We don't have ASA in the triad but I am always hopeful. I would like to have the constant evaluation and critique as well as the firm standard that ASA ball offers. The closest ASA to the triad is Burlington. A little far but I have gone much farther to do Fed games. GSO used to be ASA but switched to NSA a few years back. I really don't know why.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...etman14/FG.jpg

"Don't you make me call Killer!"

Nope, wasn't thinking of Flip, actually. Just trying to be funny. Sorry I failed.

eject me.

Most of the ball in this area is ASA, with one town that uses USSSA (not sure why, either). Since a lot of the people in this area are very fluid in moving around from Durham to Raleigh to Apex to Cary to Holly Springs, etc., it's nice to have consistent use of one association's rule books. Makes it easier on the players, as well as those of us who want to call some games. I can go to any of these towns and call.

Oh, I thought that was plenty funny! :)

It's just that Markham's story is an interesting one and and your post reminded me of it.

I worked my first NSA tournament this past weekend, and found it to be a good experience over all. The umpires were very well treated, and I feel like on the whole, the crews were as good as the ASA crews around here.

NCASAUmp- Is the Rick Flair look alike from NC and does he do NSA fastpitch? Because if so, I think he was at my tournament this weekend.

Yes and yes. Did he behave himself?

I never really got a chance to speak to him, and we worked on different fields, so I never worked with him or got to see him work.

I do remember a call he made once at an NSA tournament where I was observing.

BR running to first, ball hit hard back to pitcher, who dives, stops the ball, and rolls it to 1st for the out (ball beat runner by several steps). Umpire in question declares runner safe, because you cannot roll a ball to 1st base to make an out.

He got a stern "talking to" by the UIC after that game.

I'll bet you my next paycheck that was him. I honestly don't know why anyone continues to ask him to call games, as he makes stuff up as he goes. He's a thorn in our sides, and makes a mockery of our profession. He's the only umpire that I've told my boss not to put on the same field I'm on.

Further proof that I'm not making this stuff up! ;)

Does anyone besides me think it is unseemly to single out for ongoing criticism on a public board an individual umpire in such a way that he can be identified?

Umpire Criticism
 

I am with you Dakota on this one. I would hope that if I as a Blue go out and have a not so good ball game, that my fellow Blue would not judge my ability. On the flip side of the post. If this Blue makes up calls or rules as he goes, where is his partner that could over rule his calls.I will close by saying that if they continue to just ignore him, and let him continue, they are only hurting the teams

Actually, I have no problem with being judged by my fellow umpires. In fact, I'll ask here about decisions I've made that I thought might not have been correct or the best (see recent threads on CR rule at the plate meeting, and 2 strikes yer out). But, I asked for it. I don't imagine this guy did.

The problem is not that he makes mistakes. The problem is that he, quite obvious to everyone who has dealt with him, just doesn't give a flying flip. He's walked off the field because "it's my birthday." He's made up rules, as I've talked about in other posts (and also mentioned in this thread by another umpire). He provides commentary and criticism on the game as he's calling it, much to the ire and frustration of the players. All the while, he has an air of superiority and arrogance that makes him unapproachable.

And to be honest, I hope he reads this thread, and I will have no problem telling him, "yeah, I posted that, and it's the truth."

Other umpires who have bad games will always have me covering their back. I know I've certainly had my fair share. However, this guy is one umpire whose back I will not have - because I won't work with him. My assignor knows this, and in talking with other umpires in our crew, I'm not the only one. Our assignor is finding that he's only able to put very few people with this guy, and I'm not sure why he keeps him.

Singling out an umpire for bad calls is not a habit of mine, but this guy is just that bad.

I'll be honest, I more or less forgot where I was writing, and felt more like I was having a conversation with NCASAUmp.