When is it time to retire?

[coolstuff]

This past weekend, I witnessed an umpire whose physical condition was such that he really had no business officiating a game. He literally shuffled onto the field. He could barely bend over to brush the plate, so he didn't do that very often. He had a visible tremor in his right hand. When he was in the field, he had trouble making the motion for a "safe" call because he couldn't raise his hands up that high. And he officiated three games in one day. Actually, I have to give the guy a lot of credit just for getting out there and being able to do it at all. But at what point do we stop being sympathetic and realize that not only are we not doing right by the teams involved, but that all it would take would be a fielder going after a ball and not seeing this guy, and plowing into him. I'm sure broken bones would be result as it would for any elderly person who falls. And those of you reading this who know an elderly person who has fallen and broken some bones, those folks don't recover very quickly from that, if at all. Someone should have told this guy not only for the integrity of the game but for his own safety that he should stop. Am I wrong? I'd love to hear others thoughts about this.

[CrushersDad]

Age is not the ONLY reason that an umpire should not be officiating.

A few weeks ago at a JV tournament with 1 man mechanics, the umpire ( A Very Very large man) went down the 3rd base line after a hit. He tripped on the edge of the grass and did a face plant. He lay completely immobile for at least 5 minutes; he was so still people thought that he had had a heart attack. The TD come to his assistance and learned that he had a back spasm when he was down and couldn't move. It took ANOTHER 5 minutes for him to compose himself (and put his shoe back on) and continue play.

[Sftbll4ever]

Age is not the ONLY reason that an umpire should not be officiating.

A few weeks ago at a JV tournament with 1 man mechanics, the umpire ( A Very Very large man) went down the 3rd base line after a hit. He tripped on the edge of the grass and did a face plant. He lay completely immobile for at least 5 minutes; he was so still people thought that he had had a heart attack. The TD come to his assistance and learned that he had a back spasm when he was down and couldn't move. It took ANOTHER 5 minutes for him to compose himself (and put his shoe back on) and continue play.

Ok, I know it is not funny, but I just ruined another keyboard!!!!

[lvtwft]

Age is not the ONLY reason that an umpire should not be officiating.

A few weeks ago at a JV tournament with 1 man mechanics, the umpire ( A Very Very large man) went down the 3rd base line after a hit. He tripped on the edge of the grass and did a face plant. He lay completely immobile for at least 5 minutes; he was so still people thought that he had had a heart attack. The TD come to his assistance and learned that he had a back spasm when he was down and couldn't move. It took ANOTHER 5 minutes for him to compose himself (and put his shoe back on) and continue play.

Is there a smiley for laughing inside my head...
Did the girls play around him for that 10 min??

[lvtwft]

Was caught up in the visual of the ump playing free willy that I never answered the OP ?.
I think there should be a physical as well as rules test to start the season for the umps.

[CrushersDad]

Was caught up in the visual of the ump playing free willy

Now I just about ruined MY keyboard

No, the girls didn't play around the umpire laying on his face. They were confused at first, then they got pretty freaked out that there might be a dead guy on the field, then for the rest of the tourney I could hear snickers and giggling from the dugouts...

[artomatic]

oh man, now I'm snickering and giggling...

agree, there should be a physical level that should be tested for maybe every 3 years or so?
How does one go about creating such a test is the question, or does something like that already exist?

[rbi]

we had a HS ump (prob 75yrs old) who was standing behind SS, come rumblin and stumblin into 3rd base to make a call on a steal and just as he was about to make a call he was trying to stop his knee gave out and he face planted, poor guy i felt sorry for him, there is no way he should have been out there.

[wadeintothem]

Ok, I know it is not funny, but I just ruined another keyboard!!!!

Youre right, its not funny, I dont see whats funny about a guy getting hurt?....?.. I mean to the point of spraying a key board? really?

Which city? I know an umpire very much matching this description..


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Obviously the economy has brought back some old school guys who have been dug out of the cement crypts, hosed down with some w40 and put on the field. I worked with one recently.

.. but I'm not sure how you would enforce a cut off or if its even legal to enforce a policy pertaining to age or even disability.

[lvtwft]

Ok, I know it is not funny, but I just ruined another keyboard!!!!

Youre right, its not funny, I dont see whats funny about a guy getting hurt?....?.. I mean to the point of spraying a key board? really?

Which city? I know an umpire very much matching this description..


---------------------------------------------------------

Obviously the economy has brought back some old school guys who have been dug out of the cement crypts, hosed down with some w40 and put on the field. I worked with one recently.

.. but I'm not sure how you would enforce a cut off or if its even legal to enforce a policy pertaining to age or even disability.

Make it a requirement to ump. Different agencies around the world weed people out all the time with physical ability test..So could the big orgs in softball.

1. Able to run 60 feet in 5 seconds.
2. Can do 150 parallel squats in a row (body weight only).
3. 1.5 miles in 24 min.
I think these three fit in well to have as a criteria to ump. You should not be able to walk on the field be unable to do your job. Money is tight for most. If it means that much to them, they will get in a little bit of shape(these above is just a little bit of shape).
We do not let blind umps go out there and try to call balls and strikes(I might have actually seen a few do that ). We should not let ones that can not make it through one game let alone a tourney participate if they are physically not capable of doing so..IMO