My son plays LL Minors ~8yr-olds. The league needs volunteer umps, so I've volunteered. I have 4 games under my belt behind home plate and a couple in the field. I think I do a pretty good job: I continually read through the rulebook and am quizzing myself so that I can give the kids a well-umped game; I look up info on the web like this site to help make me better; I hustle out to cover plays; I have a consistent strike zone (I'm pretty strict about strikes being armpits or below, but I give 2-3 inches on the outside and inside, and I'll call strikes and pitches just below the knees if I think they're hittable); I make all calls loud so everybody can hear them; and I'm completely impartial. Up until today it's been great. People from both sides have come up after the game and said I've provided the best umping they've seen in this league. Today, though, there were some parents just behind me while I was umping. They were making comments to each other like "Jeez, how can he make any kind of call on that? He doesn't even have a good position!" or "Look at that! I tell you, making a Little League dad an umpire is one of the worst things you can do," and on and on. Not loud, not talking to me, just among themselves but within earshot. I never acknowledged any of it or gave any sign that I was hearing it. Between innings when I would walk around they'd say "you're doing a good job, ump." I know you have to have thick skin to do this job. But man it really irritated me. I know I shouldn't be bothered by it, but I am. I suppose I need to get used to it. Oh well...
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Tue May 14, 2002, 10:39pm
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