Quick viewing(Text Mode)

All Star Edition 

All Star Edition 

BASEBALL DIGEST  ALL STAR EDITION 

A Special Publication of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

By Abe J. Schear Gary Darling July 2018 “You’re ”

* * * Schear: I am in Phoenix with Gary kids in foster care. We do Build-A-Bear Gary Darling umpired in MLB for Darling. Before we get going though, workshops and we do hospital visits – 27 years and currently serves as the I want to talk a little bit about Umps just umpires giving back to their own president of Umps Care, an organization Care. communities around where they live, but established by the MLB umpires to provide Umps Care is an official charity of also all around . emotional and financial support for youth Major League Baseball. It is hard to And people can access Umps Care and families in need. Gary umpired in two really define exactly when it was started online? All Star games, two World and five because back in 1999 there was a labor www.umpscare.com. Simple address Championships Series. dispute and lots of guys lost their jobs. and website. People can make I was one of them. The umpires started donations. It is hard to imagine being an . what they called the “helping hand fund” I certainly appreciate your time here. We only remember what are perceived which was umpires giving money to this So, you grew up in California? as missed calls (remarkably few for the general fund and, when the 22 umpires Born in San Francisco, grew up in number of plays) and player/ lost their jobs, they could draw a little Sacramento. ejections (Gary averaged only four per year each month to help get through the rough And your first memory of baseball? and had seven years when he ejected two time. That was very beneficial to a lot of Either playing with my dad or or fewer). guys. wiffle ball in the backyard with my dad and my sister, and then my brother came I had always wanted to interview an When I got my job back in 2002, we along a little while later. You know, umpire for this baseball series and Gary was did not do anything right away, but we just that, and then started playing little referred to me by Shaun Clancy. Gary and started discussing how to move that to league baseball at nine years old, but a I had a wonderful conversation, one without the next level, more than just helping lot of it was playing catch with Dad, and a disparaging word about a player, manager, umpires. We had our first charity golf wiffle ball in the backyard, and then just umpire or anyone else. In fact, it is hard to outing in 2003, it was about 15 guys, little league and and Legion imagine how unjaded his comments were. 10 umpires with some of their friends baseball.

Lastly, check out Umpscare (as he “I was told by a scout that the only people notes). This organization provides comfort to people in need. It is by umpires, all who are going to draft me would be the of whom are unpaid for these wonderful services. Army.”

