Quote of the Day: “Whatever they are paying you is way too much. Get your fat ass down the line so you can make that call.”
This is what was said to an umpire in a travel baseball game in a video that was recently shared with me. The coach ran from the dugout and started shouting from the moment he left the dugout. After getting in the umpire’s face and being belligerent the coach was ejected. As he was leaving the field, he shouted the above to the umpire. It is just another day in the life of an umpire. While this was happening, the parents were voicing their displeasure in no uncertain terms. All of this for youth travel baseball game. Once again, the most childish behavior at a youth sporting event comes from the adults. See my Video of the Day.
Baseball has a serious problem. It is time for a change. Baseball is the only sport in which coaches are allowed to go onto the field to argue calls. In football, coachers cannot go onto the field without receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct 15-yard penalty and possible ejection. In basketball, a coach is limited to the coaching box. Leaving the coaches box is an automatic technical foul, with the other team awarded two foul shots and possession of the ball. Two technical calls and the coach is ejected. In hockey, the coach is not allowed to leave the bench area, but he can still receive a 10-minute misconduct penalty in which one member of his team must sit in the penalty box. Only in baseball are there no consequences to the team if the coach acts in an unsportsmanlike manner.
Arguing with umpires is a tradition in baseball. It has been glorified in film and on YouTube. Coaches are expected by fans to go on the field to argue calls. Due to replay, the arguing of calls has all but been eliminated in the MLB. Unfortunately, in high school, college, and amateur baseball it is still OK for coaches to leave the dugout to argue a call. There is no penalty to the team. The umpires only choice is to eject the coach (in high school you can restrict them to the dugout, like a high basketball coach who is restricted to his seat after the first technical foul). It is time for baseball to implement rules that penalize the team when the baseball coach leaves the dugout or coaches box to argue a call. It could be something as simple as adding an out when on offense or having the batter/runner and all runners awarded an additional base when on defense. Something that hurts the team of the offending coach.
It is time for all lower levels of baseball to make changes to protect the umpires from behavior that would never be tolerated in the workplace but is tolerated in the workplace of the umpires. If something isn’t done soon to improve the behavior of the coaches and parents, baseball will find itself with a major problem on its hands. There will no longer be anyone willing to umpire.
The testimony of Jason Van Tatenhove, former Oath Keeper Member, at the House Select Committee was very compelling. I have posted a video of his testimony as my Video of the Day. Please take the time to view it. It cuts to the chase and says what so many of us know is true.
____________________________________________________________________________
The NY Times has a great article today on the potential problem the U.S has as it relates to the production of semi-conductors. The following opening two paragraphs got my attention:
| The most advanced category of mass-produced semiconductors — used in smartphones, military technology and much more — is known as 5 nm. A single company in Taiwan, known as TSMC, makes about 90 percent of them. U.S. factories make none. |
| The U.S.’s struggles to keep pace in semiconductor manufacturing have already had economic downsides: Many jobs in the industry pay more than $100,000 a year, and the U.S. has lost out on them. Longer term, the situation also has the potential to cause a national security crisis: If China were to invade Taiwan and cut off exports of semiconductors, the American military would be at risk of being overmatched by its main rival for global supremacy. Here is a link to the full article. https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/template/oakv2?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220714&instance_id=66590&nl=the-morning&productCode=NN®i_id=101508630&segment_id=98452&te=1&uri=nyt%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter%2Ff99a6f2d-a3df-5919-b6cb-735d57933b3f&user_id=c3174168c974c6b94a94f51fbd2e966a |
Feel free to share my blog.
Elections Matter. Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence and mass killings?
Orchid of the Day: Steve Yzerman, for the most recent draft and free agent signings. It is clear he feels the rebuilding is over and it is now time to compete.
Onion of the Day: The Detroit Tiger’s hitters. Once again they are in a funk.
Quote of the Day: See above.
Question of the Day: How long will it take for the University of Michigan’s new president, Santa Ono’s honeymoon to end and the faculty senate turn on him?
Video/Image of the Day: Jason Van Tatenhove at the House Select Committee
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jason+van+tatenhove+full+testimony