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

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by LDUB

What gives you the authority to kick another official off of the field?

I had never faced it before. 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.

[ozzy6900]

I got a call from a fellow umpire years ago to help him do a double header just 2 blocks from my house. I arrived roughly 10 minutes after the phone call and the first game was under way already so I waited until the half inning was over and joined my friend. He told me that this was game 1 and we were going into the top of the 5th inning. I was a bit puzzled as I went to the "A" position and the game went without a hitch.

During the break between games, my partner informed me the he sent his assigned partner home because the man stenched of alcohol and was having a little trouble getting into position. The individual is no longer on our board and no, he was not a diabetic, either.

[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?

[cbfoulds]

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?

Not ozzy, but I'm guessing, re the alcohol, that he's referring to the fact that a diabetic with uncontrolled sugar level can sometimes have breath which smells "like" alcohol. A possible explanation for the apparent condition of the sent-home "umpire" in ozzy's post which would make the "umpire" not a douche.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by cbfoulds

Not ozzy, but I'm guessing, re the alcohol, that he's referring to the fact that a diabetic with uncontrolled sugar level can sometimes have breath which smells "like" alcohol. A possible explanation for the apparent condition of the sent-home "umpire" in ozzy's post which would make the "umpire" not a douche.

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.

[johnnyg08]

I've heard of teams here that have said that "if _______ shows up to umpire we're not playing." (both teams) He has since retired. This guy once answered his cell phone at home plate with no good reason to do so.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I had a guy that wore his shin guards outside of his pants and his hat backwards. He was ready to go when I arrived. I told him that in this association, we wear our guards inside and hat forwards like real umpires are supposed to, and I wasn't going to work with him until he changed. He fixed the problem, and actually wasn't as bad as I thought he would be when I first saw him.

[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.

[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 ).

[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.

[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?

[w_sohl]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

ABSOLUTELY!

Was it a boy or a girl?

Wife had the baby before basebasll season 08 so I didn't work baseball that season.

[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.