Happy Thanksgiving From an Ump

Baseball coaches, players and fans who find what I am about to share  offensive, please keep reading in order to better understand an umpire’s job and why it is necessary.

Oh, one more extremely important request.  Please make sure all small children are out of the room before reading further.

During a baseball game anyone associated with one of the two teams playing can or could create and become involved in an illegal act, aka an infraction. As shocking and difficult to believe as it is, it is an undeniable fact of truth, those associated with a baseball team can break rules every game.

The most hardened of these rule breakers do so intentionally as way to gain any edge over their unsuspecting opponent, while hoping to deceive the umpire. Most of these rule breakers though are just innocent kids caught up in a play or are at the wrong place at the wrong time. But, given enough time even these innocent kids can become repeat offenders.

Whichever case it is once they are involved in rule breaking there is no turning back. They have committed an infraction and infractions must have penalties.

Infractions range from minor, major to malicious. Penalties range from just getting a good talking too, up to the severity of being ejected from the game. Yes some offenses and penalties so severe the offender can be expelled from the game and or banished from additional games.

By now you are all asking yourself where is this headed, well this is where it gets the most difficult to continue reading. Kids are out of the room, right?  O.K, this is where an umpires job of dealing with rule breakers, repeat offenders can get dirty, really dirty.

Somebody has to intervene, step up, stop the offenses, put things back in proper order, put an end to the base stealing, equipment throwing and restore the tranquility of the game. So who’s going enforce that penalty then? The Coaches, the players, the fans or what about the announcer? No, they’re not looking for an unbiased resolution. They are craving an edge, no matter how criminal the infraction they have to have that call, that ruling go their way. They need that edge.

So now you know why an umpire’s job is necessary, because when you want an unbiased ruling an umpire is there ready to do his job. No matter how vicious, no matter how confusing or how benign the ruling, deep down inside in the places you do not want to go, you know the umpire is always there for you, waiting, watching and ready to always make the best ruling he can.

Happy Thanksgiving

An Umpire