It was just a matter of time I suppose:

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by spokanelurker

During over 30 seasons of coaching at all levels, with rookie and veteran umpires, I have never seen one of them eat anything or drink anything but water on a hot day between innings. I don't think the umpires around here would even think of it!

That's a shame. Often there is no time between end of work (for those that have day jobs, I realize many on the forum don't) and home plate meeting, to wait 4 hours to eat or drink is patently absurd. There is much evidences that as blood sugars drop, abilities, especially cognitive and visual, drop with it.

We encourage our Contractors to allow this and to a one, they have. We do require our guys to belly up the money, that is a given and part of our IC contract.

How can they not? The players sit in the shade and drink at their leisure, eat, off their feet almost as often as they are on them.