Treatment of female umpire in Minor Leagues

[cc6]

I'm reading a book on professional umpiring (As They See'em- a really great read by the way), and it talks about how Ria Cortesio was treated in the minor leagues. Umpires said that she wasn't very good as a partner for example. They said she slept with players, and the players said she "chased the ball". On one occasion, her crew members stood in the outfield during the national anthem leaving her at home plate, an obvious sign of disrespect. The higher powers interpreted it as her inability to control her crew, and it reflected badly on her. She was kept in AA for an exceptionally long time, and even though she was next in line to be promoted to AAA, she somehow fell down the list in rankings and was later released. I felt that a lot of comments about her had to have been untrue. After all, how does someone get all the way to AA despite all these negatives? Then I came across this video: YouTube - Montgomery Biscuits Manager Billy Gardner Jr. Melts Down.

It appears that she doesn't do a good job of deciding whether she is going to intervene or not. It raises the question as to how PBUC treats females, and the quality of umpiring required in the minor leagues.

[RPatrino]

Ok, why did the 1b umpire, the one who EJ'd the manager, not turn and walk away. As a partner, I would have moved closer once the EJ took place, but I'm not going to get involved until my partner walks away. He didn't walk away, so it's apparent that he still wanted to have his say with the manager. This is poor game management by the crew, not just Ria. They let Gardner push them around big time.

[batboy22]

It was handle the way that we are taught at umpire school. He held his ground, Ria came over, and the manager left shortly after. Nothing wrong with how this was handled.

[RPatrino]

Other then the manager ragged on over 2 minutes, unacceptable!!

[batboy22]

This is professional baseball and this is how it works.

[DG]

Did not look like he had much to say to me, just stood there and took the BS.

[Kevin Finnerty]

So what you're saying is she sucked two different ways.

That makes more sense.

[turnit]

Nope. I'm saying she wasn't AAA material. That's all.

[SAump]

Originally Posted by turnit

Nope. I'm saying she wasn't AAA material. That's all.

Great comment, ENuf said.
Any more doubters out there?

[Kevin Finnerty]

Have there been doubters?

[Kevin Finnerty]

It doesn't give the appearance of anything if it isn't brought up, and it wouldn't be brought up if our society had its priorities in order and had a more realistic interpretation of true freedom and a contemporary outlook on human sexuality. It's only anyone's business if it comes out and there's a conflict. And if no one knows, there's no conflict. And no one should know, or even ask.

Also--and I know that this is bad news for some of the obsessed--sex is not immoral. Sex is a necessary joy, not an evil. In fact, anything that anyone does with another consenting partner or partners is not immoral. Nor is it anyone's concern but theirs. It's 2009. Things change. It's easier for the morally concerned or obsessed to ignore something that's supposed to be private than it is to draw it out. So why don't they just ignore it, rather than draw it out?

"Free country" means freedom for all, not merely those who claim moral superiority. That includes freedom to have any kind of sex one consents to having with anyone who consents to having it with them. It does not afford any faction the right to impose their religious dogma on all of us. Acting on interpretations of religious dogma is a choice that certain people make. Ignoring it, or filtering out the madness is the choice some other people make. When the dogmatic impose that religious dogma on all of us, well, then we go backward as a society, like we have.

We're laughingstocks all around the modern world. Cases like Clinton's, Letterman's and even Mark Sanford's make us look like fools when it causes a national uproar.

All that considered, because we are so backward and immature about sex as a society, things like this indiscreet umpire pose conflicts. If sex weren't misperceived as being a bigger deal than it is, maybe it could pass. But until that point where we grow up and act real about human sexuality, judges having sex with prosecutors, or some such thing, cannot be allowed to go on.

So this one woman professional umpire should not be having sex with players, and should go down for doing so. (Pardon the pun.)

[Dakota]

Is it a conflict if a professional umpire goes out to the bars and celebrates a win with the players?

If that's a conflict, how is it not a conflict if the professional umpire does the same thing in bed? Don't ask, don't tell does not remove the conflict.

[justanotherblue]

What makes this a big deal, as already pointed out is immaturity, jealousy, as well as ones need to excel at all costs. Umpiring is a cut-throat occupation. At all levels, there are those that have to degrade, belittle and ridicule another umpire to feel better and spread false hoods or accusations, all in an attempt to "move up", at any cost or expense. No doubt something we all have done one time or another to some degree. I've worked with one umpire that I know of on this forum, I would go to war with him anytime, hopefully he feels the same. I try not to make "those" statements, as I also have some glass in my house. I will never make an accusation on hear say or innuendo. Especially if I have never worked with that individual. Nor should you. Ria's goal was to become the first woman in MLB, do you really believe she would jeapordize that, knowing she is/was under the microscope at all times. Maybe the next time a single fellow umpire goes out and gets laid, you should also report him to your assigner, church and the moral police.

[Durham]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Is it a conflict if a professional umpire goes out to the bars and celebrates a win with the players?

If that's a conflict, how is it not a conflict if the professional umpire does the same thing in bed? Don't ask, don't tell does not remove the conflict.

Well ... Sleeping with the girl at the hotel front desk is a conflict of interest, sleeping with the promo girl is a conflict, sleeping with the GM's wife or daughter is a conflict, but those things happen and you don't hear about em, so they are a CoI to you are they?

Just saying, only a CoI if it affects an umpire's work, and most that I know only want one thing, to get **** right.

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by Durham

Well ... Sleeping with the girl at the hotel front desk is a conflict of interest,

No actually its a spectacle and probably quite uncomfortable. Could you imagine people trying to sign in while your having sex.

DING DING, "Oh bellboy, can you make sure this bag gets safely to my room"