THE STRIKE ZONE
Sometimes Sports, Sometimes Sportsmanship
Referee Magazine recently published an article about what the best officials keep doing. The article made a point to define what the author meant by this, but it essentially came down to the fact that the best officials never stop getting better, nor do they become complacent with "arriving" at the top of their game.
It's something of a natural reaction for us to take a step back and a deep breath when we finally reach the pinnacle of our journey. When the end of the school year arrives, we usually don't spend the next day doing homework! And in theory, not only is there really nothing wrong with this, it can be significantly healthy for us to take a step back and relax. But like everything else in life, when we stop using a skill, a muscle, or a part of our brain for a significant period of time, we can forget how to use it. It's similar to how we might forget how to get somewhere if we haven't been there in a while. And officials can't let themselves do that. The real point, though, is not so much about reaching the end of the physical year, but rather the top of the profession. When the baseball season ends, umpires don't look for another opportunity to strap on the gear and work the plate. They cherish the time they have at home, relaxing, spending time with their families, etc. But the good officials realize that even if they're the oldest, longest tenured officials with the most important assignments, they have to maintain that level and continue to get better, rather than "throw their weight around." The job of the official is to start out perfect, then get better from there. Think about that for a second...that sounds like something Yogi Berra would say! But it's true. No matter your profession, remember that complacency at the top opens up an avenue for someone beneath you to usurp your glory.
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There's an old saying in officiating: "Remember, they're not your friends."
However, an article published last year in Referee magazine provoked some thought on the relationships officials have with players and coaches. There's a certain mindset that sometimes goes into the relationship between officials and others in the arena of competition. Usually, it is akin to a level of animosity that broods a contemptible relationship, almost as if to shift attention from the relationship between two competing entities to a competitive nature between one of those entities and the officials on the contest. In other words, a team of 9 baseball players aren't competing with another 9 players in a different uniform, but rather the guys on the field in black/blue who are calling ball/strike, fair/foul, and safe/out. In order for that type of a harsh relationship to maintain any sort of sustainability, it must be fed by all the necessary parties creating it. Therefore, if one party stops feeding it, it will cease to exist (or at least falter to the point of eventually not working as well). Case in point: if an official makes a conscious effort to be more respectful and have a normal professional relationship with others, the chances of things going well increase. Obviously, it's not a fool-proof solution; there will always be situations where idiots make the game difficult. But tipping the scales in your favor can never hurt. It's as easy as greeting people with a smile and a firm handshake. Rather than being defensive off the bat, understand that knowing how to talk to people and choosing the proper attitude has the power to reform the tone of a conversation and a relationship. Respecting people and eliminating "attitude" eliminates the potential for conflict. Even if there is a questionable call (or a blown call), choosing the proper words and approach can be the difference between the issue being dropped immediately and the coach being on you until you reach the parking lot. By contrast, officials who walk on the field with clout and a bloated ego leading the way can immediately cause coaches and players to question their authority, especially in a day and age where our youth have the potential to be more belligerent and less respectful of others. An official who thinks that "this is my field and I'm just letting these kids play on it" is bound to have trouble find him/her, whereas an official who is ready to provide a quality service of officiating a game and making sure that they do everything they can to provide the best possible experience for the kids involved is more likely to walk off the field with the respect of the coaches, players, and fans. In fact, when officials do the latter, watch what happens when those officials return to the field to see one or both of those teams again. Coaches may suddenly feel at ease knowing the game is in good hands with you at the helm! If you following the NFL, you may have heard about this little tidbit through the fall of 2017.
