Easy Pay-Day

[PeteBooth]

Thanks Warren for putting in a War Stories Forum. IMO, it should be a good place for all of us to share our "escapades" of umpiring.

The forecast for this coming 4th of July weekend in NY calls for very hot and humid weather which brings me to my first War Story thread.

I was assigned a LL BIG LEAGUE double dip (not uncommon for BIG LEAGUE) starting at around noon time where the temps were already in the low 90's and rising. The game went well and was finished in under 2 hours. One team only had 9 players for game number 2. The 10th player (from game 1) left and on his way out told his teammates that he was going to a pool party where there were plenty of girls.

After my partner and I "switched places" I had the dish for the first game and the bases for the second game, I noticed a very sad and distrought look on the face of one of the players whose team only had nine.

I asked the player - "what's up why so gloom". He said "Blue my teammates and I went to the coach and asked him to forget about game number 2. We told him it's very hot and humid and we want to go to the pool party. The coach told us no." Most likely the coach wanted to get his monies worth as he already paid for 2 game Fees. .

He then asked "Blue is there anyway you can help us out" I said sure. I then said to the player you know you need 9 players to start and finish the game (LL BIG LEAGUE plays by OBR so you need 9 to finish unlike HS ball where you can finish with 8) and the "light-bulb" went off.

Wouldn't you know it. The player who I conversed with was the lead-off batter (top of one) in game number 2. He hit a ground ball to F6 who threw him out easily BUT the player went "pretend nuts" and said "Blue that was the worst f*****g call that I ever saw etc. etc.

I called Time pointed to the player and said Number 23 is done for the day. The team was now down to 8 players and the game was over. As the player walked by He said: "No offense blue" to which I replied "none taken". He also said "thank you for helping us out and we are on our way to the pool party."

The coach was upset but as the title of my War Story reads - easy pay-day. 2 game fees for 7 innings work in under 2 hours. Not bad.

Pete Booth

Edited July 2, 2010 by PeteBooth

[txump81]

NICE!!! I hope that coach never finds out about that one.

[carolinablue]

The down fall of a teenage ball player... Perfume and Gasoline:BD:

[th3]

thief

[maninblack69]

Nicely done!

The down fall of a teenage ball player... Perfume and Gasoline

ain't that the truth! :ranton:

[tiger49]

Had an easier one than that Pete. Had a DH where the VT only travelled up with 9 due to HS graduation of alot of their players. Game 1, first batter hits a 1st pitch ground ball to F6 for an easy putout. Second batter fouls the first pitch off his cheek bone, breaking it.

Two game fees, a little under 5 minutes on the field. No reports to write.

[Umpire in Chief]

Saturday I had a summer wooden bat league game they changed locations of the game w/o telling us so full game fee for us for showing up where the game was originally scheduled.

[Thunderheads]

Pete, ....nice one!! The question is ...............

DID YOU get invited to the party ?!?!?:yippie:

[johnnyg08]

or did you finish the half inning per the rules?