Released
 

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?

That's pretty hypocritical of you, considering you claimed that the personal characteristics of the umpire have nothing to do with how successful that umpire is.

It appeared pessimistic to me, rather than hypocritical.

Maybe both?

Accepted as a female, maybe, but not as an umpire, Rich. From talking to guys who worked with her or who knew her work in general, I heard she just wasn't a good umpire. Her gender notwithstanding, she simply wasn't that good. Many believe she got as far as she did because of her gender.

Interesting. If there was an opening she could have been in Triple A this past season. This season her evaluations were such that she ends up being released. This seems odd. Top of the heap and then out the door in the course of a season. Perhaps MLB didn't want to make a decision concerning her.

Gordon
 

"Top of the heap and then out the door in the course of a season."

At the mid-season rankings she was listed in the bottom half of the AA umpires. Her base work was always a major issue at every level she worked.

I have no idea if gender was a help or a hinderence in the career path.

The article also states that she is not sure if she will take the decision to court. I have heard that issue was already discussed with the MILB administrators and she was not going to pursue things.

Of course things can always change.

Regards,

I have no personal knowledge of Ria's comptence as an umpire. If she was not a good umpire then she does not deserve to advance. However, as I mentioned before, I believe she was given the same respect and treatment as her male partners by players and coaches. Even a bad umpire can be "accepeted."

the article is misleading. she wasn't ranked at the top, she was at the "top of the heap" because everybody that was ranked higher than her had already been promoted. yes, had there been one more promotion prior to the mid-season rankings it would have been her, but there wasn't. the rankings came out and she dropped due to not-so-great evals. not sure how the end of the season went, but there was only one more eval after the mid season rank, as opposed to two that resulted in the drop in rank.

you can believe whatever you want, but that's not the truth.

Indeed they can change, Tee. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lawsuit filed claiming discrimination based on gender. How long till we see Gloria Alred jump on this bandwagon?

I only write what have read, and or heard. If it is "not the truth" and you know otherwise, why not enlighten us? What is the truth?

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."