, especially at AA and AAA, it's hard to figure out why. I was talking with an umpire in my area this year who got released in 2004 after working many MLB games and the number of those games had increased annually. He still has no idea why he was released and he said that he could never get a straight answer out of any of his evaluators. Bottom line is that MiLB umpires serve with short term contracts and the potential is always there for a release.

Lawrence

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck

for two small examples, a catcher who will remain nameless asked me two nights after she got smoked by a passed ball, "did you see me let that one get her the other night?"

And you didn't dump him? I'd have ejected him for admitting that and included the information on my report to the league office so they could deal with it further.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I was just thinking the exact same thing. Great minds work alike I guess.

[UMP25]

Indeed.

[bobbybanaduck]

what i did was far more effective than an ejection. the term "ate his ***" is the best i can do to describe it. he finally figured it out in the 8th inning and we had a decent conversation about it. also, there's no way PBUC would have supported such an ejection, and it probably would have gotten me fired.

[RPatrino]

I agree with Bobby, ejecting in this case would be like ejecting somebody for saying, "Hey, I called so and so a MF'er last week". It's unfortunate that an F2 would do that to anyone, but the place and time for the EJ is when the infraction occurs.

[UMP25]

Calling one an MFer and putting one in physical jeopardy are far different, guys. Sorry, but there's no way you can compare the two.

If any player were to ever admit he did something intentional to get my partner harmed, he's done; and the report will explain it all.

PBUC's not gonna fire you over it. Knowing Fitz like I do, I don't believe for a minute he'd ever criticize you for ejecting a player who told you he intentionally let your partner get injured.

Such actions are reprehensible, contemptible, and totally unacceptable!

[JRutledge]

TK,

If any of that is remotely true, that is very sad. We have a long time to go if people are systematically doing things to prevent from certain individuals based on gender or other factors out of their control from moving up. It is one thing is she just could not cut it. It is quite another to do things to hold a person down based on her gender.

Peace

[Tim C]

"In fact, I believe I heard that it was #17."

I was told #21. And, as I am sure you know, there were more problems than the two you listed.

Regards,

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

It seems that the idea of female umpires in professional baseball just isn't going to work out. I know that they put everything into doing a good job, but if you are not going to be accepted then what's the sense?

Which takes precedence? Change the natures of the individuals in the system, the culture, to be fair to accommodate the legal and moral requirements of access to job opportunities for all?

Or say "Screw It", we are not in the business of equality, requiring our employees to act under the social good?

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by Tim C

"In fact, I believe I heard that it was #17."

I was told #21. And, as I am sure you know, there were more problems than the two you listed.

Regards,

Indeed there were, Tee. Indeed there were.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

TK,

If any of that is remotely true, that is very sad. We have a long time to go if people are systematically doing things to prevent from certain individuals based on gender or other factors out of their control from moving up. It is one thing is she just could not cut it. It is quite another to do things to hold a person down based on her gender.

Peace

Got that right.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by Richard_Siegel

However, form everything I have ever heard about Ms. Cortesio, she was completely accepted. I read Pam Postema's book, "You've Got to Have Balls to Make it in This League." The constant onslaught of anger and cruelty that woman endured would have driven any normal person out of the game in a month. But Pam endured it for 12 years. Pam was not accepted. But I think Ria never faced any of that kid of abuse.

Pam Postema was a warrior and paved ground that made Ria's life much more manageable. I hope she sues b/c it will be the only way to find out if she was dumped b/c she was a woman.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by tkaufman

that I was again right on another issue involving MiLB. The Ria release is no big issue to those who would be considered "insiders". She was ranked near the top at the end of the 2006 season. This move was speculated by many MiLB umpires that I know as a way to get rid of her. They thought that she would be moved by the mid-season, and thus, would be the Major League evaluators' problems. That did not happen though.
I also heard through the grapevine that umpires at the AAA level actually held off on resigning, in the interests of their partners. They did not want to be the umpire responsible for the promotion of "the girl". As a result, there was no promotion for her at before the mid-season.

Wow, what a bunch of lousy ingrates, riddled with Old Guardness and living in the 19th century.

How proud their mothers, sisters, aunts and female cousins must be.