On the bookshelf in my office sit some of the greatest books ever written on baseball: Ball Four, The Boys of Summer, The Long Season, October 1964, Weaver on Strategy. I can tell you right now: none of them was any more eye-opening than As They See ‘Em, a new book written by New York Times reporter Bruce Weber (Simon & Schuster, 2009). I definitely view the game through different eyes now.
As They See ‘Em is a book about umpiring which, it turns out, is a terribly difficult job. The author spent nearly three years preparing to write the book. First, he attended Jim Evans’ umpiring school in Florida, then hit the road with a crew of minor league umpires. He worked Little League and major league spring training. He interviewed dozens of current and former major league umpires. Through it all, there was a single undeniable theme: umpiring in an isolating, thankless, exhausting job. And, to top it off, among those who choose to follow its career path, Weber reveals over 90% never make it to the big leagues.
What could make the job so hard? After all, it’s simply a matter of memorizing the rule book, right? Of course, learning and being able to apply the rule book are the foundations of umpiring. But there’s also a huge physical component to the job. Being able to station yourself in just the right position on the field to have an optimal view of a play in order to make the proper call is just as important. I learned that every batted ball puts at least two umpires in motion, scurrying to that ideal spot to observe the play, something I can’t help noticing whenever I watch a game now. And how about the home plate umpire, who is required to repeatedly bend over, squat and then stand up on average 400 times in a single game?
Then there’s the mental aspect, which is just as grueling as the physical part. Think of some of the most vehement arguments that you’ve seen erupt at a ballgame. The dropped third strike in game two of the 2005 ALCS, with A.J. Pierzynski running to first. The fan Jeffrey Maier interfering with a fly ball in the 1996 ALCS. George Brett and the pine tar incident. The missed call at first in game six of the 1985 World Series between the Cardinals and Royals. You’ll get to relive each of those hotly debated situations through the umpires who were unwittingly caught in the middle of them: Doug Eddings, Richie Garcia, Tim McClelland and Don Denkinger.
I had a hard time putting down As They See ‘Em. In fact, I finished the book in one weekend. It’s that engrossing. And it made clear to me there really should be law against yelling out a certain phrase that, unfortunately, has been a part of the national pastime since the beginning. You know the one. “Kill the umpire.”
*Umpires, as a rule, despise being called “Blue.”
