I had a great time at the 18 Gold in Marietta.
I have read some of the old thread concerning the gold and umpires, with shame and embaressment.
I worked with most of the umipires there and found them all to be qualified, of course some had a better tournamnet than others did.
I would work with any of them any where any time.
We all had our individual strengths and weaknesses that the others had to compensate for.

Serge was just great, as was Greg.
Don't drive behind Serge, or sit in a chair after Greg.
You need to ask them why...........hehehe

Why am I the "bagman" Sergio?


Different people with different personalitites but still good people and good umps, that is what we had there.

Elaine, you need to lay off with the bad attitude and comments toward your fellow blues.

I have heard from you the story of the HS games and the umps, I have also talked to the person who assigned those games and they only worked ONE of your DD's games.
Being bitter about who got replace by whom in the UIC ranks doens't help.

You obviously have ability and knowledge of the rules, put them to good use for the benefit of all.




[Edited by scottk_61 on Aug 19th, 2004 at 08:23 PM]

not knowing anyone involved, I was wondering about some of the venom in some of the earlier 18 gold post

Did I say that?? LOL

Sorry.....Scott.....

As for the driving, you're better off driving in front of me. Had a fellow umpire in front of me, going just as fast as me (if not faster), but I get the speeding ticket! Oh well.....

And thanks for those kind words. In all honesty, I saw alot of good umpires out there. And was privileged to work with some of them too. Like I said in an earlier post, I really learned alot from them. I am sure I will see many of them in future nationals.
Serg

Scott,

I am the Bagman, sorry I missed you on Wednesday but I never got the wword that there would be no games between about 3 PM and 7 PM, I arrived about 3:30 PM and found the fields and Gym empty. I stayed around until about 10 PM and met some good umpires I have worked with in the past and even found Serge working 3B and talked with his wife. Sorry I missed other umpires from the board that were there.

I knew you wouldn't let me get away with the chair deal. It was great calling in the Gold, I wished I could have called with you. I enjoyed getting to know all you guys. I don't know what ever happened to that stupid Chair maybe it was my big butt. I had to go to your neck of the Woods Sunday to help restore power to Fla. customers. (Ga. Power)

Guys,

We need to know more of the chair story, it sounds interesting!

Scheduling wouldn't allow me to see any of the Nationals, but I am sure the officiating was top notch. I did get "kinda close" to calling however. I got to call a couple of scrimmage games on monday, opening day. One of them was the Southern Force team which won the Nationals. I know from that experience the Blues who called the tourney must have really had a blast. Those girls can play some ball!

Serg, sorry about that ticket. I got one in Fulton county a couple of years ago. It cost $320.00! Its hard to stay at the speed limit in that maze of mess around Atlanta!

Scott,

Sorry you didn't care for my comments, but whoever you talked to about scheduling on HS that said 'they only did 1 of my DD's games' made up a story. Besides, the assignor of the games must have visited as he/she wasn't an umpire in the 18U Gold crew. Besides, that is not what motivated me at all.

What I meant to anyone that is still concerned about my 'negative' comments have probably never coached girls softball or had any girls that do/did play. That's what motivated my comments. I just feel that 18U Gold should have the very top umpires calling the tournament---for the GIRLs. Not me, not the coaches, not the fans, officials, UICs, board members, player reps etc., or any of the ASA, NSA, ISA or what 'sa' folks that are involved.

Not my ego nor a 'chip' on my shoulder--'nuff said--I'm done.

See y'all

Of course the girls deserve the best... but who says who is the best? ANYONE involved in a decision process like that has different standards and can said to be political.. most of us want to be the best we can...... so i dont understand the attitude (ego?)

Merle and Henry

Gee Mike.... I think those two may be qualified..... what do you think? Im sure they dont know EVERYONE......but I cant think of why I would want to criticize their choices

LadyBlue
 

Well as usual, Elaine has taken a very nice conversation about speeding tickets and busted chairs and turned it into how bad umpires were, inferring that she could have done a better job the blues who where there. What she will not tell you is that the night she was at the Ball Park she was driven by the tournament coordinators to the eight different fields, ate with the very umpires she is trashing on this forum,and told numerous officials associated with the tournament what a fine job they were doing. I guess a lot can change from the ballpark to your computer Elaine.

