Umps – a union issue

I realize that I’m on thin ice here. It’s hard to challenge a Local-Boy-Gone-Good and come out of it without getting wet – or chopped off at the knees. I tried to stop myself. After I read Gary Thorne’s piece in the Aug. 4 sports section of the BDN, I really did try to stop myself. No luck.

Mr. Thorne sets himself up as an expert. Confidante of unnamed players. Co-talker with Tom Seaver. Employee of ESPN. Acclaim by association, it’s our way these days: I hang out with all these people who agree with me; how could I be wrong? After introducing those qualifications, Mr. Thorne tells us what needs to be done.

I would like to introduce a new concept: there are definitely highly qualified experts on how to do things – there is no such thing as an expert on what needs to be done. Mr. Thorne misses the point.

The point isn’t umpire competence. I’m a Phillies fan (there – I hardly ever say that out loud). I got a rare chance to see them for three days in a row. They were playing the Braves on WTBS-TV Atlanta.

Overhead cameras are a problem for umpires. Rico Brogna was called out on a third strike – on a pitch that was at least five inches outside. The Braves announcers, after the replay, said it was too close to take with two strikes. Oh?

I said, “The umpire was wrong.” That’s baseball. A 96 mph little white thing that’s jumping around unpredictably leads people to mistakes. That’s baseball, for certain. Baseball is a game where the winner is the one who has failed least often. It’s a game for highly competitive people who can be humble.

The tragic situation with umpires has nothing to do with the fact that they aren’t all perfect all the time. It has nothing to do with Richie Phillips’ ability as a leader of the union.

The situation was predetermined simply by the fact that a union was involved. Look back. Ronald Reagan took a stand against the air traffic controllers in a highly visible opportunity to destroy the power of unions with government backing. That was outlawed 60 years earlier, but Reagan successfully brought it back and the trend has continued. What could be more highly visible now than a union of major league umpires? What could be better (for some people) than a loss for unions on that level?

Who do you think is cheering this fiasco, Mr. Thorne, in addition to baseball experts like yourself? Steve Kauffman

Bangor

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