WHY?

Well.  The answer to this question is pretty simple.  We as umpires put up with a lot of crap both on and off the field.  Coaches for the most part HATE us.  Administrators begrudgingly pay us our money because we are considered necessary evils of the game.

But the BIGGEST reason that I am starting this blog is because the leader of the NCAA umpire group said in a meeting on Saturday in Atlanta that we should be careful about posting blogs and posting messages on Twitter.  (Don't worry Mr. McArtor, I won't be writing stupid things about going out and drinking after games.) 

I have been an umpire for a long time.  I am 50 years old now, and have been an active part of the umpiring community for more than 60% of my life.

I was in professional baseball for 5 seasons (1982-86) and have worked with some great umpires in my time.  I carried current MLB Umpire Ed Hickox on my shoulders for a full season in the Florida State League in 1984.  (Just kidding Ed, you are still the BEST partner a guy could have ever asked for.) and have been fortunate enough to be around several other MLB Umpires in my time.

Mike Winters, Charlie Reliford, Brian Gorman all became professional umpires the same year I did back in 1982.  Worked a couple of spring trainings with Larry Vanover.  I worked Instructional League with Dale Scott and Tim Tschida.  I even worked with Pam Postema in that Instructional League.  (More on that another time.)

There are countless guys that I have worked with in the college game that are great umpires as well.

Being an umpire isn't for everyone.  If you want a job that people yell at you most of the day, and you are expected to start the season perfect and only get better from there...come sign up.  You guys all know this.

I love umpiring.  I love the game of baseball just as much.  There are just some things about the way the game of baseball treats umpires (and the way some UMPIRES treat other umpires) that I find distasteful.

On this blog, I will discuss a little bit of everything.

Please feel free to comment about any of my posts...The only thing I will censor is SOME of the language.  You can even post how horseshit you think I am.  (By the way, if you think I am horseshit you ARE in the majority)

Thanks for following me. And let's have some fun out there.