Following a victory (yes, a victory) by the Philadelphia Eagles, the fans in Philly were still not pleased with NFL referee Pete Morelli, whose crew had just penalized the Eagles a far significant amount over their opponent that evening, the Carolina Panthers. In fact, it was so much of a sin to some fans that an online petition was created. Will Philbrick of Little Rock, AR, created an online petition at Change.org to ban Morelli and his crew from officiating Eagles games. Directly from the petition: "NFL Referee Pete Morelli has a clear and statistically obvious bias against the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the last four games that he has officiated that the Eagles were playing in, the Eagles were flagged a total of 40 times for 396 yards, while the Eagles opponent in those games were flagged a mere 8 times for 74 yards. This is unacceptable and puts the Philadelphia Eagles at a disadvantage. Preventing Morelli from refereeing Eagles games will result in a more trustworthy and honest NFL. This will benefit the entire league and keep all claims of conspiracy to a normal level." At the time of writing this post, the petition was signed by over 75,000 people. Okay, you now have permission to take a few minutes to let all this sink in, followed by letting the rage stemming from the stupidity of this subside so you can think clearly. Let's now go over every aspect of how dumb this is. 1. NFL officiating crews not only change from time to time, but Morelli's crew was completely different in this game following similar gripes in years past. So to say this is entirely Morelli's fault (or the fault of his crew) is to say that a large number of officials who have it out for the Eagles, not just Morelli. That seems absurd. 2. NFL officials are so highly trained and scrutinized that, unless there is some clear debacle at hand (like in the NBA with referees being paid off), claiming that there is a bias shows very little education for how the system works. All NFL officials are graded so stringently that to be this poor, as is being claimed, would mean these officials would not get postseason assignments or would be completely dismissed from officiating altogether. So unless there is a covert mission to infiltrate the professional officiating community by James Bond himself just to do this, followed by a complete extraction from the program after the mission is complete, it seems highly improbable that there is actually a bias. 3. The NFL has been plagued with scandals that are far worse than this throughout the course of this season. Not only is viewership down due to the National Anthem protests, but CTE and head trauma has forced people like me to turn the game off and find something better to do on Sundays. You can also point to domestic violence as an issue that continues to plague the league. No matter how you slice it, the issues that stem from the protests, CTE, and domestic violence are probably a bit more important than whether Pete Morelli's crew might have flagged your team for a call with which you may not have necessarily agreed. 4. Before the Eagles and their fans go pointing fingers at others, perhaps they should be looking in the mirror as a collective whole. I don't think I'm breaking new ground when I say that Philadelphia sports fans carry an unfortunate label as very poor sports. These are the same fans that booed Santa Claus and required a jail and judge placed in the bowels of their stadiums. I know we're casting a wide net in grouping all fans together, which is unfair because there are some Philadelphia fans that are decent; in fact, the same could be said about most fan bases in that the actions of a few should not represent the group as a whole. However, it seems fair to reference how Philly gets a worse reputation than most based on the frequency of incidents. Now, let's consider some of the more specific points of this ridiculous case. First, the fact that Change.org is programmed to follow the same bleeding-heart protocol and beg for my help as I scan the page for information makes me never want to sign a petition again...not that I was signing many in the first place. I know the site has to be fair to all users, but you'd think that someone at the company would look at this and say, "Really? Can we just delete this?" Second, the fact that over 75,000 people actually think this is a real problem is a major indictment on our society. If there were 3,000 signatures, I'd just laugh it off. But 75,000? What are you people doing with your time? How about dedicating it to a cause that actually might make the world a better place, rather than take a stance against perceived poor officiating within entertainment? Finally, do you really think that Roger Goodell cares about this? This is a man who has laughed in the face of serious issues plaguing his league due to the amount of money the sport makes and the amount of money that goes into his pocket. They don't care about this. They care more that you're just watching and playing into the plan that your eyeballs continue to see the advertisements that provide them with the infinite dollars that make them rich. If you really wanted to take a stand, you'd turn off the game. In a society where people are innocent until proven guilty, we must preface this story by stating that we cannot prove intent. The only judgment we can give is that from the court of public opinion, not one with any actual legal weight.
