The Biggest Irritant in your history of umpiring

[jkumpire]

Please note [rant] and [/rant] keystrokes.

Just looking for a funny story or two, to sooth my irritation.

[David B]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

Please note [rant] and [/rant] keystrokes.

Just looking for a funny story or two, to sooth my irritation.

I'll try, used to call one of our 4A schools and the PA announcer would give his opinion of the calls. Kind of funny, but irritating.

Pitch would be outside and he would say "ball low". Pitch would be high and he would say "ball outside". He sat right behind the plate so he should have known better, but funny to say the least.

He would also from time to time give his opinion of the calls made by BU etc.,

Sadly, the home team was a playoff contender year after year, but would not replace the guy ...

Thanks
David

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by David B

Sadly, the home team was a playoff contender year after year, but would not replace the guy ...

They might if he were consistently ejected and they had to scramble every game to replace him on the spot.

If I were on the game, he'd get a warning for the first comment and be gone after the second. Has he never been to a pro ballpark?

[David B]

Originally Posted by mbyron

They might if he were consistently ejected and they had to scramble every game to replace him on the spot.

If I were on the game, he'd get a warning for the first comment and be gone after the second. Has he never been to a pro ballpark?

Of course not, this is south MS, not the "big city". There was no need to eject him, he was absolutely doing it because he loved it and he wasn't harming a thing, just kind of humorous. (and irritating)

Of course, this was also 15 years ago. Now everyone even in little ole MS has a PA announcer, a computer operator with music before every batter, and between innings. Makes it lots of fun to go to the park and that is even with the small schools.

Of course, me being a musician, I love the music, sometimes the best part of the game. (g)

thanks
David

[ManInBlue]

Local "sportscaster" and I use that term loosely...small town MS...this guy couldn't find his arse with both hands, a map, and a GPS but he thinks he knows sports - never played, but played at officiating for a while (that was quite sad, in his shorts and flip flops), but I digress...He makes comments about the calls and about the umpires..."that must have been a make up call..." "OH! I'm not sure about that call. He looked safe to me." Most of them are harmless but they sure rub me the wrong way. I know he's a bone head but he gets under my skin...I quit watching the games. Not that the telecasts were all that exciting anyway with one camera that never moved, positioned behind home plate!!

Nope can't do anything about it and it doesn't affect my game - but the OP asked about irritants and he irritates me.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by David B

Of course not, this is south MS, not the "big city". There was no need to eject him, he was absolutely doing it because he loved it and he wasn't harming a thing, just kind of humorous. (and irritating)

I'm not arguing with you. I'm telling you what I would do. IMO, there's every need to eject a fool with a microphone, once he's been warned to limit himself to announcing the next batter.

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

Please note [rant] and [/rant] keystrokes.

Just looking for a funny story or two, to sooth my irritation.

I understand where you're coming from. I added a little sarcasm with my last two sentences. After Dennis Miller would complete his rant monologue, he would end it with, "That's just opinion. I could be wrong."

I will relate a little story that got under my skin one time. Nothing major really. I was working the last two games on the first day of a three day, 16 team tournament played at two fields. We were already about one hour behind schedule.

I had the plate for the second game. At the time, they were two of the better teams in the area, so the pitching was better than most. There was one heckler in the stands.

On just about every pitch that was called, he had to make the same comment over and over. You could tell which team he was rooting for by his actions.

For the first two innings or so, he would say in a rather loud tone of voice, "Good call, Blue" to show his displeasure. After that he switched it to, "Good Blue call." That went on for the full seven innings. I even asked the catcher for the team he was rooting for, "Is that your Dad?" He burst out laughing and said, "Hell no, but I have to hear it ever freaking game."

After he made that comment, I started thinking I hope don't have anymore games with this team if he does that all the time. At the end of the game as I was going to my vehicle, a fan came up to me and patted me on the back and said, "Good Blue game." We both burst out laughing and that was the end of that. So some good came out of it after all.

[cviverito]

Play by play over the PA is annoying. I will shut it down if it gets negative.

I have no control over broadcast commentary I happen to overhear. I treat as outside the field - it gets ignored. If I hear it I don't let it get to me...the broadcaster is an entertainer grabbing anything interesting to say in order to keep his audience riveted.

Funny story though - one time (at band camp) - a catcher tried to frame a high one...I called it a ball. I heard the broadcaster say "Fitzpatrick tried to sell a high pitch for strike three but home plate umpire Chris Viverito is not buying it"