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Posted on 01/27/2012 11:50:20 AM PST by Jacquerie
VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Dutch Rennert lives just a few miles from Vero Beach Sports Village, but he doesn't always stop in to watch the action.
It's January, which means it's time for umpire school in these parts. And Rennert, who worked the bases and home plates of the National League from 1973-92, knows well that this is where it all begins.
About 250 students have been donning chest protectors and masks to go with their dark shirts and gray pants on the fields of three umpire schools in Florida. At The Umpire School in Vero Beach, the Wendelstedt Umpire School in Daytona Beach and the Jim Evans Professional Umpiring Academy in Kissimmee, prospective arbiters of all ages and backgrounds are enrolled in four- and five-week programs to begin chasing their versions of the big league dream.
"We're selling a dream and it is achievable," says Major League umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, who took over the school that bears his name from his father, former longtime big-league umpire Harry. "It's the best thing in the world. There's nothing else I would rather do than be a Major League umpire. Nothing else. There's good days and there's bad days, but it's the best job in the world. And it all starts here."
(Excerpt) Read more at mlb.mlb.com ...
... and if you can read below line two of the eye chart you are automatically disqualified!!!
Silliness. I’m willing to guess that 96 per cent or better of all critical umpire calls reviewed by video show that the umpire’s calls are correct. Even the ball-and-strike calls are coming up looking pretty good. It’s the biased fans who miss the calls.
ping
Is James Joyce the current loudest ump?
I think he is the one you can hear above the crowd and through the radio announcer’s microphones.
He may or may not be the loudest but he is currently the most notorious after denying the Tigers' pitcher Galarrago a perfect game.
That will stand among the worst calls ever.
Paging Ken Burns.
I doubt he will believe you. And after seeing what happened to him I join him in not believing it.
I have seen umpires call strikes that were outside the box and call balls on pitches that were inside the box.
If they aren't blind then perhaps incompetent would be a better word.
Can’t say, but I sure don’t care for his safe-out calls at first base.
Most of the umps assigned our games are pretty good, fortunately.
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