Last season, an incident occurred where MLB umpire Quinn Wolcott was hit with a fastball up around the head/neck area from Detroit Tigers pitcher Buck Farmer. The incident immediately followed Wolcott's ejection of both Tigers catcher James McCann and then manager Brad Ausmus over balls and strikes. The problem wasn't just that Wolcott was hit, but that the immediate reaction was incredibly telling by the Tigers. As soon as Wolcott went down, Cleveland Indians batter Yandy Diaz was the only one to tend to Wolcott until base umpires Brian O'Nora and Paul Emmel made it to the plate at a dead sprint, meeting the Indians training staff at the same time. Replacement catcher John Hicks and pitcher Buck Farmer paid zero attention to Wolcott. The key to this incident is in Hicks' response. Catchers and umpires have a kinship because they both wear the gear behind the plate. They are both subject to the bumps and bruises of foul balls and other minor injuries throughout the course of a game. They work together to get strikes called for pitchers. Even though they're not on the same "team," per se, they are on the same team. When one goes down, the other tends to him. So when Hicks immediately ignored Wolcott, that told you all you needed to know. No postgame comments from anyone on the Tigers could sway the opinion otherwise. Following the incident with the Yankees earlier in the year, it was pretty clear that the 2017 Detroit Tigers were no longer playing for their late owner: they were in a selfish free fall that can best be described as unfortunate. In this three part series, we will examine some of the craziness of MLB umpires that took place during August 2017.
Okay, I have officially given up on the Sporting News. Joe Rivera is the latest to write the standard article about a disdain for umpires. He goes through the usual rhetoric about umpires not understanding people aren't there to see them officiate or knowing the name of an umpire. I get it. But enough is enough. Umpires make mistakes. But why are sports writers and fans so quick to criticize rather than empathize? Aren't we all prone to mistakes? I just can't take any more of these articles that take the time to call out officials. Do we ever praise officials for a good job? For every one time an official makes a mistake, there are a million other times they do their job properly! Ironically, the same day I read Rivera's article is the same day that Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo praised three umpires for three ejections in the same day! To summarize the ejections: 1. Stu Scheurwater ejected Mariners manager Scott Servais for arguing a check swing. 2. Chris Segal ejected Cardinals manager Mike Matheny for arguing "time" being called. 3. Chris Conroy ejected Cubs manager Joe Maddon for arguing a bunt attempt on a hit by pitch. And Mad Dog didn't even mention this one: 4. Lance Barksdale ejected Blue Jays manager John Gibbons for arguing balls and strikes. I'll save you the dissection of each situation, but I happen to agree with the umpires in every single one. It just goes to show you that praise never makes it way to umpires. Everyone knows about the bad stuff, but nobody remembers the good stuff. In this three part series, we will examine some of the craziness of MLB umpires that took place during August 2017.
Ian Kinsler took it too far. During a game in August, Kinsler was ejected by Angel Hernandez for arguing balls and strikes. Yes, Angel Hernandez is back. But this time, it wasn't over a lawsuit or an actual bad call. When Kinsler was tossed (and Hernandez got the call right), he went on a tirade that included pointing his bat in Hernandez's face. His comments included suggesting that "nobody wants [Hernandez] here" and that he should "re-evaluate his career choice." If you're that interested in finding an exact transcript, go search for it. It's so ridiculous that it doesn't deserve to be listed here. But Kinsler basically said Hernandez is "messing up baseball." If Kinsler had been ejected for something he didn't do, especially if it was his first career ejection, I can understand an overreaction, even if it's wrong. It's equivalent of being wrongfully accused of a crime: if you didn't do it, you'd shout it from the rooftops. But this isn't Kinsler's first rodeo. Look, I know that those in baseball who don't understand umpires (read: players, coaches, managers, etc.) see Angel Hernandez and immediately assume it's going to be a long day. But enough is enough. Hernandez was asked about Kinsler's comments and gave the proper response: he just wants to go out and do his job. Before the end of the series, however, Hernandez was working second base when Kinsler came out for the bottom of the first inning. The two shook hands and made up. Hernandez went as far as putting his hand on Kinsler's shoulder during the apology. Kinsler never publicly apologized for the comments and wouldn't elaborate on the exchange...probably because he's too proud and doesn't understand that real men can admit when they're wrong. (Also, at the time of writing this, Kinsler was not suspended for the comments. But if we've reached a point where we are rightly suspending players for homophobic slurs, suspending players for comments such as these should be warranted. A suspension here makes more sense than suspending Joe West for good-natured ribbing.) In this three part series, we will examine some of the craziness of MLB umpires that took place during August 2017.
