Returning to Umpire in 2019 for Grass Valley Slow-Pitch Softball

Would you umpire if…?

A few months back I received an email asking if certain people were not on the board in 2019 would I consider coming back to umpire?

As excited and appreciative I was to see they missed me, I wanted to think about it for a while.

I love the game, I love the players with the respectful, out for fun, and play with sportsmanship, I love the front-row seat, and I always give my all to the positions I held as umpire and the Coed President; however, there are a few things about the board, the way they operate, that has always bothered me. I have been a part of the league three different times trying to change things slowly to make it more fun, memorable, exciting, fair play, safe play, and increase the size of the league, but every time I was shot down.

My history with the league

Moule Paint & Glass Men's Team (circa 1997)

Jim Moule sponsored a Men's Softball team as well as played on it as the pitcher. One year, my wife said I should go to the tryouts to join the team, they need players. So I went and was brought on as the second baseman until another guy showed up with only three games left, the manager, who was not Jim, said second base was his position, so I had to rotate in and out to other positions.

I came to every practice, made plays, had a decent batting average, batted third, sometimes first, and cared about the team. This guy shows up with three games left and gets the positions? He should be the one to rotate. He could not play any position with skill or consistency. He struck out two out of three times. Moreover, he was rude and not a team player. I did not come back to the team the following year.

Moule Paint & Glass Coed Team & First Umpire Position (circa 1998)

The following year I did started a Coed team, which is very difficult because finding women who want to play, that can play, or want to learn to play was not easy since I did not know many — I was married. However, we found some players through friends, in fact, some of the players were people we never thought knew how to play, let alone wanted to play. You have to let them know what is going on and ask — you will be surprised what you will find.

As a manager, you notice more things than you do as a player. I noticed the league's structure, the level of play by teams we played against was lopsided, the umpiring was inconsistent and at times terrible mostly from umpire X. Umpire X was slow, never moved from behind the plate, and you could hardly hear his calls even when I was pitching. Often I had to ask what the call was on a pitch because you could never tell. He had no motions, not loud “STRIKE,” and no emotion.

I contacted the league and met with the commissioner — Steve Loomis — at one of the games he was umpiring, I also believe he was the Umpire-In-Chief at the time. He told me if I want better umpires to come out and be one — so I did. I umpired Little League in the Mid-West and various other places — I have experience with it, but most of the time it is not dealing with the players, but the parents.

Now I think Steve wanted to test me to see how good and confident I was because I was sent to the big dogs, the elite testosterone players of the Men's Leagues. The first pitch went into right, the batter/runner rounded first and headed to second, the throw came in, and I threw my hands wildly while saying "You're Out!" The player got up while saying "Are you kidding me? How can you call that…? Oh, you right there?" yes, I was already at second base with a great view of the tag before he touched the base. I got applause from the players, on both teams. "Nice hustle blue!"

From that point on most of the players gave me respect for my calls knowing I try to place myself in the best position. There are some that play mental games and test your temperament and push the boundaries. I have tossed a few players from the game, both men and women due to language. You can say the call was bad, terrible, horrible, worse call ever and I can live with that — it is the player's opinion, however once expletives and foul language enter the fray. Goodbye, you are done for the day. Take your stuff and leave my field. I will not put up with that kind disrespect.

Coed Team · Umpire · Prepping fields (circa 1999)

The proceeding year our Coed team was sponsored by someone else, I continued to umpire, and made myself available for helping the league in any other way. I prepped the Sierra College and Western Gateway fields before I umpired them.

The Coed team started getting out of hand, and we did not do a team for the Summer, but I became more and more outspoken about the league and what could be done to make it better and such, but I was shot down. My enthusiasm waned for the league, but I tried to find the spark with the players and the game. I did not come back the following year.

(circa 2004) Umpire

Away from the game for five years I went to Les Eva (Memorial Park) to see what was going on — I knew many of the players. Steve Loomis was umpiring, and he asked if I wanted to umpire again. I came on board like nothing ever happened.

I told myself to concentrate on umpiring, do not get involved, do not offer yourself for extra activities. That did not work as I love the game, love having a front-row seat to see some great plays by your average recreational ball player, and I have ideas that can open the league to more players, teams, and sponsorship money.

