Umpiring Moment of the Year

[bobbybanaduck]

night game on getaway day before the all star break. ridiculous.

in case you have follow up questions...

Weather: 97 degrees, clear.
Wind: 7 mph, R to L.
T: 3:34.
Att: 2,481.

[DonInKansas]

Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck

night game on getaway day before the all star break. ridiculous.

in case you have follow up questions...

Weather: 97 degrees, clear.
Wind: 7 mph, R to L.
T: 3:34.
Att: 2,481.

You worked a Florida Marlins game?

Wait, that's like 2,000 too many in attendance. Never mind.

[TussAgee11]

I forgot to mention, working the Right field line at the AA Eastern League All-Star game was pretty cool.

It was so foggy out nobody could see anything and the job was actually pretty difficult. The game, played after the derby, was stopped after 2 innings due to the fog.

A thanks goes out to the umpire in our association that took me under his wing for an enjoyable experience (including the mentoring on the car ride).

[tiger49]

Mine is my first National Championship. My first plate game of the tournament started at 10pm and was suspended at 12:15 am and continued 8 hours later. Had two games go into extra innings, one coach's interference, two time plays, and nearly a coach's fight.

[Cub42]

September 5. Worked the Plate in Game 2 P/O game.

[Tim C]

Most memorable?

Reading the tripe by CanadaUmp!

[PABlue]

That would be doing the bases at a Cal Ripken game where the home team dragged a umpire out the bar,wanted to be able to run on dropped third strikes and didn't understand obstruction when the F6 ran over a runner trying for third.
Or maybe it was the first game of the season where the home team won a one hit game against a state finalist from 2006. Single home run was the only hit the team produced all day.Final 1-0.

[JJ]

Toss up for me -
#1 While in Venezuela for a Team USA tournament, I got to ride a local bus 10 hours over two-lane road in 90 degree temps with no air conditioning and Mario Andretti driving (we went from one tournament city to another), OR

#2 On the same trip I got to ride (with two of the teams) BACK from one city to the other on a HUGE Venezuelan military transport plane. WAY cool!

JJ

[SanDiegoSteve]

My # 1 is waking up this morning to find my Holiday Wishes thread closed because instead of being used to promote a joyous season's greetings, it got used for a petty argument.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

My # 1 is waking up this morning to find my Holiday Wishes thread closed because instead of being used to promote a joyous season's greetings, it got used for a petty argument.

any time i think i might be surprised about what a thread contains or the path it goes down, i look up at the address bar and say to myself, "oh yeah, im on official forum, this is standard posting procedure"

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

My # 1 is waking up this morning to find my Holiday Wishes thread closed because instead of being used to promote a joyous season's greetings, it got used for a petty argument.

After all the scraps you've been involved in, after all your posts that have been deleted by management, this is your number one?

Wow. I'm flattered.

That said, Steve, I do apologize to you and other posters on this forum for letting my intolerance of lying get out of hand.

My respect and appreciation for MiLB umpires and what they endure to remain MiLB umpires precedes my son's involvement in the professional ranks. It goes back to my first fill-in at a MiLB game 70's. After witnessing what great young men those umpires were on and off the field, I was both impressed to learn what they went through, how they lived, and how hard they worked to get to where they were and where they hoped to be.

My intolerance for lying has been with me all my life, but was amplified after a subordinate's lie cost my company and me personally, thousands of dollars and the loss of several clients. And, make no doubt about it, misrepresentation of the truth, is a lie.

When one adds a title to one's signature, whether it is MD, PhD, EdD, Attorney-at-Law, whatever, it is perceived as part of a resume and statement of "This is what I am." People can perform all the moral and verbal gymnastics they want to justify misrepresenting themselves in this manner, but it is what it is. (Grandpa Appleton once told me "You can put perfume on a cow-pie, but it's still sh!t.")

I know from many emails, that I am not the only one annoyed by Michaels use of MiLB in his signature. I am, for better or worse, the only one who gets annoyed to the point that silence is not an option.

