Umpire overrules judgment call

[Kevin Finnerty]

I worked with a partner that was unfit to be on the field (a little drunk?? high on weed?? neglected to take his meds??), in addition to having zero honor and zero integrity and a massive ego.

After several glaring incidents, I was going to send him home and finish myself, or suspend the game if he refused to leave. I can handle virtually anything, but this guy was stretching it to the maximum. It was a travesty, and not a ballgame.

I somehow finished the travesty of a game, and somehow avoided a hand and wrist injury when he got in my face in the parking lot (women and children would have seen it).

I deeply regretted not stepping in and sending the guy home before the game even started, but this always-support-your-partner-no-matter-what thing prevailed, and to this day, I haven't even ratted the guy out to the assignor, even though he should be nowhere near a legitimate ballgame (some of the politics are pretty extreme in that assn.).

He's like a weed: he has no place on a baseball field. Guys like him are why I umpire in the first place.