|
|
Tuesday morning, October 1, 2002, New York City, NY
Today I've reached one of those career milestones that I have worked for since the first day of umpire school over fifteen years ago. It is very hard to believe it has been that long. But there's an excitement in the air this time of year that's kind of the same as those early days in my career as a professional umpire. Of course, it's on a completely different level now!
Every February since I've been in the Major Leagues, I pack my bags and head for Spring Training with a couple key goals in mind. Of course, staying healthy and doing a good, steady job during the season are among those goals. And I don't think you'd be a big league umpire without hoping to be chosen to work an event, such as the All-Star Game, the playoffs-or ultimately, the World Series.
I worked the American League Championship Series in 2000, but I was called into action only after veteran crew chief Randy Marsh suffered an injury that forced him off the field. I was at home, just mowing the lawn and getting an early start to a much-needed off-season, when my wife came out and said there was a call. It was Ralph Nelson of the Commissioner's Office, and he wasted no time in telling me that I was to fly to Seattle. Marsh had broken his arm and didn't realize it until he made a catch/no catch call in the outfield during Game One of the ALCS. The doctors found a small break, which ended Randy's 2001 season. Nelson also dropped the small bomb that I was to work the plate on the first day in. Luckily, the crew was in the middle of a travel day, so I had a free day to get there and to somewhat prepare for the big day. But, first things first, that playoff assignment was not to deny me the completion of my first off-season job. I finished mowing my lawn.
I needed the extra time in Seattle badly. MLB had been working on new uniforms for us and decided to make the switch during the playoffs. So when I got to the hotel in Seattle, I found a huge box-an overnight shipment of uniforms. They had sent 6 or 7 pairs of pants and shirts and anything else we might be wearing. I had to go through and find everything that fit best, then rush it all down to a tailor in the hopes of having everything altered that day in time for the game. The tailor got the work done, but I can tell you I probably sweated it out as bad as he did. I picked up all my uniforms about 30 minutes before we left for the park.
It turns out I didn't have to work the plate in Seattle, but let me tell you, that didn't lessen the excitement for me. Seattle is the place I worked my first MLB game, but for the playoffs the place was transformed. When I walked out there, I got a quick indication of just how important Major League Baseball is. The joint was packed to the gills and right away I got a sense of the intensity of that huge crowd. They were loud and they were imposing. Throw the New York Yankees into the mix, and you have a recipe for a serious baseball atmosphere. And I can guarantee you one thing-when that little white baseball finally made its appearance, they were playing for keeps.
Everything happened so fast with those first playoff games that for the most part I didn't have enough time to get nervous. I thought I was prepared to work and I went out and did just that. Other than a couple plays at second base and a check swing here and there, it was umpiring as usual for me. I finished up the playoffs that year at Yankee Stadium, an atmosphere I am confident in saying is second to none. You know, thinking back on it and discussing it, I am sure that the playoff experience from 2000 was beneficial as I head into the Divisional Series at New York this year.
I happened to be at home on vacation late this past season when I received the letter informing me that I had been assigned to work the first round of playoffs, namely the 2002 Division Series between the New York Yankees and the American League Wild Card winner. Anaheim eventually won the wild card and the Angels will be making their first playoff appearance in 16 years. That means they have worked their way to this moment for about as long as I have, since I was still playing college baseball when the "California" Angels last played in the post-season. The 2002 Division Series marks the first time I have been specifically selected to work the playoffs and, needless to say, I am very excited!
Arrangements for the playoff games are a little different than for series held during the regular season. Each crew will work the first two games at their starting site. Then, instead of staying with that series, each crew will switch to the other series within that league. For me, that means I will work the first two games at Yankee Stadium in New York, and then move on to the Minnesota versus Oakland series at the Metrodome in Minneapolis for game 3 and games 4 and 5, if needed.
