Need help with a personal conflict

[FATUMP]

Guys, need some of your expert opinions here. On Friday my association had a senior level and well respected top umpire plead guilty in Federal court for stealing a large sum of money from the goverment. He is still being sceduled games in our local association. I dont agree with the fact that he is still being scheduled games and now tomorrow i have a high profile games with him. our assigner is unwilling for whatever reason to remove him from this game. my question is this. Would you guys remover yourself from the game or just suck it up?

[asdf]

Wow,

Your association has some real problems. If this is a high school game, your state association should know about this right now.

If it's select ball, the problems are just as serious. The fact that they even consider employing an admitted thief, tells me it's time for another association.

If he works, I am not.

[Kevin Finnerty]

What do you mean by stealing money from the government? Is it tax evasion? You can do that without even knowing it. It's different than theft.

I'm just saying that there are good people who make actual mistakes when it comes to money. Stealing from the government is very vague.

Now if it's some kind of crime against humanity, I would not only refuse to work with the guy, I would blow the whole thing open myself. Wide open. Stealing from the government? More info required.

[jkumpire]

UMP,

Here are the questions I think you have to answer:

1. Does working with him offend your conscience to the point that you think it is morally wrong to work the game with him?
2. Can you work with him at this game as a partner, and treat him like any other partner in a game?
3. Are you willing to accept the consequences of refusing to work with him?
4. Does his status as an admitted felon disqualify him from working as an umpire?

In my opinion, I believe you should still work with him. If you or I were his assignor, we might treat him differently. But the assigner has made a decision that he is still eligible to work, and that is his responsibility, not yours. It seems clear that there are no legal liability issues to negatively affect you in the act of working with him. So the questions about working with him revolve around your attitudes towards him.

If he is going to jail for a long time, then his career may well be over in a short time. Maybe a little bit of grace and kindness is what he needs before he pays his debt to society. Maybe you can give him that, maybe you can't. That's up to you.

He certainly will take some hits from the fans or even the players at this game, and he needs a partner who be in his corner during the game on the field. If you can't do that, then don't work the game.

Great question, and I hope the advice helps.

[mbyron]

As an umpire, it's not my business to look into the legal situation of every one of my partners. I work the games I'm assigned.

If you're that worried about it, call your state association office and seek guidance.

[bob jenkins]

I'd make sure that he didn't handle my check.

[bob jenkins]

I'd make sure that he didn't handle my check.

[dash_riprock]

If he works, I am not.

Anyone old enough to remember Bizarro World from Superman comics?

[bluehair]

me thinks, y'all have been had.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by FATUMP

Guys, need some of your expert opinions here. On Friday my association had a senior level and well respected top umpire plead guilty in Federal court for stealing a large sum of money from the goverment. He is still being sceduled games in our local association. I dont agree with the fact that he is still being scheduled games and now tomorrow i have a high profile games with him. our assigner is unwilling for whatever reason to remove him from this game. my question is this. Would you guys remover yourself from the game or just suck it up?

Was the actual act of assigning games done AFTER the guilty plea and AFTER the assigner knew it? If so it's a problem.

If he has games on his schedule that were placed there BEFORE the guilty plea I don't have a problem with them being there but it might be wise to remove them now.

[SAump]

Originally Posted by FATUMP

Guys, need some of your expert opinions here. On Friday my association had a senior level and well respected top umpire plead guilty in Federal court for stealing a large sum of money from the goverment. He is still being sceduled games in our local association. I dont agree with the fact that he is still being scheduled games and now tomorrow i have a high profile games with him. our assigner is unwilling for whatever reason to remove him from this game. my question is this. Would you guys remover yourself from the game or just suck it up?

I would show up and do my job. The personal costs outweigh any personal issues I can have against one individual. I would not give up my $100 bucks to avoid working with the guy. I would not turn down work offered to me because of a partner's indiscretions. His actions would not reflect on my self-worth. In fact this thread is a little too "puritan" for me. I would lose everything I value if I were to turn down an offer to work a game because of my personal ineptitude to get along with questionable characters in one game. Your partner will soon be taking a leave of absence, are you joining him?

[PeteBooth]

Originally Posted by FATUMP

?

IMO, what one does (with exceptions that I will not get into in this thread) is THEIR own business.

Different twist.

After the game the "boys" go out and have a few and unfortunately one of them gets a DWI.

Would you work with this person? Should this persons assignments be taken away from him?

We can go on and on. This person most likely has a high profile game because he is a good official and IMO that's all you should be concerned with.

You are not Judge and jury so do the game.

Pete Booth