Post Script to: "I played pro ball! Did you play pro ball?"

[MajorDave]

Jeff Parrett, who assists at Woodford County HS in one of the HS Regions I regularly work and you never hear anything other than a pleasant greeting, a laugh at something funny or a complement to a good play or hit from him. He still has a big smile on his face most of the time he is at the ballpark.

I worked a Middle school game a few weeks ago for one of the schools here at home against Woodford Middle and Parrett's kid pitched. He was amazing for an 8th grader. Very few high school pitchers have as much poise and pitch control as this kid. As you might imagine he knew how to pitch and his dad wasn't even there. The very next night I had Woodford High and had the chance to tell Parrett about how nice a job his kid did. He was humble and thanked me. A real classy guy. I hope those kids at that high school appreciate what they have.


So, not all ex-pro players are bad. Maybe it's just ex-rookie leaguers who only had a cup of coffee.

However, I did have one guy, a former Cincinnati Reds pitcher-forgot his name- who called me an ******* after a game where I ejected his kid for arguing balls and strikes. The other parents for that team apologized to me for the kid and father's behavior and then thanked me for ejecting the kid. They told me that I was the first umpire to eject him all season and he and the father had embarassed them many times over the summer

It takes all kinds I guess.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I remember Parrett when he was with the A's in the early '90s, and he was pretty well-liked by his mates and the media as well.

The real pros outnumber the wish-they-were pros exponentially, Dave. Parret's and Jones's comportment is the norm rather than the rule. My son's a JC pitcher (Chris Hickman umpired one of his games), and his pitching mentor all through school was Jeff Suppan, whose modest conduct and professional demeanor are almost beyond belief. Real pros don't impose it on us--especially when we're trying to manage a game.

But the ones that feel a need to bring it up, like it makes them some kind of all-encompassing authority, and we wouldn't be able to tell if they didn't mention it ... they really make me laugh.

[JR12]

All these HOF players, turned broadcasters don't know anything about the rules, so why should any former pro player impress us?

[Kevin Finnerty]

EXCELLENT point.

Look at Joe "Thanks Skycap, here's a quarter" Morgan.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Had a game in 2006 skippered by Kurt McCaskill on one team and (Black) Jack McDowell on the other. They whined and complained somewhat during the game, and were overall butts, but they knew that everyone else knew who they were, so they didn't pull the "I played pro ball card." They didn't need to. If any former pro player made an issue of their career with me, I would probably yawn in their face, as I have umpired way too many former and current big leaguers for them to impress me much.

[tballump]

Kevin

There is a good chance that he was drafted in the June draft (no spring training or extended spring), played in the first 10 games and was released without even finishing the season because he was so bad.

Tell him

You were a one hit wonder. You didn't even last long enough to learn "class".

or

The hitting instructor realized how horsesh!t you were, so they didn't even bother teaching you class.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by tballump

You didn't even last long enough to learn "class".

Or the rule he was arguing, apparently!

[bhawk32]

We have one in our area who has a very poor reputation. I haven't been involved in any of the games he coached, but I have been told he liked to play the "big shot" card all the time. Poor little fella, I guess he's still sore from booting an easy grounder in the World Series 23 years ago.

[jwwashburn]

Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner (Billy Buck)
Bats: Left , Throws: Left
Height: 6' 0" , Weight: 185 lb.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner (Billy Buck)
Bats: Left , Throws: Left
Height: 6' 0" , Weight: 185 lb.

6'/185 is big?

[chartrusepengui]

"I played pro ball! Did you play pro ball?"

No, but I remember you. In fact, my sister's attorney has been looking for you for years!

[johnnyg08]

I had the pleasure of umpiring a game where Al Newman was the 3rd base coach...everybody knew who he was, he didn't have to tell anybody. A class act to say the least...based upon my one experience being on the field with a legit former professional. He did his job, the players did their's, and we did ours. That's how it should be. If you have to tell somebody that you played pro ball to make your point, you've already lost.

[Ump Rube]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

I had the pleasure of umpiring a game where Al Newman was the 3rd base coach

That would be hard. Every time there is a hit to the outfield I would want to stand back and watch him windmill in the 3BB. Just like the commercial.

For those of you not in TT (Twins Territory):
To guy standing office cubes holding papers: "Hey you. Yeah. You. Com'on we gotta go, gotta go right now. Com'on! It's gonna be close!"
Guy runs and dives into elevator, papers go everywhere. Stands up brushes himself off like nothing happened.

[Klokard]

Last year I had Kache Beauchamp as the Pro Tem Manager for one of the teams in the GBL before the contracted Manager was available. We had a 2 man crew for the first weekend of Indy Minor League ball in Blythe California. By the end of the game my partner and I had enough of his antics and he was tossed. He proceeded to kick dirt on my partners shoes, do the chicken walk, and throw bases. My partner and I were just laughing as his team had won. Come the end of the game as we were changing out in the fantastic umpire facilities of the parking lot, he came over and said " I was just giving a show." Why is that a show? It only "shows" how big of an idiot he is. Check out YouTube for Kache Beauchamp for a fun view of his antics.

[cc6]

Is this Single A that he played? Any professional experience is impressive. The odds of making it into the pros are apparently staggering.