Would you ever send an idiot partner home in the middle of a game?

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

But, out of respect for the game, for the competitors, for the craft of umpiring, and out of my own sense of pride and integrity as a human being, I was on the brink of taking the authority.

Yes, you're integrity as a human being would lowered if your partner wasn't up to your qualifications. How could you live with yourself knowing that there is a sports official in the world who really sucks? You are really overstepping your powers, even Joe West agrees with me.

[stratref]

I have sent a partner home before, however it was in football instead of baseball.

Two years ago I was working a Friday afternoon MS game, that was supposed to be 3-man, and was supposed to start at 3:30 to give me plenty of time to get to my varsity game that night (5:45 pre-game start time). However the visiting team didn't arrive until 3:40 (bus problems within the district) so kickoff was not until 4:00, my lines guy is still not there, so I go over how to cover 2-man with the guy who I am working with.

The game goes on with no problems despite working 2-man because neither team can move the ball very far. With a minute to go in the 2nd qtr a kid goes down for a minute the coaches come out to tend to him and I see out of the corner of my eye our 3rd official walking over to the field, I go over to meat him at the edge of the track surrounding the field. He explains to me how he was late because of traffic, and I was going to let it go at that despite being an hour late for scheduled kickoff. Then he says he forgot his whistle, flag and beanbag. I ask him how he planned to officiate the game, he just gave me a blank stare, I then told him to get off the field and go home because he obviously couldn't officiate this game.

The kicker to me was the guy was just 15, I didn't have a problem with that. I did have a problem with the email I got (via our association president) about how I was completely out of line, it was not the officials fault he didn't have his equipment, it was his Mom's job to pack his officiating gear and that I should be required to pay the kids travel pay out of my own pocket.

I sent back a response along the lines of, if he is responsible enough to officiate football games then he is responsible enough to pack his own gear bag.

A little long winded but that is my story about kicking a partner out of a game.

Jasper

[Kevin Finnerty]

...

Originally Posted by LDUB

Yes, you're integrity as a human being would lowered if your partner wasn't up to your qualifications. How could you live with yourself knowing that there is a sports official in the world who really sucks? You are really overstepping your powers, even Joe West agrees with me.

That's great.

You don't really know what you're talking about, but that never seemed to stop you from disagreeing with someone before. My "qualifications" are simple: I am virtually all-inclusive, and before this particular individual came along, I was all-inclusive. It has nothing to do with his umpiring competence or lack of experience; I've carried lots of guys, because, like you or anyone, when we were starting out, some guys had to carry us. It had to do with grievous misconduct and possible drug intoxication, and borderline physical violence against a coach.

"Your qualifications." ... What a crock.

[outathm]

Many moons ago when I first started working ball I was excited to get assigned an all-star tourney. I was 16 years old and this was my first shot at 'the big time'. During the pre-game my partner said to the coaches "If you have a problem with anything the 'Kid' calls just come to me and I will get it right."

I replied, "There will be no problems with the 'kid's' calls, because you are working this game by yourself, and walked off the field.

I got in my car, (paid for with umpiring money) and went to the nearest pay phone(This was before cell phones) When I got the assigner on the phone he told me to go back to the park and wait for him. When the assigner arrived he took my partner aside, after the first game, read him the riot act, very professionally, and then sent him home.

The assigner and I worked the second game of the night together, without incident, and I continued to work the rest of the tournament; filling in for an umpire who had become 'unavailable'.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Wow!

That's a great story.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

My sugar is well under control now, but when I was much heavier, it was pretty high, but I never noticed any sugar alcohol odor. It must not have been high enough to produce that.

Not sugar alcohols, which are used as artificial sweeteners and are generally odorless.

You probably never suffered from ketoacidosis, which afflicts a percentage of diabetics and is life threatening. Basically, the diabetic's messed up chemistry can produce toxic acetone, which the body tries to excrete through the lungs (which is faster than other routes--clever old body!). The acetone and its cousin methanol can leave the diabetic smelling of alcohol.

Oz, you're a rare bird.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Ozzy,

As a Type II diabetic, I'm curious as to what alcohol and not getting into position has to do with diabetes. Can you 'splain?

As cbflouds & mbyron stated, diabetics that are in serious trouble sometimes can be mistaken for being drunk. By the way, if you were in this state (diabetic), you would never smell it as your nose has become used to the aroma long before others smell it. Whe I worked with Rescue years ago, we had to be aware of this when responding to car accidents, especially. Just because the guy reeks, doesn't mean he's been tipping the bottle!

I am Type II also and under control (not mentally, though ).

[aschramm]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

This guy once answered his cell phone at home plate with no good reason to do so.

I had a young partner last year who was checking text messages and either checking his voicemail or making a phone call between innings.

[Kevin Finnerty]

They're addicted to texting. We're going to have a whole generation who are going to have carpal tunnel and curved necks.

I'm addicted to apples, but I never peeled one and ate it on the field before. Where's the discipline in some of these clowns?

And, where is the training, discipline and oversight in the whole process? Even in the big units, they're thrown to the wolves and left essentially unsupervised. It's up to us partners to educate them. I'm in a couple of pretty good units, but when you go to a game from a couple of surrounding units, and the lack of training and supervision is astonishing.

[mbyron]

Kids today. The whole culture's going to hel in a handbasket.

[aschramm]

Originally Posted by aschramm

I had a young partner last year who was checking text messages and either checking his voicemail or making a phone call between innings.

I probably should've clarified that I'm 23 (22 at the time last year), but am pretty sure I was older than him. Even if I wasn't, I still know enough to not even check my phone during games, unless I am checking time for time-limit games.

[w_sohl]

carry a cell phone onto the field if your wife may go into labor? Just kidding, because I assume everyone would count this as an exception.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

carry a cell phone onto the field if your wife may go into labor? Just kidding, because I assume everyone would count this as an exception.

ABSOLUTELY!

Was it a boy or a girl?

[Matt]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

carry a cell phone onto the field if your wife may go into labor? Just kidding, because I assume everyone would count this as an exception.

Yep, and I did.

[biggravy]

One reason I officiate is to get a two hour break from my damn cell phone.