I don't think anyone would disagree with that (at least, I hope no one would).

The problem is in presenting extraneous information such as the watch issue, and then throwing a hissy fit when some people (correctly) call it. For shame!

Maybe
 

I would. If I never wanted to work there again or if I was picking a fight.

Being from New Jersey, I can speak authoritatively regarding the pronunciation of youse (plural of you).

Unfortunately, the font that contains diacritical marks isn't available on this site, but it's yooz, if you imagine the o's connected like a pair of glasses and a "short vowel" sign above them. The "oo" is the sound of look or put.

An exception is that at the beginning of a clause, formal north Jersey pronunciation is identical to the English verb use, as in "Use are a buncha bums."

In both north and central Jersey, it's always the former (short vowel oo) pronunciation in the middle of a clause: "Me and him will stand youse all."

It's easy to tell when someone is affecting New Jersey speech when he uses youse in the singular. Just like y'all in the south, youse is never singular. Such a flub is sure to raise eyebrows in any bar in Hoboken.

Source: The Dictionary of New Jersey Speech and Diction, by Francis "Frankie the Pronunciator" Ferrara.

Is it possible the two "yoots"--

Two what? What was that word?

What word?

Two what?

What?

Did you say yoots?

Yeah, two yoots.

What is a yoot?

"What are you a $%^@ing world traveler now?"

Love that movie. :D

yoots?

youfs!

Not in My Cousin Vinny. It's yoots!

Fred Gwynne was hilarious in that movie. It was his final role.:(

Finally a little bit of back-up
 

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I am sooooo sorry that I wore a watch during a game.

I am sorry I didn't put with the sh!t of someone coming to my game and making comments.

At least RPat got through to the gist of my post.

Ace

Bullchips
 

"correctly" my a$$.

I didn't throw a hissy fit, I just zinged him back. Privately.

This guy wasn't my pard or my boss. He has no place whatsoever to come up to me and initiate any conversation about my game. Period. So, when I come back at him, I am wrong?

I repeat: Bullchips.

BTW, I had seen this guy do plenty of games, and make more than a few egregious mistakes, and had never said a word to him about his work.

Once, when I was doing a JV hoops game, one of the varsity refs for the ensuing game came into our locker room at halftime and yelled at me for a double-dribble call he didn't like.

I kicked him out the room. And wasn't nearly as nice to him as I was to the watch guy. The varsity guy complained to the board about me. And the board backed me up.

Some of you may think that as long as a spectating official is "right," that you can jump into someone else's game.

I'll never do such a thing.

Ace

Ace is 110% correct!! Not once have I ever approached an official during a game to make a unsolicited or uninvited comment or correct a mistake. It's not my place, nor is it my business to do so. I spent several years as the UIC of an umpires association and I only involved myself when something extremely serious or hazardous was occuring, and that was very RARE.

I am surprised !
With few exceptions on this forum, I envision many of our members on this forum evaluating, assisting, and advising younger/newer umpires during a game, just as if it were a quick and personal local clinic between 1/2-innings.

Of course, Mick, I have WORKED games with younger/newer umpires and have offered advice and encouragement between innings. The issue is would I do so from the 'other side of the fence', and that answer is NO. Course, you knew that ...

I was wonderin' about acting more as an observer, than as a partner, with the newbees knowing that you're there, and being happy for the input.

Ace, I think you're misunderstanding me.

Frankly, I thought your zinger to that particular umpire was witty, and though it wouldn't be my style, I am NOT criticizing it. I couldn't help but smirk when I read it.

What I was getting at was your huffy reply when others pointed out that Smitty was right about the watch. That certainly sounded like a hissy fit to me. You claimed to know that some would pick that nit, so why did you bother citing it?


And I repeat that you're misreading my post.

Being a younger umpire, I can tell you how flustered I got 2 years ago when an older member of the association (who was there as a site director none the less) tried to talk to me from the backstop in between innings, about me letting the kid throw his 5 prepatory pitches/ one minute in between innings. He said I had to get the game moving.

If I was where I am today in the umpiring profession, I would have replied more wittingly, but I was actually so flustered that it put me on edge for the rest of the game with my game management and attitude.

If it was my partner, it would have been fine. But a site director? Who, being an umpire, should know better!