Three-Blind Mice......
 

Playing 'Three Blind Mice' gets PA guy ejected from game

Nice!

It's not the first time.

Wilbur Snapp, 83, Organist Ejected by Ump - Obituary; Biography - NYTimes.com

I seem to recall hearing that one of the minor hockey leagues had banned Three Blind Mice.

Good. Nobody should have to deal with that stuff.

Unless it incites a riot with pitch forks and torches. I couldn't care less.

Well, personally it wouldn't bother me, either. But I can find justification in it.

Stadium employees like scorers, announcers, etc., are supposed have some semblance of decorum. They are allowed to get the fans to support the home team, but only in a positive manner.

Umpires have to deal with players and coaches turning into idiots every now and then. And they're supposed to ignore fans. But they shouldn't have to worry about stadium workers who are there to provide a service to the game participants and fans that minimizes controversy. I'm willing to bet those employees have to abide by some code of conduct.

And if memory serves, the MLBUM covers how umpires deal with scoreboard operators and organists. I think there's something in there giving the umpires authority to dismiss them if they do something detrimental.

I now what you mean, but in my games I feel lucky if I get someone who can operate the scoreboard correctly.

After ejections, they should play, "Pop Goes the Weasel".

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In this case, there might not have been anyone left to play the music....... :p

Alternative suggested by an ESPN commentator: Doff your hats and bow to the crowd. Reply to a joke with a joke.

Many many many of you advise new umpires to not respond to fans because it shows they're getting to you.

What will that crew do now if a group of fans start singing Three Blind Mice" as they walk onto the field?

Trapped by thier lack of a sense of humor perhaps? :)

Nothing. Please see PBUC 1.24 and MLBUM 2.25 as it pertains to this issue. The "organist" works for the club.

I've seen them before - I understand them - you missed the point.

The announcer is under the control of the umpire crew, the fans are not (unless they interfere with the game). And it is important to note that this is professional baseball, not youth league.

Is the point that the reason he dumped the organist is that he is trapped by his lack of sense of humor?

If that's the point, I understand exactly where you are coming from...

So ESPN encourages umpires to become clowns and buffoons, and if the umpires resist they lack a sense of humor?

No.

I like that.

At the Everett Aqua Sox, the sponsor of the announcement of the umpires' names is a local optometrist, who "is not responsible for calls seen or not seen by the umpires"

Rita

Which is why instead of ejecting the music playing DJ the way he did, he should have called over the General Manager and told the GM to get rid of the DJ/Announcer immediately OR he should have used the dugout phone (if available in this particular ballpark) and told the DJ/Announcer to pack it in for the rest of the night. By doing it the way he did, he became a national media story AND will subject himself to unnecessary abuse from fans (and players) for a while.

I personally dealt with this issue once by calling the GM over and telling him that if I heard it one more time the press box would be empty for the rest of the night. Amazingly, we never heard it again for the rest of the series.

Nope - I'm saying don't react to it. Ignore it. That's what you advise new umpires to do if a fan does it. By reacting you have shown you're vunerable to comments from off the field. You are inviting fans to up the ante. Why?

Follow your own advice. Just ignore it.

At one of the local independant team's games the mascot comes out with an eye chart when they announce the umpires before the game. It's entertainment for the fans and we all go along with it. Now, if he were to bring that eye chart out after a close call...:rolleyes:

JJ

The song would only be inappropriate in my games because I most always work two man..............:p

Who knows? It could have been a guy driving an ice cream truck outside the stadium with a huge loud speaker on the top of it.

Exactly, let someone else take care of your dirty work. No different than "Coach I need to go over your lineup here. Please take care of such and such or an assitant."

I was once in a fairly heated discussion with a coach when a parent came up to the fence and told the coach to punch me out. After our discussion I asked the coach to take care of him for me and he said "glady." I have Never seen that person since.

In Indy ball, the teams really, really, and I mean really try to be as fan friendly as possible.

That reminds me. Think I'll go sit out in the heat with my nephews, and watch the Grand Prairie Airhogs host the Laredo Lemurs.

"Alternatives suggested by [announcers]"? Are you kidding?

This is a known felony in baseball from forever. Editorial commentary by organists/ PA announcers is an ejection, period.

In an amateur [HS and below] game I might "reply to a joke with a joke", as suggested: right before I sent word thru the home manager that the offender needed to be gone, forthwith.