Umpire arrested at HS baseball game

[RPatrino]

Does every registered official carry a card on the field, or do they have a patch? How would you know if an official was even registered? It sounds to me like Michigan doesn't use assignors?

[bob jenkins]

It says "if it is learned that ..." so if the official doesn't know, then the official isn't responsible.

[JRutledge]

Apparantly this was a substitute situation where this guy was a replacement from another umpire that could not work this game. And I am pretty sure that the school in question assigns their own umpires, not assigned by an assignor or organization (usually how it goes in certain parts of the state). The fellow umpire or partner might not have any idea who this guy is or where he came from. And no the IHSA does not put that responsibility on the officials, they put that on the schools. And if an unlicensed umpire/official is assigned a game that school could forfeit that game. Every licensed official is listed online and updated daily so if someone is not licensed that can be looked up especially in today's technology age (IPad, wireless connections, smart phones). But many officials might not have that at the time we are at the game site.

Peace

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

It says "if it is learned that ..." so if the official doesn't know, then the official isn't responsible.

It also says "has an obligation to assure." I'm not sure ignorance, willful or not, would be a defense.

[jwwashburn]

I always checked when I got my assignments...There were only a handful of guys I did not know...it took five minutes to look up a few guys on the MHSAA web site

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

I always checked when I got my assignments...There were only a handful of guys I did not know...it took five minutes to look up a few guys on the MHSAA web site

So what do you do when you get to the field and someone that you did not know is on the field?

Peace

[RPatrino]

In your thickest German accent: "papers please"

[Andy]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

If I ever had a partner show up drunk:

My first act would be calling my assigner.
My second act would be telling my partner that his services wouldn't be needed for that game.
My second and third actions would be to talk to the coaches of both teams, let them know what was going on, and that I'd be working the game solo.

Post-game, my first act would be calling my assigner again (especially if I had to leave a message the first time).
My second act would be writing up an incident report for the state governing body, and CC-ing my assigner (and possibly the ADs of the schools involved).
My third act would be putting that partner on the "do not work with again ever, under any circumstances whatsoever" list.

A friend of mine was working a summer tournament in a neighboring state several years ago. After a several hour rain delay, the UIC gathered as many of the umpires he could and re-assigned for the remainder of the day. My friend was sent to one of the outlying fields, about a 45 min drive, for a game that was to start in an hour and told to get ready for the plate. UIC wasn't sure who his partner would be, but he would get somebody out there. Friend goes to the field, gets dressed, no partner in sight, so he walks onto the field and proceeds to start his pre-game with the coaches. In the middle of pre-game, a car screeches into the parking lot, guy jumps out, pulls on a blue shirt, grabs his small cooler and runs out onto the field. He gets to the plate and he is holding a beer can! He chugs the remainder of the can, says something like "OK...lets get this game started!"

He was politely informed that he would not be working the game by both my friend and the two coaches.....

[Robmoz]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

It's wrong of Michigan to put that on the officials. It should be the school's sole responsibility.

At first I agreed, but then I realize that I am a MIGS and that membership has its privileges and responsibilities. It's not that hard to look up a partner in advance.

IF someone shows up and says he is working the game and I don't know him then I will look for a registration patch (at a minimum) AND will have him acknowledge his ID# in the scorebook prior to commencing the game. Likewise, if I am the guy that is the last minute replacement and unknown to the crew then I will offer sufficient information to assure them that I am properly authorized to work (i.e a current year patch, or ID card).

We all work hard and spend $$$ to hone our skills and at the very least it is unfair to us to allow unregistered, unqualified, or any other adjective to describe an "official" that doesn't participate within the guidelines...not to mention that any liability insurance is VOID when such officials are involved in games that would otherwise afford liability protection.

[RPatrino]

What's a MIGS?

[Robmoz]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

What's a MIGS?

Member in Good Standing.....means I paid my fees, took all the required training classes and exams, am a member in a registered local association, achieved satisfactory ratings. A MIGS is required to be eligible for post season consideration here in MI.

[RPatrino]

Given the subject of the thread, I thought it might be, "Maybe Intoxicated on Good Suds"

[JRutledge]

I think people are missing the point. In certain sports or levels, it is easy to know who you are working with well in advance. I know as a football and basketball official, I will never work a game with an unlicensed official because the assignors would not assign someone (or even put them on the Arbiter system) without a license. And if I looked an official up, they are going to very likely be listed. And in football I work with the same crew, so it would be rather hard for us not to know someone's status considering we check those things. That is different as a basketball official as you work with a different set of officials every game practically. But in baseball where the sport is volatile as to when you play and who is available, that is a much harder thing to do. I have gone to games without having any idea who my partner is because of a moving in venue or changing in time. I have had to move from going to one place the a Monday to early Tuesday morning going to a completely different site that is not on the paper contract or email contract. Heck every day I get an email from an assignor now (not working baseball currently) to fill in a game. Often there is no information about partners even if the assignor uses Arbiter. So unless you take a phone with you on the field or you know the exact name or spelling or exact number of an official, not sure how you can totally ensure you are working with a licensed official?

Peace

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

So what do you do when you get to the field and someone that you did not know is on the field?

Peace

You mean a replacement?

I would know that before I got to the field because I always comminicated with my partner the day before or the day of(Parking, where we dress, what time will you be there, plate first if doing a DH, etc) I never had a situation where I did not know the name of my partner before I got to the school.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

You mean a replacement?

I would know that before I got to the field because I always comminicated with my partner the day before or the day of(Parking, where we dress, what time will you be there, plate first if doing a DH, etc) I never had a situation where I did not know the name of my partner before I got to the school.

Not all replacements are made a day before a game. Some replacements are made hours before a game (at least in my experience) Some replacements are coming from places that will not make them available for you to talk to if you have no idea who they are. I was often moved the day of and at the time I spoke to the assignor they did not have someone to work the game as a partner even if I asked who they were.

Now that is the case in the Midwest where it might rain one place and not in another or it is cold and HS fields are not always in similar shape. I am not talking about the vast majority of games or assignments, I am talking about those that happened sometimes several times during the year. Now if your area has no weather problems and has no one that has to do a real job or has never had a family issue to work an afternoon game, then I guess I would agree with you. And it sounds to me like an unrealistic policy to put that on the officials when in a sport things can change by minutes. It seems like the schools should know who is licensed or the assignors before that is even the case.

Peace