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

[aschramm]

I haven't, but I did hope for a partner not to show up.

Last week I had a JV game with a partner who I had worked with before. He has very sloppy plate mechanics, played the role of color commentator behind the plate after runs scored, and kept a horrible pace of game because he'd be talking to spectators in between innings.

I arrive about 30 minutes before the game, waiting for him. He ALWAYS takes the plate, so I'm sitting for a bit waiting for him. 20 minutes to go, he's not there so I decide to start getting ready for the plate. 5 minutes before the game as I'm about to take the field to give the team an option to a.) Play with 1 umpire (although the state association says we shouldn't), b.) scrimmage, or c.) reschedule for another date, he comes driving up the road. Gets in the parking lot with no sense of time and how close we are to game time. He can't find a base hat, so he takes the field with no hat at all, pants that have cuffs on them, and black baseball cleats.

I was really hoping for a no-show as I could report it to my assignor. As it stands, I didn't send him anything. Mostly because I'm only in my 2nd year, and don't want to seem out of place for complaining about a guy who has been umpiring much longer than me.