Umpires are hot under the collar

The best umpire is the one you never notice. For years, that was the standard, but that guideline is disappearing, perhaps more so this year than ever. Major league umpires appear ready for major attention.

Umpires are furious at Baltimore’s decision to pay Roberto Alomar during the five-game suspension for spitting at an umpire last year. That suspension will be for the first five regular-season games this year.

Umpire union leader Richie Phillips has used the Alomar incident to say it is time for the umps to more vigorously enforce the rules that limit or negate managers and players protesting umpire decisions.

Phillips believes the umpires are shown too little respect. Last week in a spring training game, Seattle manager Lou Piniella was tossed for telling an umpire not to talk to his shortstop on the field during a game. There was no argument, just a “you’re outta here.”

Piniella and opposing manager Phil Garner of Milwaukee were shocked. American League President Gene Budig is reviewing the matter, himself shocked if in fact that’s all there was to the incident.

Is it the beginning of a job action by the umpires to assert their displeasure over the Alomar decision? “Working by the book” is a long-standing way for workers to protest. If the umpires do so, there will be a lot of managers and players watching games on TV in the locker rooms.

Atlanta manager Bobby Cox, still smarting over the mistaken call in the World Series that gave Yankee Derek Jeter a home run on the ball pulled into the stands by a fan, said, “There may have to be a couple of teams pulled off the field if this sort of thing occurs in the regular season.”

Cox will do it if he feels the need.

A veteran pitcher said, “It’s about a new arrogance among umpires. Probably a third of them, mostly younger ones, think somebody’s paying to watch them. You can’t say anything to them.”

Umpires feel abused by players who argue and gesture on far too many calls. They feel underpaid when compared to players and managers, and unsupported by league officials.

One matter of substance is missing on all sides in this dispute – humor. Former umpire Doug Harvey would go down on one knee when a player wanted to argue.

“It’s hard for a man to holler very loud or very long when the guy he is hollering at is down on one knee,” Harvey said. It worked.

The late great arbitor Tom Gorman used to tell players screaming at him that he had their mothers telepone numbers and if they didn’t stop using that language, he would call and report them. One day he did. The next day the player in question sheepishly approached Gorman, “You SOB. My mother called and said what a nice man you are and I have to be good to you.”

Gorman replied, “She’s right, you know.”

That sense of good heartedness is disappearing on all sides. Baseball does not need yet another black eye – it’s running out of eyes to blacken. The committee appointed to review the relationships among umpires and the rest of baseball needs to get to it in a hurry.

A simmering feud involving the umps is a no-win situation for the game. Find the hot points, speak to them, and remember, a little humor can cool a boil, especially under the summer sun on the diamond.