I umpired for three more years before I realized that nothing was going to change, the board was the same board they had when they started the league back in 1990, and they are stuck in their ways — it is their league, I am an outsider, and therefore who am I to tell them how to operate their business?

It was a combination of unrelated events that led me to leave the league for the second time and say I was never returning. I was umpiring a men's game, and the pitcher never got into a ready position after he pitched the ball. I told him many times he needs to get his glove up in the air, move back two steps, and protect himself. A ball was hit right at his head and got him in the nose and mouth. I am so thankful that playing in the next game and warming up were seven medic responders with their equipment — he did not look very good. I did not return the following season to umpire.

2015: Return to Umpiring

I do not remember why I started umpiring again. It is an easy job when you have the confidence of the game, and it was a joy watching the plays by the players and seeing them every week, and you get paid to do all this what is not to like about it?

There was some buzz going around that they wanted a new Coed president. I told Ronnie I would be interested. I do not have a team, so there is no biasing there, I do not play favorites, and I am reliable.

2016 - 2017: Elected as Coed President

In 2016 I was elected Coed President. Now I was in a position to start making some positive changes, so I thought. It took a few years to make the level of play fair each night, and safety was improved, along with sportsmanship — the teams knew I was Coed President as well as the umpire, so the shenanigans were kept to a minimum. I did this without changing the game or making considerable changes to the league where people would be surprised — it was going pretty good other than one person on the board that was difficult.

2018: Resignation as Coed President and done with the league

I was so excited about getting the 2018 season started. The Grass Valley Softball Site was improving with hits, Steve Loomis saw its potential and my use as taking over the website, and I was looking forward to seeing my changes take effect. However, there was a conflict with a specific board member and their agenda to take over the league and make it theirs — they even accused me of wanting to take over the commissioner's position, and they said “I won't vote for you if you try it. You're not the right kind of person for the position.” Which came from someone whom people did not respect in the league who should not have had the board position they had in the first place.

The board-member accused me of having an attitude and giving them friction when all I said was “I cannot do what you want me to do without the manager's contact info.” The board member went all crazy telling me to calm down and give them time. Hmm. Interesting. It is okay for them to take their time and then give the rest of the League President's no time to get things ready, and not have the information which I asked for three weeks prior.

I got no support from the commissioner and was tired of being the butt-end of everything that went wrong because of the board-member that did not know how to do their job. Standings were late and often incorrect, scheduling was chaotic and confusing, and there was no consistency unless you consider constant changes to be consistent.

The thing that I never understood was, all this time I took to make small changes over time, and I get shot down to make the game safer, more fun, and create even play in the leagues. When this board-member made significant changes that affected the cost, the time, and the confusion of the other board members and players and did not ask to do it, they made the changes without asking then it was too late to change so we had to deal with it, and they never were reprimanded, removed, or told NOT TO DO IT!

Will it be any different this time?

I immediately responded with “I would love to come back but only if it is agreed by the majority of the managers, players, and board members. I would also like to re-offer my web design services to make the site mobile friendly, be updated daily, and and proper scheduling.” Which meant I would be willing to do the Secretary position. Which meant I would be willing to do the Secretary position. Steve told me Ronnie wanted her position back/ I then realized why I was asked if I wanted to come back because the previous person would be gone.

As I said before, I love the game, people, and league, but I am tired of the lack of respect for my talents, skills, and ideas that can make the league better for everyone. So do I want to umpire and keep my mouth shut? The Problem is since I have been Coed President, and an umpire for many years people think I know things or have a say, so I always get asked questions because I LISTEN and give them respect. I got tired of shrugging my shoulders and trying to make excuses for them, so I want to make the players happy. They keep coming back, they will bring more, and the league will have RESPECT and grow into something bigger than all of the board members and players combined. It should not be kept to a small group of people but given to the community.

Will it be different? Do I want to put myself back in that ring? I have respect for the board doing what they do and keeping a Softball League going fo so long. Steve is a very nice guy, he is tired of some of the players antics and has a short fuse and his fun side has been beaten up and taken advantage of, so he is hard, think skinned, and set in his ways. I know this, and I get along with him just fine, it just changes when I want to make some changes, he puts up a wall. I get it. Why change what is still working for him. But do I want to know it could be better and not be able to do anything about it or put it out of my mind like 2018 was and have more time with people and things that respect my ideas? More to come?