A friend once asked me if my years of teaching at the Bristol Jail were ever dangerous. I replied, “Not nearly as dangerous as umpiring behind the plate in a Little League game.” Lol … kinda.
I coached and umpired regular Little League games in Bristol Virginia Little League for several years. I was naïve enough to think I’d have no trouble when umpiring, because virtually all the parents already knew me and respected me as a teacher.
But less than a full inning into my first game behind the plate and I heard from the stands, “Mr. T., you can teach, but you sure can’t see!”
My skin was much too thin to be a really good home plate umpire. Indeed, a really thick skin should be a prerequisite for such a job. Because you can bet your umpire’s mask you’re gonna be treated unfairly back there; by parents and fans alike.
I once asked a friend to secretly video a parent who liked to sit high in the stands far away (somewhat resembling a buzzard perched in a faraway treetop) and berate every umpire’s calls. No matter who was umpiring. No matter what the call.
I then placed the video in the parent’s mailbox with a note (yes, I signed it) that said, “You are a good lady, but this is what your children constantly see and hear.”
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