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.

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?

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

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

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

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

In your thickest German accent: "papers please"

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! :eek: 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.....

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.

What's a MIGS?:confused:

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.

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

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

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

Never? Wow. Sweet. Charmed life and all.

90% (maybe more) of the time, I know who I'm working with in advance. But not 100%. Things happen. Last minute changes happen ... and sometimes I'm that last minute change.

And you live in Texas. In the Midwest I cannot imagine that number is more like 50% when you consider all the weather, conference rules to accommodate weather changes and games played in the morning on Spring Break to play a double header, but it rains that morning instead. There is a reason teams from the Midwest go to Florida, Arizona and Texas for a week just to get some games in for their players.

Peace

I work games in Michigan.

The leagues hire assignors, who are state-association certified. I do not care who shows up as my partner; it's not my concern. Before assignors were hired, I paid attention, but the state association and the member schools chose to not respect the rights of an independent contractor, so I chose not to take on the responsibilities of ascertaining the certification of my partners.

If they tried to discipline me for working with an unregistered partner whom I had no role in hiring, I would sue just for principle and fun. It's hard to hold people to adhesion contracts.

Yeah, I have had last minute changes. My assigner texts, emails or calls to tell me the change.

I agree it should not be your responsibility. However, I would find great pleasure in busting a deadbeat who refused to register. The guy who does not play by the rules and register is not one of us.

This sounds like union/state bullying to me. If you ain't a dues paying member, you ain't getting any games. I'm sure they have couched this rule as to avoid Michigan's new "Right to work" law. Either that or its a case of OBB (over-beaurocrating beaurocrats).

In Texas, we're in the middle of a battle over control of officiating between our state and union. The state's no registration/no games edict has been on hold for years now awaiting a court battle that is probably eating away at our union's coffers. Probably will be a case of whoever has the deeper pockets wins.

I'm betting on the state, in that case.

I think it had more to do with Background checks and clinics. I was not a member of a union and never would join one. I do not want my salary determined by the competence of my laziest co-worker.

I have to disagree with that. Most states require those to work and their public high schools and private high schools to have a license or a minimum requirement to work games. The situation in Texas is unique and not applicable to most states. I live in a large population state and you could not work a game with any IHSA member school if you do not have a license. And it has nothing to do with unions or "right to work" issues. They just require you to be qualified by passing a series of steps to work those games and to be around kids. It think that is only fair and just in this very litigious society. After all most of these are non-for-profit private organizations, not public organizations that have to allow someone or anyone to work in that group without some standards being set. And I doubt seriously this would be a legal battle that they would lose as most things require some minimal standard to participate when a license is at play.

Peace

I would never knowingly work with someone who is not licensed by the IHSA. One worry I would have is whether or not my supplemental medical and liability insurance would be voided by working with someone who is not licensed.

++1!

It's not a union. Don't call it a union, even in your thoughts. If they unionize, it would change a crapload of things ... it's an association.

In any case - union/state bullying? Nonsense. Requiring the official to have passed tests and received training? Absolutely.

State Union for HS Baseball officials would mean no one under the age of 40 would be allowed to watch a playoff game..much less work one:D

Well ... as my other post said, it's not a union... but technically it's also not the state. It's the UIL --- a technicality perhaps, but their pockets are infinite.

It wouldn't. After all you are not responsible for who you work with as Michigan states.

Peace

There is no umpire "union". The UIL wants to charge officials a fee themselves. A whole whopping $50.00. The case has been take pro bono, most likely by lawyers that officiate in Texas. It has been tied up wherever for about five years. You should pay better attention at your"association" meetings, where you pay dues to be a member of the "association" that assigns you your UIL high school games.

Personally, I would be more suspicious of how an association spend it's dues since I've never seen our accounting system, a financial statement, or where the monies paid out go to or where.

Longtime union branch treasurer, and state treasurer.

Odd. Two different associations I've been with have a (horribly boring) reading of the accounting crap twice a year and hand out all the relevant data.

Random thoughts on this thread:

As to the OP: Bruce Froemming said on the first day of umpire school one year, "you haven't learned to umpire, until you can umpire drunk!" Obviously, the umpire in the news story in the OP flunked Froemming's school.

I don't know the make-up of the UIL (what percentage of the schools are public and what percentage are private), but looking briefly at the UIL's website, I am going to guess that the SCOTUS' ruling in Brentwood Academy takes the "technicality" out of it...the UIL is assuredly "the state". (I am not weighing in on the merits of any legal disputes raised in this thread, other than to say that the UIL is a "state actor" as that legal term is defined.)

In South Carolina, if two teams play a game using non-certified umpires, then they have actually had an illegal scrimmage. Both teams will likely forfeit their entire season (and that's not my guess...that's what the assistant commissioner for baseball has publicly said.) Schools are told that on the varsity level, they are NOT to play unless they have two SCHSL-certified umpires.

I'll bet UIL wants to be considered the "state". If they are "the state", they win. It used to be that you couldn't tell if TASO was "the "state" (they were the "state" authority over officiating) or "a member Asso" (can't use the word "union"-some people bristle). I think UIL wants to be "the state", complete the wrestling away of any remaing TASO "state" authority over officiating and relegate TASO to "a member Asso" only (which they probably can't survive being). IMO, the TASO law suit is their last ditch attempt to regain some "state" status...can't be done.

UIL is over 99% public (exactly two private schools), and is technically part of the University of Texas.

UIL v TASO lawsuit is quickly coming to an end. A Representative in the Texas House sponsored HB 1775. It passed the House and the Senate, it now awaits the Governor 's signature. From my understanding, the sides came together once this bill was introduced. We will see how it all pans out, as there are other issues on the table, but here is what the bill says, in laymans terms.

- The bill would prohibit the University Interscholastic League (UIL) from registering, charging fees, or requiring membership in any sponsoring organization of sports officials as a precondition to contract with a school district or open-enrollment charter school.
- The bill would prohibit the UIL from sponsoring or organizing any organization of sports officials or influencing the selection of sports officials by school districts or open-enrollment charter schools.
- The bill would allow the UIL to set the rates or fee schedules payable by school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to sports officials.

Maybe we will finally get that pay raise we were expecting a few years ago.

The MichiganHSAA can suspend an official for knowingly officiating with an unregistered official. I know because I almost was suspended for such an infraction. The person that got fined though was the assigner for knowingly assigning unregistered officials to the game.

MTD, Sr.

Don't forget the charter schools.

I used to use Quicken. I could print out just about any form showing deposits, monies paid out, and to who. For the most part I was essentially keeping the checkbook balanced. I actually went to the credit union where our account was, and got old back statements. I finally got it balanced where we had a $1.69 overage............The state "books" were kept very diligently, and came down to the very penny.

We didn't have a set of books, just a checking account.

Our association was supposed to have bylaws. They never provided one. After a few requests, I just gave up.

Both Houston and Dallas chapters post theirs online, viewable if you're a registered official.

They never told me they were online. Stopped officiating this year due family health issues. Too hard to commit to availability.

As does the Tyler Chapter. We also have our Policy and Procedures, Pay Sheet, Evaluation Sheet, in addition to the By-Laws posted online.