Behind the Plate With Umpires - NHPR

[Umpire-Empire Reporter]

NHPR

Behind the Plate With Umpires

NHPR

As March Madness gives way to Major League Baseball's opening day this Sunday, we get an inside track on the thankless job of being an umpire. ...

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[BrianC14]

"Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be journalists.... they'll invent new meanings for words, and that's for the birds..."

An "ersatz" fastball?

Here's meaning of the word:

er·satz   /ˈɛrzɑts, -sɑts, ɛrˈzɑts, -ˈsɑts/ –adjective

1.serving as a substitute; synthetic; artificial: an ersatz coffee made from grain.

–noun

2.an artificial substance or article used to replace something natural or genuine; a substitute.

And if that weren't bad enough... there's this gem:

New York Times reporter Bruce Weber wondered why anyone would become an umpire. So, he attended umpire school for almost three years, hung out with them, and even worked behind the plate during spring training.

Sorry, honey, no - Bruce wasn't in umpire school for THREE YEARS.

Otherwise, it was a good listen (audio interview of Bruce Weber) - he gives some good insight into what went into his book.

Edited March 31, 2010 by BrianC14