As I write this from my hotel room, I think the toughest part of the day will be the sitting around, waiting to go to the park. During the regular season most games start around 7:00 PM. Playoff games, depending on which ones you're working, can start much later because of the prime time television coverage. We won't start until 8:15 PM tonight. Trust me when I say that it makes for a tough "waiting game," especially when you are trying to contain your excitement.
We will have a good reason for getting to the locker room early. We will get there an hour-and-a-half to two hours ahead of game time to go over the 6-man umpiring system, which is foreign to me. The post-season is worked with 6 umpires, and it is a system most of us aren't used to working. Jerry Crawford, the crew chief, will go over how he would like the system to be worked. We'll also talk about situations that might possibly come up on the field. That pregame work can be very important when things start happening out there in the heated hunt for the World Championship.
Well, it's time to get ready for the park. I'll let you know how Game One went tomorrow!
Tuesday night, October 1, 2002, New York City, NY: Game 1
Yankee Stadium is a madhouse and the fans are fantastic-and the thing about it is, it doesn't matter if it's the regular season or playoffs! They stay in the game from pitch one until the final out, and the noise if off the scale. Tonight was no different as a packed house of 50 thousand plus were on their feet the whole night. The game was back and forth for a full 7 innings, with the Angels showing no sign of being intimidated by the partisan crowd. In fact, Anaheim took the lead 5-4 in the top of the eighth when Troy Glaus hit his second home run. The lead was short-lived as Bernie Williams hit a home run with two men on in the eighth, and the place when nuts. It was a tremendous baseball atmosphere and it will be that way again tomorrow night.
The weird thing about working the foul lines, beside the fact that you seldom work there, is that you don't always feel like a part of the game because it is being played so far away from you. I was a pitcher in college; so never have spent any time in the outfield, and things have a way of seeming less intense out in that "pasture." But as an umpire you have to keep your focus, because on any one pitch you could have a shot down the line that has the potential to change the entire course of the game. Mentally, you have to make yourself believe on every pitch that a play is coming your way so that nothing sneaks up on you.
Another thing about working the foul lines is that you have to fight yourself from running somewhere every time the ball is hit. During the regular season, working with only 4 umpires, you are constantly running around for play rotations, and that keeps you in the game. With 6 umpires, there is nowhere to go unless the ball is hit into your zone. So, for the most part, you just stand there, fighting the impulse to react every time the ball is hit. Believe it or not, this is difficult for an umpire to do. Most fans are focused on the play and never notice that an umpire may have hustled 90 feet or more to be in position for a call.
With the first one under the belt, I am looking forward to seeing what things look like from the left field side. I'll be back with Game Two later!
Wednesday night, October 2, 2002, New York City, NY: Game 2
The Bronx Zoo was no doubt ready to rock for Game Two of the 2002 Divisional Series. After a very emotional win the night before, the Yankees looked to take a two-game lead in a short five-game series. And with all that post-season experience-up against Anaheim's absence of sixteen years-who'd have thought they wouldn't get it? I'll tell you who. The Angels. They showed absolutely no signs of intimidation. This team believes that it belongs and is out to prove it.
We didn't go to the park quite as early today as we did for Game One because it is just too crowed to sit around for two-and-a-half hours in a locker room that is basically set up for four umpires. Throw in all the people that are constantly in and out taking care of pre-game business and you are looking at Grand Central Station located right there under Yankee Stadium. So, we arrived about an hour and a half before the game to get ready.
While we were in the locker room, we had the honor of receiving a distinguished guest. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Gulliani came down to our locker room and graciously spent some time speaking with us. The ex-Mayor is a huge Yankee and baseball fan and it is not unusual to see him wandering around Yankee Stadium. However, it was a welcome surprise to actually sit down and speak with this great figure who, along with others, helped calm our nation during one of its toughest times.
Game time, and here come the Angels! Anaheim wasted little time in showing the partisan crowd that the Divisional Series was not its final destination. They took an early lead, scoring in each of the first three innings, and held the lead until the 6th. That's when Soriano homered to put the Yanks ahead 5-4. That score remained until the top of the eighth when, out of nowhere, back-to-back home runs gave the Angels the lead they wouldn't give up.