If Joe Torre claims he doesn't have a grudge against umpires, then he may be lying through his teeth. Slightly over a month after Angel Hernandez filed a lawsuit against MLB over racial discrimination and the grudge that Torre has with him which is preventing him from being promoted to the position of crew chief and receiving World Series assignments, Blue Cowboy Joe West was suspended by MLB for three games over tongue-in-cheek comments made in an article praising him for umpiring his 5,000th career game. In the article, West was asked which MLB player complains the most to him over calls. West cited Adrian Beltre in a manner that was obviously equivalent to a good nature elbow to the ribs. Beltre had just reached the 3,000 hit club, a feat that usually guarantees a ticket to Cooperstown. (Beltre had also just been ejected by Gerry Davis, the other long tenured umpire, for showing him up by moving the on-deck circle when asked to stay in the circle.) The article was published earlier in the summer. However, West was handed a three-game suspension in August for the comment, citing an lack of impartiality and professionalism. There was no explanation regarding the delay in levying the punishment. Both Beltre and Rangers manager Jeff Bannister were asked about the comment and had the same reaction: they knew it was a joke. So why did MLB feel the need to send a message to West? We discuss the human element of sports all the time here. Umpires are people too. The relationship between umpires and players (and coaches) should be a bit more jovial in order to keep the seriousness in check. After all, it's a game. But I guess the bigger question is this: why is Joe Torre, a former player and manager, in charge of umpires? Earlier this year, I posted some thoughts on making sure athletes aren't revered as if they were gods. I wrote that piece a few months in advance of its posting because of the long line of posts we have here at the blog and how they get released, etc. While I was waiting for that piece to get published, I had to go back and edit it a few times to actually remove some of the names from it that were still included in the list of people who it was okay to, for lack of a better term, idolize.
I should have just kept that entire list blank. When I watched the 2016 Chicago Cubs, I gave a lot of credit to young players like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant because they looked like they played the game the right way. The clip between Rizzo and infamous umpire Angel Hernandez was heartwarming during the playoffs as it showed Rizzo apologizing to Hernandez and both coming to amicable terms, as if it was some sort of lost art in humanity. Then, during the 2017 season, both players committed acts that made me regret that decision. We already discussed the dirty slide by Rizzo earlier this year. And that's not to say that Rizzo is a dirty player, but the act was clearly illegal (as was stated by Joe Torre); further, for Rizzo and his kooky manager Joe Maddon to both defend it makes it even worse. In July, Bryant earned his first career ejection at the hands of umpire Lance Barksdale for a strike three pitch that was very much inside. Bryant was demonstrative in his disgust, pointing constantly as if to make sure the crowd knew the pitch was inside; his barrage of words, which, according to Maddon, were nowhere near anything Maddon has ever said to be ejected, was enough for Barksdale to send him on his way for the first time in his young career. And what did Bryant say after the game? "I had to defend myself." What is it with this young generation thinking the world revolves around them? You had to defend yourself against one bad call? Is that seriously that high on your priority list? Here's a note to Bryant and anybody on the Chicago Cubs who now has a World Series ring: you just won your first championship in 108 years. You ended the longest standing streak of a championship drought, bringing not only the attention of the nation to Wrigley Field, but possibly the world. You are getting paid (or will be getting paid) millions of dollars to play a kids' game, let alone the additional money you made from the championship and every endorsement that followed. I understand that your new goal is to win another championship and to put the last one behind you, but that shouldn't be at the expense of common decency. You know what Derek Jeter did when he disagreed with a call? He might have said something briefly to an umpire, but not in a demonstrative way, and he walked away before it could escalate. You know what Hideki Matsui did when he disagreed with a call? He looked straight up into the sky for a moment, then walked away. Will Aaron Judge be the next person to disappoint me? Or will he continue to show some decency and restraint when he disagrees with a call? Cowboy Joe West is a polarizing figure in Major League Baseball. He is one of the longest tenured umpires in the sport and worked his 5,000th game this season. He had a bit part in The Naked Gun when he was one of the umpires ejected from a baseball game by Frank Drebin. He is a country singer when he's not on the diamond. Fans either love him or hate him because of his moral compass. Whereas he feels he is doing what is right in the eyes of the game, others feel he is making the game about him. Somewhere, there is a PhD candidate writing a dissertation about him.
