And this just shows how little value baseball has at the amateur levels. What you just said is not completely true. For one, I would never compare D1 Baseball to other sports where the officials are not only more visible, but very well known. I could not tell you most D1 Umpires if I saw them in a criminal lineup. I even worked a D1 Baseball games and I can tell you I was a warm body on many levels. This is really true when the first D1 game I worked I was called Friday to work Sunday doubleheader to end a series. I have never seen a D1 football or basketball official ever have tattoos that were easily seen or long hair. Even facial hair is frowned upon (unless you are Black, but that is another conversation) in those sports. You do not even see this at the high school level. I see baseball umpires look all kinds of ways for high school baseball and definitely youth baseball.

Do not get me wrong, there are certainly some hot spots in this country where baseball is taken very seriously and I am sure the umpires have to have a higher standard. But all I have to do is turn on the TV when youth baseball is on and I do not see this high standard of professionalism always being displayed. And certainly not to the point where a ponytail or earrings are never displayed.

Peace

JW

Just as we form our opinions of officials from the first time we see them, so do we form our opinions of how threads are presented. It is quite obvious that your original presentation about generating a discussion on umpires appearance, left a lot to be desired. And I do understand how appearance plays a very big roll in officiatng.

And yes I also have many opinions.

You would be hard pressed to find an area of the country who takes baseball any more seriously than they do where I live, and anywhere in the SoCal region. It's more of a religion out here, worshipped nearly year-round, when most parts of the country are in hiebernation already. We take our baseball as seriously as Texas takes their HS football. And that, brother, is very seriously indeed.

And the point is, the umpire I'm talking about didn't just "happen" to get D-1 assignments. Back in the day, being a D-1 umpire was really not that big of a deal, and nobody cared what an umpire looked like. That is a more recent phenomenon. Now it's all about how purty the umpire looks, not whether or not he can umpire a friggin' tiddlywinks contest, which is how I equate many of the D-1 umpires I've seen lately. He was assigned good games because he was a good umpire all around, and was well respected by coaches and administrators everywhere.

It indeed is not.

~sigh~
 

Steve this might be the FIRST thing you have written in this thread that I agree with . . . In my "olden" days even "D1" schools didn't overly react to uniforms, shoes, hair, and tatoos. That is not the case today.

While I strongly disagree with your statement that "Being bigoted against long hair went out in the 1960s" isn't true. It simply isn't true.

There are still specific trades and professional jobs still don't allow long hair.

Sorry Steve -- I have my standards and IF I were King no umpire with a ponytail would work playoff level games.

That being said: my GF has plenty of ink and it has never stopped her from getting modeling jobs.

BTW, see me (in all my largeness) in the Season Ending January episode of Leverage.

And Jesus is not on our roster of eligible playoff umpires. (What a trite arguement -- I expect more from you).

Leverage is my favorite TV show. Let us know exactly when it's going to air. I know this week is the summer season finale.

Yeah, I was just tossing that one out there for sensationalism. I know that argument doesn't hold water. I gave it the old college try.:cool:

Tim,

Would you ever consider seeing a physician who has a pony tail?


Tim.

The bottom line is that somewhere is not making that big of a deal over a ponytail. And I think it really comes down to the competition for slots and in my area just to use it as an example, there are far less fewer slots in baseball than the other major sports. And if you live in a similar place I am sure there are people that will get opportunities in one place that would not get them in other places. And when it comes to baseball, there are first year umpires working varsity games and I even worked college games my first year because not everyone is available to work those games or willing to work those games.

Peace

I'm not Tim, but if I had a choice between two (male) physicians and the ONLY thing I knew about them was one had a pony tail and one didn't, I'd choose the one without.

That applies to umpires, too.

And, didn't Drake get told to cut his hair?

As someone once said, we are just actors in the play called, "Baseball." Just as actors have to dress for the role, so do we.

Hehehehe,
 

Steve:

We wrapped the year ending episode Tuesday night. It will be braodcast in January.

Look for me at the political fund raising dinner. I have two "hero" shots.

This is the crew for the L.A. City Final at Dodger Stadium in 2008:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...MG_21451-1.jpg

In Los Angeles, umpires are given assignments according to knowledge, ability, reliability, character, competence and other key areas related to umpiring. All four of these guys are first-rate umpires and first-rate human beings. The guy on the right--one of the finest umpires and people that I know--has a pony tail (not showing) and a short goatee. The guy on the left also has a goatee (he wears a HSM, so he doesn't have a cap). The guys in the middle both have mustaches and the short guy has a curly hairstyle that sticks out of his cap. Oh, and they're wearing gray.

Two of these guys are black, one is Hispanic, and the one white guy's a long-hair. In some circles, not one of these guys would get a key assignment. And in those circles, they do not assign the best umpires and the best people to the most important games. They assign the best ... uh, you know, qualified. ;) ... ;)

I would not call it a pony tail, but my physician wears her long hair tied back behind her head.

I work with two very fine umpires, one who posts on this board, was one of the very first umpires I have worked with that wears earrings. The second umpire has a pony tail that he keeps tucked under his cap. I would go into battle with both in a heartbeat!!!

I have no problem some that locales don't consider a professional appearance to be important.

In my area those gentlement would be highly regarded for their mechanics knowledge and ability and perhaps their rules knowledge. Again, they would not be considred great umpires without the complete package.

Appearance, professionalism, grooming, and athleticism all appear on our rating sheet.

It does not cause us to use inferior umpires, rather, our members understand the importance placed on those traits and make them part of their umpiring. Your arguement that these guys would get short shrift in other areas in speculation. If they are that good, and if umpiring is important to them, I would speculate they would follow the rules of their association.

Different strokes. We are not California casual here. And from my experience, none of the pros I've run into are either.

Side question: How does everybody feel about gray as a warm-weather alternate?