Just like last night, this place was up for grabs, and it is tough to put into words the excitement you feel out on that field during playoff action.
Thursday Afternoon, October 3, 2002, en route to Minneapolis, MN
Like I said earlier, all crews switch after game two of each series and move to the other series taking place within each respective league. That brings us to Minnesota, where the Metrodome is sure to be a mad house as well-but for totally different reasons. The two teams playing in this series are the Cinderella stories of sports today. Both the Twins and A's are labeled these days as "small market" teams, but they are playing like anything but. Both teams are also a couple of the lowest in payroll. Small market, low payroll. I guess those things don't have much to do with where the A's and Twins will be Friday night.
Friday Morning, October 4, 2002, Minneapolis, MN
Even though I've seen rain outside since getting here, there will be baseball tonight because here in Minnesota they have the dome. The fact that they play indoors will be a huge factor in this series. If you think fifty thousand people are capable of being loud outside, then imagine what it will be like inside. I anticipate that this place will louder than anything I have ever heard, which can only help the Twins. I remember when I first got in the game the Twins were in the middle of winning a couple of World Series and all I remember hearing the commentators talk about was how loud it was in the Metrodome. Needless to say, I'm very excited about seeing first hand just how loud and crazy this place is going to be. I'll let you know about it later!
Friday Night, October 4, 2002, Minneapolis, MN: Game 3
Making my way toward and into the Metrodome, I was absolutely impressed with the level of excitement in the Twin Cities for the playoffs. They weren't only pumped, but downright nuts about the Twins! You couldn't walk anywhere without either seeing someone in a Twins shirt or talking about the game. To understand their level of support, you only have to go back to the beginning of the 2002 season. Minnesota fans didn't even know if they'd see their team suit up for Opening Day, much less the post-season. With the threat of contraction hanging over their heads, this city really rallied around their team and supported it all year long. I hope they continue to do so and that the Twins will continue to play in this great city.
We got to the park a little later than in New York mainly because the locker room in Minnesota just isn't big enough for four-much less six-guys. They do the best they can, but the room is a little on the snug side. We rolled with it, getting ready for an important game that would give one team or the other a vital 2-1 lead in the Divisional Series.
Having just experienced Yankee Stadium, I thought it was safe to say that I could never work in an atmosphere that was more electric than the Bronx Zoo. I now take that back. This place doesn't have the mystique of Yankee Stadium, but when it is packed with 56,000 screaming fans, it has an intensity level that must be unsurpassed. I was not prepared for the noise I heard once down on the field. We started to have the pre-game meeting, and it didn't take long to see that holding a conversation was something that would have to wait for another night. We were less than two feet away from one another and there was no way to communicate by voice. To be heard, you had to get right in the other person's face and yell as loud as you could. In a word, unbelievable.
The Oakland A's dug in and, in less than four minutes, they had two runs on the board. Ray Durham led off the game with an inside-the-park home run, which was immediately followed by a blast into the right-center field seats by Scott Hatteburg. For the first time in MLB history, back-to-back home runs were hit to start a playoff game. Before an out had been recorded, the crowd was knocked back into the Metrodome seats.
However, the funny stuff was only beginning. With the Twins coming to bat in the bottom of the first and the fans realizing it was early in the game, they rose to their feet in deafening support of their team. The ear-wrenching noise, along with the color of the domed roof-which has always made it difficult for visiting teams since the roof is similar in color to the ball-made a recipe for trouble. Oakland let one fly ball drop with no fielders anywhere near it because everyone lost the ball in the background-only by a stroke of luck for the A's did the ball land just inside foul territory. The A's also let a ball drop because two fielders ran into each other. Neither fielder could take his eyes off the ball for fear of not being able to pick it up again. And last, but certainly not least, the A's pitcher started to throw a pitch and the ball slipped straight up out of his hand. It just barely rolled past the foul line, which makes it a called "ball" by rule. This is a highly unusual play to occur in any professional game, much less the MLB playoffs. If the ball had not made it to a foul line, it would have been a balk with runners and no pitch without runners. Despite all the antics and the fact that the Twins put up a very good fight, the A's won the game 6-3.