One thing he is not, though, is a target for deadly objects. At the end of June while in Milwaukee for a series between the Brewers and the Marlins, West was working first base when a baseball was thrown from the stands and hit him in the back of the head. Smartly, West pulled the teams off the field until he felt nobody was in danger of further attack. Brewers security attempted to locate the fan who assaulted West, but were unable to do so immediately. This incident occurs only months after a Toronto reporter was caught throwing a beer can at an Orioles outfielder during the 2016 AL Wild Card game. That reporter was fired and put on probation, among a list of other penalties. The fact of the matter is that nobody deserves to be the target of assault, especially over something as trivial as a game. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, especially when it comes to the officiating of Joe West, but nobody has the right to throw a baseball at him with the intent to injure him. It's an absolute shame that someone could be so stupid...or perhaps it's a shame that someone could be so inebriated that such an idea seems logical. Perhaps it's not a story directly about sportsmanship, but this is a story about humanity, empathy, and heroic deeds, all of which are not mutually exclusive from sportsmanship. All of these are related to the same basic idea that we're all in this human race together, and it doesn't matter whether you are a competitor, an official, or a fan: life is a precious thing that requires us all to take a step back and appreciate one another. And what better time to reflect on this than during the holiday season?
Back in June, MLB umpire John Tumpane was working a series in Pittsburgh. "Tump," as he is known, had the plate for the game that night as the Pirates hosted the Tampa Bay Rays in an interleague matchup. During the day, he went for a run and for lunch when he noticed a woman on the wrong side of the Roberto Clemente bridge. This woman was considering suicide. Through an act of courage with a touch of divine intervention, Tump was able to grasp onto this woman and prevent her from jumping to her death. He held her until the authorities arrived to take over and save this woman's life. The full account of this story is available on many news outlets (probably archived by now, but still readily available). One of the most amazing moments of the account, however, was when this woman cried about how nobody would remember her or nobody would care about her. Tump replied by saying he would never forget her, even offering to take her to lunch to talk about life to prevent her from jumping. Talk about an understatement: how could anybody forget someone who was in such a perilous situation and was saved by the serendipity of someone being in the right place at the right time? There are a ton of noted items from this story that go beyond just the account of what happened and the praise that Tump received for his heroism. First of all, this is a reminder that even MLB umpires are human and are on the same plane as everyone else. We have this concept that people of celebrity status somehow are demigods to us laymen, when, in reality, just because the stage is greater doesn't mean that these people aren't just the same as us. And that's not even to mention that MLB umpires usually don't want the notoriety that come with celebrity status; although the public may rally against them, umpires are happiest when nobody notices them. Second, perhaps this story can remind us that life goes beyond our employment and entertainment. How many people in the stands that night would remember that the home plate umpire saved someone's life earlier that day? And if Tump missed a call that night, do you think that anyone on either team or in the stands would think twice before giving him hell for what they perceived to be a bad job? Or would common sense prevail and allow them to think, "Man, I think he missed that...but the guy saved someone's life today...we should cut him some slack..." As an aside, and to put a little levity onto a serious situation, this is the best time a home plate umpire saved someone's life since Frank Drebin saved the Queen's life out in California... All in all, kudos to Tump. I'm sure he deserves a cold beer and a hug. |
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