How to Know to Hang it Up

[GPblue]

I apologize in adcance for the length of this post. I am unsure how to even bring this up as I am only 30 years old and in fine shape, but it has been brought to my attention that a gentleman in our organization is giving our oganizations president and assigner a hard time about the games he is getting, the level of games he is getting, and complaining about other's in our association for the crews getting games he is not.  This gentleman is 64 years old, recently retired policeofficer.  To say that umpiring is all he has may be an understatment. He is probably 320 lbs with two knees that cannot handle a full diamond. He is known to get wacked at least once a game whether it's behind the plate or in the field, though he recently told our assigner that "it's widley known he is the best ball strike man in the county." I feel that he continues to get any game he wants becasuse A. he is retired and has a wide open schedule on Arbiter and B. he is "friends" with the President.  I was recently on a tournament game getting ready with my partner and my assigner was getting ready with his partner in the same parking lot and this gentlemen showed up and started whining "ohh I guess I don't work again till thursday".  The previous week's tournament he just showed up and had his gear out "just in case someone didn't show up".  I can understand his passion for it, but it is to a level where he is bashing other's in our association just because he thinks he needs to be on the high level game.  How can someone like this be adressed?  Again I am sorry for the length.

[Jocko]

Wouldn't TOUCH that one

[GPblue]

I agree with you @Jocko, it was just frustrating hearing from my assigner that someone I work with in 19u sanction and adult wood bat leagues probably won't have my back if I am his parnter.

[mjr_2013]

Wouldn't TOUCH that one

 

I wouldn't come within 100 yards of it.

[Replacematt]

Sounds like a problem that will take care of itself in short order.

[scrounge]

If he's not getting the games he wants and is complaining to the president and the assignor about not being used? Well, it sounds like they ARE addressing the issue.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

I apologize in adcance for the length of this post. I am unsure how to even bring this up as I am only 30 years old and in fine shape, but it has been brought to my attention that a gentleman in our organization is giving our oganizations president and assigner a hard time about the games he is getting, the level of games he is getting, and complaining about other's in our association for the crews getting games he is not.  This gentleman is 64 years old, recently retired policeofficer.  To say that umpiring is all he has may be an understatment. He is probably 320 lbs with two knees that cannot handle a full diamond. He is known to get wacked at least once a game whether it's behind the plate or in the field, though he recently told our assigner that "it's widley known he is the best ball strike man in the county." I feel that he continues to get any game he wants becasuse A. he is retired and has a wide open schedule on Arbiter and B. he is "friends" with the President.  I was recently on a tournament game getting ready with my partner and my assigner was getting ready with his partner in the same parking lot and this gentlemen showed up and started whining "ohh I guess I don't work again till thursday".  The previous week's tournament he just showed up and had his gear out "just in case someone didn't show up".  I can understand his passion for it, but it is to a level where he is bashing other's in our association just because he thinks he needs to be on the high level game.  How can someone like this be adressed?  Again I am sorry for the length.

 Not to be rude, but which is it ? If he's getting any game he wants, why is he complaining ?

[GPblue]

Because he feels he should be getting the high level championship games every chance they come up

[MRG9999]

I would not touch this one. Just ignore and do your job on the field. He is obviously being ignored by the assigner since he shows up at the fields with no game assignments waiting for someone to not show.

[umpstu]

I hope I know when to stop and do not embarrass myself or the umpiring profession. 

[Pete Peterson Sr]

I hope I know when to stop and do not embarrass myself or the umpiring profession. 

 

 Pete Jr, and two others are under strict orders to tell me to my face, if that day comes and I am too ignorant to realize it. Junior says he won't have an issue with it, because he wants to scavenge through my gear, lol... 

[JaxRolo]

I hope I know when to stop and do not embarrass myself or the umpiring profession.

to late!!! :wave:

[Magic]

I hope that I will know when to walk away.

[bluejerred]

- When you are not having fun and you don't do it for a living

- When you look at your schedule, are depressed about being assigned games, and you don't do it for a living

- When you stop learning

- If you feel you can't walk away from it at any time you deem necessary

- If you feel you can't live without it

- If everything else in your life is suffering

 

Umpiring is fun...for now...for me but if I ever find something that I want to do something different, I don't let umpiring stand in the way. 

[SteveJ]

How to know when it's time to hang it up???  My answer might sound a little corny.

 

I do not want to reach the point where I embarrass myself and my partners on the field or hurt this game that has brought me so much enjoyment over my lifetime.

 

At 63 years of age, bad knees from a lifetime of baseball, racquetball, and distance running, I no longer can perform consistently at as high a level as I could 30 years -- and I don't try to.

 

Can I still have a consistent strike zone at higher levels? Sure, It's always seem effortless to me.... BUT -- I can no longer get out from behind the plate and make it to the 45' line at the higher levels.  I'm slower getting into position when I'm on the bases and have to take "short-cuts" some times because of the pace of the game.  And I definitely rely on "angle over distance" much more than ever before -- more distance than I would like sometimes at the higher levels of baseball.  I recognized my increasing limitations and work down to a level I feel more comfortable at. You can still find me working intra-squad scrimmages at the university -- but we're usually 3 or 4 man. And I still occasionally work a lower level college game when needed -- think I had 2 or 3 this year (Sun Belt Collegiate League). I still work HS varsity level baseball when needed and all levels below down to 10U. I no longer work tournaments where I'm expected to do 6 or 8 games per day.  In fact 1 game per day, maybe 2 depending on the level, is all I want and only 2 or 3 days per week.  If I get that I'm as happy as a fly on a fresh pile of s**t.

 

And apparently I enjoy writing long rambling posts -------------

[Stan W.]

to the OP......

 

this is a nunya.........as in nunya bidness..............stay out of it....unless you are an officer in the association, stay far away................

 

as to myself, my son has agreed to let me know in no uncertian terms when it is time for me to be done...........i value his opinion above all others     

[Replacematt]

More seriously, I would be concerned that this guy is at risk of suicide. People in high-risk/action occupations tend to define themselves as that occupation even more so than the average person. Combine that with the high that comes along with the job, and they are at higher risk for impulsive behaviors, addiction, and depression even while still holding that occupation (you can't kick doors down when you're not on the job, so that's why many turn to dangerous hobbies and alcohol to deal with the crash after coming home from work.) This guy no longer has something that was him, and now he needs something to fill that void; I have a hunch that his antagonistic behavior is an early symptom of the depression that is abnormally present in people retiring from law enforcement and the military.