The noise, the roof, and the total craziness of the Metrodome made for a great playoff game. Personally, I can tell you that the place was so loud that it literally gave me a headache. As we walked off the field, I talked with one of the other umpires, and we both related how our heads were ringing from all the noise.
Well, it is to the point where one team has its back against the wall. If the Oakland A's are able to pull off another win in this madness tomorrow night, the Twins' season is over. We shall see whether they are going to let that happen!
Sunday morning, October 6, 2002, en route to Inman, SC: Game 4
As you can see from where I am as I write this, Game 4 is over in Minnesota. Now, the fact that I am headed home doesn't necessarily mean that the Twins were eliminated last night. If you'll remember from earlier, the Divisional Series crews in each league switch series on travel day. I am headed home for the reason that the Anaheim Angels eliminated the formidable New York Yankees, 3 games to 1. That means that instead of looking forward to the Bronx Zoo, I get to spend Sunday night watching my kids throw their toys around. You might call me crazy, but that is a great tradeoff.
Game 4 at the Minneapolis Metrodome was just as intense and loud as Game 3, which surprised me just a bit. I wasn't sure if the fans would be as loud after the heart-breaking defeat the day before, but boy was I wrong! These people were every bit as loud as the night before-if not louder-knowing full well that a loss meant their team's elimination from the chase for the World Championship.
Unlike the night before, the game was pretty much played like you would expect from these two teams. You didn't have home runs being hit right out of the gates and you didn't have the ball falling all over the field because of the roof. The two teams played pretty clean baseball until the 5th inning when Oakland made an error that proved to be very costly for them. The error not only allowed a run to score, but it also prolonged the inning by giving the Twins more than the usual 3 outs, and that will kill you in Major League Baseball. At this level there is no way you can spot a team an extra out in a half-inning, or walk batters, and expect to win-and that goes for any team in any game. These guys are just too good and they will take advantage of anything you give them. The Twins did just that and went on to beat the A's pretty handily, 11-2.
We did have one play in the game that to the average Joe-or even a manager or game announcer-might look weird, but to umpires, it is a pretty easy ruling. The error I mentioned earlier, the one that broke the game open, involved a wild throw to third base that went out of play. Minnesota had runners on first and second with one out, and they were running as soon as the ball was hit. The ground ball went toward the hole between third and short, and the shortstop made a good play just getting to the ball. After grabbing the grounder, he decided to toss the ball to the third baseman for a force out. However, he threw the ball over his teammate's head, and the ball rolled into the Twins' dugout, out of play.
Needless to say, the runner going from second to third would be allowed to score. We placed the other runners at third and second. The problem was that the Twins' manager, Ron Gardenhire, thought the runner going from first to second should not be put on third, but should also score. His contention was that the runner was already past second when the throw was made, so the two bases awarded should be third and home. He pleaded his case, which was no easy task considering the constant roar of the crowd. We explained that the runner's position in relation to second base didn't matter in this situation. This play was merely the same play that you typically see when the ball is thrown from the shortstop to the first baseman, and the ball ends up in the stands. The runners get two bases from the time of pitch. What we had on the play at third was the same thing, only at a different base. Now, if you had a second play by a fielder, then the positioning of the runner would have come into play and Gardenhire would have had a case.
And so my post-season umpiring gig comes to an end. It has been an adventure for sure, one that leaves you looking forward to doing it again someday. Major League Baseball has a way of letting you know that no matter what your experience, it'll hold something new and exciting for you in the future. |
|
|
|
|
