Unique protest?

[greymule]

Worked a large SP tournament this weekend. In one of the women's flights, a team lodged a protest over the fact that a player on the opposing team plays in a men's league—as a man.

The team of the player in question lost the game anyway, to the relief, I suspect, of the governing body.

[Skahtboi]

I would certainly like to know how this one would have played out if the losing team had actually won. It could have been interesting....

[Elaine "Lady Blue"]

Greymule,

Were you able to determine the correct sex of said player?? LOL

[greymule]

Supposedly the player in question is going to undergo a sex change operation (male to female) after the season.

Many people at the tournament also wondered how the director was going to handle it if the "wrong" team won. "OK, you, come here and . . ."

A sportswriter I know was covering the tournament, and I suggested to him that he had an interesting story on his hands for his back page. All he said was, "I'm not touching this one with a ten-foot pole!"

Omigod! As I'm writing this I find out that I had umpired the player in question. I spent most of the weekend doing the gorillas, er, men, but had agreed to do a few women's games for the first time. If it's the player they tell me it is, I would have to say she certainly looked and acted female. Honestly, she wasn't bad looking, either.

Yesterday many of the women were agreeing that with the changes in society, some clear criteria have to be drawn up to determine who plays in what division. You can't have brutes with five o' clock shadow and bulging biceps crushing balls over the light towers in the women's division, just because they're wearing wigs and claiming to be female.

[ChampaignBlue]

Could this mean that we'll have to do more checking for illegal "bats" in the dugouts?

[Bagman62]

ChampaignBlue,

We will need to give clinics on the difference between illegal and altered bats to avoid confusion and protests.

[greymule]

Yeah. ASA will have to come up with a list and keep updating it.

[Bluefoot]

Originally posted by greymule
...I would have to say she certainly looked and acted female. Honestly, she wasn't bad looking, either.

When people find out that us Umpires are making statements like this, then they are REALLY going to start questioning our eyesight! (HA!)

[TexBlue]

2 years ago, I was umpiring a 12-U tournament. One team was getting hammered pretty bad. I'm talking to my partner in between innings and the assistant coach of the losing team comes up and tells me she thinks the centerfielder on the other team is a boy. I asked her to repeat that, thinking she was joking. She wasn't, as the player had a real short, almost burr type haircut. Now, this CF was about 5 foot tall, hadn't touched the ball defensively all game and had not even gotten on base. My partner asked her how she intended to prove it. She said she thinks the team has a right to know. Now, I'm getting pretty upset, since this is a 12 year old kid who someone is wanting to embarass to no end. I politely (as possible at this stage) asked her if she really wants to protest an illegal player and do this to a child. She adamantly tells me it's her right to do so. I agree with her and tell her I'll call the TD. Then I let her know, if she goes through with this, loses the protest and humiliates this kid, I'm gonna remember it the rest of the tournament and she better not even sneeze loud. Yep, this is unprofessional and not cool on my part, but I don't think what was happening showed any class or consideration for the kid at all. By the time I got to the fence to let the TD know, the Head Coach came up and tried to talk to me. He said he wanted to know what the repercussions were. I just told him, if they won, nothing. But he better win. The TD came up, asked a few questions and refused the protest. By this time the crowd knew something was up and the girl's parents heard. Now the stink began. The little girl was crying. Turned out she was 10, playing up in an older bracket. Just got called a boy and a cheater by one of the "adults" on the other team. Had to pull her out of the game.

The Head Coach went to the little girl, apologized to her for what had happened and to her team. He then asked me to remove his assistant coach from the field. I refused, as I, in my mind, had no reason to, yet. He then went and told her she wasn't needed anymore, to go into the stands. I mentally applauded him for this. I saw the coach of the little CF about a year later and he told me she quit playing after that game and had never come back.

One of the saddest stories I've ever been involved in on a softball field. I think everyone involved felt dirty after this.

I realize in today's times that some hard decisions need to be made in these situations, especially in the adult legues, as things can occur like what was originally presented to us. If the guy is still a male, awaiting a sex change operation, let him play in the male leagues. Period.

Just a thought.

[CecilOne]

Originally posted by TexBlue
... snip ..
The Head Coach went to the little girl, apologized to her for what had happened and to her team. He then asked me to remove his assistant coach from the field. I refused, as I, in my mind, had no reason to, yet. He then went and told her she wasn't needed anymore, to go into the stands. I mentally applauded him for this.
I also commend the HC for apologizing and removing the assistant, but he could have stopped it when he asked about repercussions. It's a bit insincere to get the result first, then "stand on principle".

I saw the coach of the little CF about a year later and he told me she quit playing after that game and had never come back.

One of the saddest stories I've ever been involved in on a softball field. I think everyone involved felt dirty after this.
Agree!

I realize in today's times that some hard decisions need to be made in these situations, especially in the adult legues, as things can occur like what was originally presented to us. If the guy is still a male, awaiting a sex change operation, let him play in the male leagues.
Agree, but the word is gender.

[ChampaignBlue]

"One of the saddest stories I've ever been involved in on a softball field. I think everyone involved felt dirty after this."

No kidding. I hope that ***...istant coach also ended her career in youth ball then as well.

[greymule]

the word is gender

Interesting the way this word has evolved. Of course, in strict terms, a man is of the male sex and a woman the female. But, from the American Heritage Dictionary:

Traditionally, gender has been used primarily to refer to the grammatical categories of “masculine,” “feminine,” and “neuter,” but in recent years the word has become well established in its use to refer to sex-based categories, as in phrases such as gender gap and the politics of gender. This usage is supported by the practice of many anthropologists, who reserve sex for reference to biological categories, while using gender to refer to social or cultural categories. According to this rule, one would say The effectiveness of the medication appears to depend on the sex (not gender) of the patient, but In peasant societies, gender (not sex) roles are likely to be more clearly defined. This distinction is useful in principle, but it is by no means widely observed, and considerable variation in usage occurs at all levels.

[TexBlue]

Originally posted by greymule
the word is gender

Interesting the way this word has evolved. Of course, in strict terms, a man is of the male sex and a woman the female. But, from the American Heritage Dictionary:

Traditionally, gender has been used primarily to refer to the grammatical categories of “masculine,” “feminine,” and “neuter,” but in recent years the word has become well established in its use to refer to sex-based categories, as in phrases such as gender gap and the politics of gender. This usage is supported by the practice of many anthropologists, who reserve sex for reference to biological categories, while using gender to refer to social or cultural categories. According to this rule, one would say The effectiveness of the medication appears to depend on the sex (not gender) of the patient, but In peasant societies, gender (not sex) roles are likely to be more clearly defined. This distinction is useful in principle, but it is by no means widely observed, and considerable variation in usage occurs at all levels.

Huh???

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by TexBlue

Huh???

Never mind, Rick. Just think of having Howard Cosell as your sophomore English teacher