Being the off-season with little to argue about, I felt I'd share with you guys a message that hit home some thirty years ago. My company used to sponsor an Old Timers Game in each Major League city as a prelude to a regular game. The previous night there was a banquet for retired players, retired umpires and several of my associates held in skyviews during the game.
SITE : Fenway Park, Rangers vs Red Sox, Nolan Ryan vs "Rocket Roger" (I assume
pre-rocket fuel) Clements.
SITUATION : Bottom of 7th, Sox runners @ 2nd & 3rd w/2 outs,scoreless game....(1) Ryan throws pitch in the dirt; (2) catcher blocks pitch & directs ball back into glove with his handheld mask; (3) I yell, " HE TOUCHED THE BALL WITH DETACHED EQUIPMENT, SCORE BOTH RUNS
"; (4) I was standing next to Ed Runge, a retired umpire, to whom I'd boasted of my umpiring skills. His response sent me a message I'll never forget :"I'd never want to work with you if you would call that
, you'd ruin a great game---Ryan's a hothead, you'd toss him and his catcher & skipper, for something that didn't gain anybody anything. Son, don't be a 'walking rule book waiting to happen'
" (5) the Sox skipper approached the plate ump and inquired -ump had a short answer & smiled, skipper also
smiled & returned to dugout. I assumed ump's answer was similar to Runge's; (6) the baseball gods must have been watching for the batter then hit a 2 run double
!
Thank you, Ed Runge, for those words of wisdom
; and thank you, guys, for taking the time to read. If you're a
cop, don't ticket those going 28 MPH in a 25. If you are an official let the kids decide the game, just keep it fair.