Michael, and anyone else who inflates his signature, for that matter, know exactly how it is interpreted. They apparently need that kind of validation in lieu of real ability, or lack of confidence. If he were truthful, he write, "MiLB-fill in", if he really is or was.

If he were confident in his abilities, he'd write nothing. I know of at least six, and counting Michael, maybe seven posters here who have worked as fill-ins at the one MiLB level or another. Guess how many feel the need to list what they have done or continue to do?

I have filled in for a friend who teaches an evening class in Jazz History at a local university. He is a full professor with PhD and that is the rank and education required for his position. Should I include "Professor of Jazz Studies" with my signature even though I do not qualify for the title and don't have the required training?

I suppose reminding people that Michael is, at best exaggerating, isn't really necessary. One only need to read his writings on rules and mechanics to see that he doesn't have the training or knowledge to an MiLB umpire.

With that off my chest, I'll go back to just being amazed at how brazen he is, in silence, and understand that his track record indicates he can't be trusted.

[MichaelVA2000]

Originally Posted by GarthB

My respect and appreciation for MiLB umpires and what they endure to remain MiLB umpires precedes my son's involvement in the professional ranks. It goes back to my first fill-in at a MiLB game 70's. After witnessing what great young men those umpires were on and off the field, I was both impressed to learn what they went through, how they lived, and how hard they worked to get to where they were and where they hoped to be.

A MiLB umpire's lifestyle is most impressive and they certainly cope with a lot. Their's is a lifestyle that I would not choose to live and I respect those that endure the travel, low pay, and sometimes poor working conditions. Bless them and may they succeed in their goals.

When one adds a title to one's signature, whether it is MD, PhD, EdD, Attorney-at-Law, whatever, it is perceived as part of a resume and statement of "This is what I am." People can perform all the moral and verbal gymnastics they want to justify misrepresenting themselves in this manner, but it is what it is. (Grandpa Appleton once told me "You can put perfume on a cow-pie, but it's still sh!t.")

I am not adding a title to my signature. What I have added is the level of ball that I have umpired and associations that I belong to.

Michael, and anyone else who inflates his signature, for that matter, know exactly how it is interpreted. They apparently need that kind of validation in lieu of real ability, or lack of confidence. If he were truthful, he write, "MiLB-fill in", if he really is or was.

Once again, I am not adding a title to my signature. What I have added is the level of ball that I have umpired and associations that I belong to.

I have filled in for a friend who teaches an evening class in Jazz History at a local university. He is a full professor with PhD and that is the rank and education required for his position. Should I include "Professor of Jazz Studies" with my signature even though I do not qualify for the title and don't have the required training?

Professor of Jazz would be a bad idea. I do not see anything wrong with listing the university that you filled in at if you are comfortable in doing so.

I suppose reminding people that Michael is, at best exaggerating, isn't really necessary. One only need to read his writings on rules and mechanics to see that he doesn't have the training or knowledge to an MiLB umpire.

Nothing has been exagerated in the levels of ball that I have umpired.

With that off my chest, I'll go back to just being amazed at how brazen he is, in silence, and understand that his track record indicates he can't be trusted.

Whew! I am glad all of that is off your chest and content that I have amazed you.

Just for you little buddy,

Michael
MiLB fill in, NCAA, ASA, NSA, FED, PONY

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by MichaelVA2000

Michael
MiLBS, NCAA, ASA, NSA, FED, PONY

[GarthB]

My best moments in umpiring:

1. Working a three-man AAA Legion game with my two sons.

2. The first time I watched my younger son work as a real MiLB umpire.

[canadaump6]

Give it a rest Garth. He put MiLB in his signature with no harm intended. The professional umpires you defend probably couldn't care less if someone claims to be an MiLB umpire. They'd probably laugh at a non-professional speaking for them. Quit being so self-righteous and let the pros decide if putting MiLB in a signature is something to make an issue of.