Lightning guidelines

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Rich

I had a confrontation at a park about a month ago when some idiots decided that the thunder *surrounding* the park wasn't adequate to stop the game.

No, I wasn't the umpire. I was the parent of an 8-year-old player. The umpire finally "ejected" me from the vicinity of the field (when I couldn't get the coaches to do anything, I grabbed his attention between innings against my better judgment) and I had a subsequent confrontation with the tournament directors, who have no clue about lightning protocols, only that "we didn't see a lightning bolt and we can play until there's visible lightning."

They didn't like my reply, "You know, it's all around us. The first one you see could kill everyone on the field."

All this to keep on schedule for a tournament for EIGHT YEAR OLDS.

I don't go to many games anymore because my daughter's coach is a moron who sided with the umpire and the tournament staff and sent me an email telling me I was completely out of line. My wife, though, sided with me and has promised me that she will pull my kid to the car if anything like that ever happens again.

Rich:

I understand your frustration. We all know that: Using facts and logic with an idiot is like having a gun fight with an unarmed man. Why didn't you pull your child from the field.

Years ago when our younger son was playing lite-weight football (he was 10 years old at the time) and his team practiced at our E.S. playground field 1-1/2 blocks from our home. Practice was after school and a thunderstorm rolled through the area. I went to the field figuring that the coaches would stop practice and move the players to a safe place. Much to my surprise the team was still practicing and parents were standing around thinking it was okay. I walked out onto the field and told the HC (who know that I was a H.S. baseball and fast pitch softball umpire) that he needed to get the team off of the field because of storm, he told me that the lightning was not directly over them so he was going to continue to practice the team. I told him: 1) I was taking Andy home; 2) He was not even going to think about penalizing Andy for my actions; and 3) He was an idiot for not stopping practice. I took Andy home.

Sometimes you just have to take the bull by the tail and face the situation.

MTD, Sr.