What In The World?

I've been trying to return to daily blogging since mid-August and every restart seems to be misfiring for one reason or another. I wonder if I'll ever find people who actually understand me in this life. So today I find misunderstanding on the softball fields. A power tripping control freak umpire lost his cool when I called him out for delaying the game and distracting players loud enough for others to hear. He ignored the first dozen times I ask him quietly. I just asked him to do his job, the job we pay him to do.

So the story goes something like this... we'll call him Joe.

As Joe the umpire was berating me rather unprofessionally and loudly as I was on the pitcher's mound asking if I could pitch, I wondered what in the world is going on and what did I do to deserve the berating. I simply asked him and the other umpire to stop delaying the game, do their jobs, and let us play. I said please.

After every third out, Joe walks over to the other umpire to chat so the team taking the field and batter has to wait until he is done chatting before the game can resume. While on the field, he will distract players with conversation as the game is going on. I asked them both to stop delaying the game and let us play, reminding them that if the players are not concentrating they could get hurt.

Sometime in the middle of the second game Joe got stupid. I lead off and I am standing in the batters box asking the umpire behind the play why the pitcher is not pitching. He says points to Joe who is off the field on his phone. As I am talking to to the umpire behind the plate, facing him, the pitcher pitches and he calls a strike because I am standing in the batters box. I flip my bat and say why not just throw me out of the game?

At the start of the next inning Joe is once again behind the plate talking to the home plate umpire and I finally called him out loudly for all to hear asking the same question I'd been asking them quietly for two games. Please stop the clock for an officials time out or let us play the game we paid to play.

Joe returned to where he was supposed to be on the field and the umpire behind the plate asked me if I was ready to pitch. I laughed and said are you serious, I've been waiting for you guys and I've been ready since I stepped on the mound a few minutes ago. I'd just like Joe to let us play and stop delaying the game.

Joe apparently did not like being called out. As I am about to pitch, Joe called time out and walked toward me and loudly apologized for being on the phone while I was in the batters box and then said, "I will give your team an out if you say one more word that pisses me off." I said please don't make this personal and you being pissed off is not grounds to penalize the team, so can we play now?

He walked away and the umpire behind the plate ask me again if I was ready to pitch. I said is Joe's time out over? Everyone laughed, including the umpire behind the plate (who is a friend I see outside of softball) and I pitched. No one said time in or play ball, but who cared at that point.

Joe's power trip was not over and he made a few obviously bad calls at second base just to try to provoke me. By this time I was more concerned with how he was pissing off my team so I said another bad call, don't let it spoil the fun of the game to my players, which pissed him off even more, but he knew it was not grounds to follow through on his threat. I could see he was seething that both teams were having a good time and forgetting he was even there. The little man became almost invisible on the field.

After the game I told him he unprofessional and reminded him that his being pissed off is not in the rule book as any violation. Doing his job, on the other hand, was clearly detailed in the umpires manual and I'd appreciate it if he would do better next time since we pay him to do it right. He heard some players chuckling and had no reply. I'll speak to the head umpire the next time I see him and see what has to say.

I seem to be upsetting people with my candor lately more than usual.

Narf :)