Five years ago I made your acquantice at a local tournament at Murphy-Chandler. Your first words to me were, "Do you know who I am??" After learning it was my second year in Fastpitch, you then proceeded to tell me everything I was doing wrong (which a lot had changed since you retired) thank God a veteran umpire who knew you was there to set me straight. After three Men's Modified Nationals (2-Major 1-Ten Man),18U Gold three years ago and an NCAA Regional I'm glad I didn't know you then and after your postings on this forum, I glad I don't now.

I hope Metro Atlanta ASA returns the dues she so generously gave to "help with our numbers" with a little note saying we don't want/need members like you.

Rob

Boy, either you guys have exceptionally thin skin (and you're umpires???), or someone sees themselves in Elaine's comments.

I've been away from the board for several weeks (personal and business schedule), so I thought maybe there was some particularly strong vitriol I had missed, so I just went back to the original thread and re-read it.

All she said was that most of the umpires there were very good, but a couple were out of their league. She implied that they may have been selected by local politics rather than on merit.

I've been to a lot of tournaments, at a lot of levels (not 18U Gold, tho), and at every tournament I see an umpire to two that I wonder "why is he calling that level of game."

Can you honestly say you haven't seen the same? Honestly?

Were there umpires at the 18U Gold that did not merit being there? How would I know - I wasn't there, and I would not be qualified to evaluate them anyway. But, based on my experience with how umpires get assigned everywhere else, the probablility of there being an umpire or two there who were over their head is greater than 50%. I'd say maybe a lot greater than 50%.

Thicken your skin. Truth is truth.

Paraphrasing Mike in the tread about LL umpires...

I don't believe anyone questions the dedication to the game of 18U Gold Umpires. Just because we talk about them is no big deal, we talk about all umpires in the same manner.

And, like it or not, Elaine has a point. If you go to a NC, it is not a far-fetched possibility that you will see someone who you know just does not belong there and I don't see why 18U Gold would be any different.

[Edited by Dakota on Aug 23rd, 2004 at 02:07 PM]

I'm with Tom. And Elaine. And I don't know either one of them. Some folks do get to the to tournaments due to politics. Period. I've been to over a dozen PONY Nationals and there is always a couple there who don't deserve it. If you're one of them, then take offense at what Elaine said. If not, then read the post and if you disagree, don't post anything, or keep it non personal. This board had been great at doing that and I'd hate to see personal issues taken up here. Haven't seen that since BBALLCOACH and he was more of a joke than a nuisance. I do believe opinions are welcome by everyone, but not personal attacks.
Get a thicker skin and blow it off, if someone aims a comment at you.

My thing is...some things are better left unsaid....there was no POINT to her bringing it up... we KNOW that sometimes politics exist....It just seemed that the general tone of her post was a little too negative..it wasnt CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM...it was something else...

I agree that these posting shouldn't become personal, however, I was not the person who threw her associates under the bus to begin with. I know we all talk about other umpires (both good and bad) and it can seem that we are in a Soap Opera!! But to speak of her associates in such a negative tone after saying such great things while she was there rank very high on my hypocrite meter. BTW I do not think its "thin skinned" to stand up for other people.
Now as far as the "Politics" are concerned, guess what, there are "Politics" everywhere and in everything we do away from ballfield. There MAY have been umpires there who "worked" there way onto the roster but I knew every local umpire there (and some of the out of towners)and for one reason or another, everyone assigned deserved to be there just like anyone else.
There are three teams on the ballfield, the two playing and us. If one umpire has a bad call, game, or day we as umpires pick that person off the ground, tap him/her on the butt and say "Get the next one" not make snippish comments about politics, GOB networks and "IMHO the umpires sucked" comments on this board. Its not what we do as umpires.


"Its the hard that makes it great"
Jimmy Dugan