Umpire arrested at HS baseball game
 

Wow.

Umpire Arrested at High School Baseball Game for Assaulting Officer | WQAD.com

I had a few this year that heavy drinking was necessary after the game but, never before.

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.

I've had a couple of partners show up intoxicated, one guy showed up to a Little League game 3 sheets to the wind and thankfully left to walk home in the 2nd inning. He apparently thought the kids celebrating the over the fence home run meant the game was over.

I've also seen a guy get arrested by federal agents between innings of a game. Apparently he was wanted on tax evasion for not reporting all of his income, such as from the game he was umpiring at the time

+1 ... all of this.

That's terrible...some umpires just can't handle their liquor...terrible.

Makes a fella proud to be an Astro (which makes sense if you've read Ball Four).

I can prove this wasn't me, though, as I said on another board:

1. I haven't worked HS Baseball in several years.
2. Stark County is at least 90 miles from here.
3. I'm older and fatter than he is.
4. It would have only taken one Tase to bring me down.

From the latest reports:


Quote:
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2>[Stark County State's Attorney James] Owens said Jacobson’s record included drug charges from the early 1980s, but no further information about that could immediately be obtained. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
I find it interesting that the EMTs apparently reported "an indication that alcohol might be involved," but the police do not seem to have noted the odor of an alcoholic beverage, or at least the reporters haven't said that they testified to that.
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(editor’s note: Matt Troha of the IHSA said in a May 14 email that Daryl Jacobson was a last-minute substitute suggested by another umpire, and the school did not have the opportunity to verify Jacobson’s status prior to the game at which the alleged altercation happened. Troha said Jacobson “was not an IHSA official and had not been licensed by the IHSA since 2004.”)

I do not think that interviewing some kid who said his friends told him what happened was extremely responsible journalism.

For all we know, the guy might have had a seizure and alcohol was not involved.

That's interesting. I wonder what the IHSA rules are regarding schools who use unlicensed officials. I should think the school will be made an example of given what happened.

Back when I worked HS in Michigan, I think there was a suspension for any umpire who worked with an unlicensed official.

Wow. Harsh... what did you guys do, trade licenses and compare with drivers licenses before each game?

Per the MHSAA Officials Guidebook:


UNREGISTERED OFFICIALS
Registered officials are never to work with anyone who does not hold current MHSAA registration in the sport. While it is the responsibility of the host school in particular and all schools in general to use only currently registered officials in those positions which require MHSAA registered officials (“Who Must Register,” page 3), each contracted official has a responsibility and obligation to assure that he/she works only with MHSAA registered officials.

If it is learned that an unregistered person is present to function as an official, the MHSAA registered official shall:
1) advise the host
2) remind the host that no MHSAA registered official may work any part of a contest with an unregistered person
3) delay the start of the contest until a replacement is provided
4) work the contest only with the registered officials present with the mutual consent of all schools
5) postpone the contest.

It is never an option to accept or use the services of an unregistered official.

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