Umpire diary

Tonight was my first shift back on the field after Monday's very weird experience with bad management from the league. You know me, I was mildly obsessing about that encounter all week and was curious to confer with a fellow ump about it, so before taking over from the guy who had the early games today I mentioned it to gauge his reaction to being policed; we agreed it was weird, negative, and had to be based in some context we are not aware of.

The more I process it the more I think this is two people from the office not talking to each other very well resulting in either correctly-understood bad and counterproductive instruction or misunderstood intentions being relayed in an unintentionally misleading way. Knowing the personalities involved it could really be either one.

I have been and still am considering writing something to the office with detail that expresses just how petty and disrespectful this instruction turned out to be for both us the officials and for the messenger, but I'm also reluctant because even though I can see how such feedback would be useful and help to repair the alienation they've managed to create with staff, and how a couple of others would also see it, I don't think the person who really needs to hear it would accept it in the manner intended. I may try to bring it up with someone in particular next weekend at an event, we'll see. But I don't think I'll put it in writing as it might make things worse for the messenger, who is already being treated poorly. At least, it seems that way. Again, context would help, as this remains a big fat WTF? mystery.

Onward. My games tonight were rather unremarkable save for three calls that I may or may not have gotten wrong. Two I did not see, one was just super-close (tag play at third base). The ones I didn't see are just the way of things when there's only one ump and lots of possible plays on the diamond; I get set in position for what I think is the most likely play to be made and then the team goes and tries for a different play and I'm suddenly at a terrible angle to see it. The questionable calls went one against each side and I got some pushback on just one, from the losing team (the other team cut me slack for only having one set of eyes), who insisted that a runner not be allowed to score because she missed third base; I did not see her round the bag as I was watching other runners, but her team insisted she did tag it and really one run wasn't going to make a difference here. But the defensive player insisted that she couldn't have touched the bag because he'd been standing right on it.

"You sure you want to go with that argument?" I asked. He looked blankly, so I elaborated. "In that circumstance she'd be awarded home because you obstructed the basepath by standing on the base without possession of the ball." He threw up his hands and retreated to his dugout, unsatisfied. Oh, well.

It wasn't anything that festered beyond the moment and we moved on and all was well. A few of the players were also present for the game on Monday that had The Incident, and one of them made sure to greet me and say, "hey, I'm glad you didn't quit after whatever that was Monday."

Though the league may or may not respect and value me, the players do. For now, that's enough. I'll take it.

No BINGO again tonight.