* * * playing golf in . We just needed You played baseball through. . . to take it a little farther than that, so Junior college. I played for two years Larry Young, myself and in junior college, and I was told by a Abe J. Schear is an attorney with Arnall formed the non-profit. Larry did all scout that the only people who are going Golden Gregory LLP and is a member of the work and we tried to help umpires to draft me would be the Army, so it the firm’s Real Estate Group. Contact Abe and also give away scholarships to was time to think of another career. All at 404.873.8752 or [email protected]. deserving students. We have kids out to my family are educators. My dad is a the ballpark with our ticket programs, teacher. My brother is a professor. My A r n a l l G o l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | July 2018 sister is a high school teacher. My dad’s And did you collect baseball cards? would go from home plate to third brother and sisters were teachers. My Did you follow baseball by reading it, base. wife was a teacher. There was nothing listening to it, watching it? Right. We always go clockwise. Right. So the first base guy ends up “I always had great partners throughout the working at home. This was kind of the worst draw because minor leagues.” it’s just a long day with the second game. And especially because you’re on your in school that was grabbing my attention Mostly back then it was all radio, not feet the whole time. and my second year in junior college, in many television games, the Saturday So you went to umpire school in … Sacramento, I took this sports officiating game of the week or whatever, but I just San Bernadino, in 1980. class and I umpired some games and followed the box scores and listened to And what was that like? liked it. I knew my playing days were the games. I don’t know if I listened It was a blast. You’d have rule sessions done, and I started umpiring around every night but I listened to a lot of in the morning, then they’d teach you the Sacramento. One of the first guys I games on radio for sure. basics of just how to get in position with worked with had been to umpire school Do you remember the first baseball your hands on your knees and looking and learned a little bit about that and I game? out and down a little bit, just stay still for wrote to Bill Kinnamon’s umpire school. I couldn’t tell for sure. I’d be better plays. How to take a play at first base, I ended up going there in 1980. able to tell you the first 49er game I went then how to rotate on a to come Let me drop back for just a second. to. My dad took me to Kezar Stadium a in and take a pivot and take the batter to What position did you play? couple of times to see them. I’d make second base or all the way to third base, In high school and junior college, first my dad take me to a double header and, so all the basics, all the basics of the two base. now, I wouldn’t be real happy if my man system. And all the basics of the That would be my guess. You are son wanted to go to a double header. rules. pretty tall. We stayed until the end. Both 9 And how long was that course? Not quite 6’4”, good fielder. Most years games. I remember the Expos were 5 weeks. Pretty much the whole month I did not very well, but I had a couple playing. of January, and then they promote the of decent hitting years. For the most I hadn’t thought about that. So when best guys out of there. At the time, part, I was a pretty good defensive first you umpire behind the plate, in a there were two umpire schools. One baseman. game, in a double header, the next was run by Bill Kinnamon; the other When you were young, did you enjoy game you umpire in the same series is one was run by Al Summers. Now, watching games, listening to games? at third base. Hunter Wendelstedt, his dad was a long Oh yeah. My dad would take me to Not anymore. When I first came up, time umpire, Harry Candlestick, a two-hour drive. His mom you’d work both games and little by Wendelstedt. Harry has passed away and my mother’s mom both still live little it has changed. Now, if there’s and now Hunter, his son, runs the umpire in San Francisco. We used to go visit a scheduled double header and they school. them and work out a trip to Candlestick. have enough time, like if you get rained Bill’s school was sold to Joel Brinkman We would go to 3-4 games a year, at out Friday night and there’s a double and . And then Jimmy least. I always just loved the game, and header on Saturday, they might not be Evans started a school, so at one time umpiring was a way to stick around— able to get another umpire from the there were 3, and then Evans bought stay around it for sure. minor leagues. If they know the double the rights to the Brinkman/Froemming So the Giants were your favorite team header’s coming for a little while, they’ll school. when you grew up? bring a guy in from the minor leagues. If And then you were hired? Growing up the Giants were. Yes. And your favorite player? “You don’t want to be the story but sometimes All time, gotta be Mays—for sure. Ironically, my first that’s part of the job.” assignment was with the Giants in spring training down in Casa Grande where you work the plate the first game, you’re Well, then they put you on a list, the they had their minor league spring off the second game. And if you have best 30 guys or so out of the 3 different training back in the early 80s late 70s. the plate the second game, you’re out the schools at the time. Probably more than Your favorite announcers as a child? first game. that, probably 40 or 50 guys would go Probably you know, Russ Hodges and I didn’t know that. to Bradenton where the Pirates do their Lon Simmons, just being a Giants fan. I So the guy they bring up from the minor training camp. The minor league had didn’t really know about or leagues, he works first base in the first their supervisors that are evaluating or any of those, the greats game, then he flips over and works third those guys, and then most everybody that most people know about, National base in the second game. gets into the minor leagues. They pick League. I enjoy listening to those guys. But it used to be before that, you a third of them to go, they get to go to 2 by Abe J. Schear minor league spring training, which League, and then that’s from the middle So while you were doing AAA, you’d was a big deal. Then you need to get of September to November, and then go to spring training and umpire there assigned to rookie ball or “A” ball. spring training starts again in March, so too? So where did you start? you just try to find a job for 4 months or At first you’re assigned to minor league The in Oregon and so. I always knew people that needed a spring training, but then once you get Washington, and Victoria, B.C. Some little work in that time and Sears always on the radar of the big leagues, then really good cities. Medford, Bellingham, hired me back. You definitely gotta work you get invited to major league spring WA, Walawala, WA. My first partner though. training. Each one’s a nice step, you though was Billy Spooner, who’s now an The whole idea of lawyering, I think, want to get out of the Northwest League NBA official. is to be invisible. I’m guessing that and you want to get to AA, and then And was it fun to be in the minor umpiring is the same. After the every year you want to be moving up leagues for a while? game, if everybody’s talking about the ladder. Getting big league spring We had more fun in the minor leagues the umpiring, something sort of went training is really kind of the first time then you actually do in the big leagues. wrong in the game, and you guys want as a professional umpire, minor league It was just you and your partner, and I to be invisible I’d guess. umpire, that you have any money, was always lucky, I always had great You don’t want to be the story, that’s because now you’re getting the big partners throughout the minor leagues. for sure, but sometimes you gotta make league per diem. You’re not on big You get along, you play golf during the that unpopular call, you gotta call a league salary, but you’re getting the big day. We never had any money, but we in the 9th inning or or league per diem. didn’t feel like we were poor all the time, or whatever. You don’t want So you can make money eating at we just kind of scraped by. to be the story but sometimes that’s part McDonald’s. You can eat wherever you want at that “You live off the hot dogs after the game point. In the minor leagues, you live off the hot dogs after the game sometimes, sometimes.” so you know, we were making $900/ month and that included expenses. So Did you drive from location to of the job. You gotta follow what you in the big leagues, 2 days of per diem is location? see and hope that you saw it right. more than your whole month’s per diem In the lower minor leagues, we drove. I So what was like to get the call to in the minors. was the driver in the Northwest League. move up. So the game ended and you’d try to I had a ’66 Volkswagon and all the stuff I umpired in the Northwest League and find food at the ball park. was in the back. We had the ice chest the California State League for a year Well, most of the teams would bring you behind the seats with sandwiches and and a half. Halfway through my second back a leftover hot dog or something and sodas, and maybe a beer or two. We year there, I got promoted to AA. I there were plenty of times where I would would just drive from city to city and worked with Pam Postema at the time, order dinner, for sure. You would try to switch off. We’d usually drive through the only minor league female umpire. eat at Bonanza or Sirloin or those kind of the night, because then you’d get to the Went back to the Texas League the next places. I’d have a nice big lunch, a salad next city and get to sleep a little bit. The year and it’s now ’83. And then half way bar, and get a hamburger or sandwich drives weren’t real bad in the Northwest. through the next year, I got promoted to or something. You weren’t eating 3 big There were a couple of long ones in the AAA. meals a day, that’s for sure. You were Texas League. There were two of us in Which AAA League? lucky to have 1½. that league as well. The . So then you got called up to the But nobody hated extra inning games That probably was nice. Nice cities major’s. more than the umpires. in the Pacific Coast League, and nice My first games were in 1986. You don’t get paid anymore, that’s for parks. Were you pretty certain you were sure. They don’t pay you overtime. They’re probably nicer now, but I mean going to get called up then? It’s free baseball and it’s also free we played in Phoenix. Tucson and My first year of big league spring umpiring. Hawaii were in the league, as well as Salt training was in ’85, so it kind of moved Free umpiring, yes. Lake City, Las Vegas and Vancouver. a little quick, but there were some When the ended, what did you There were some great cities in the Coast guys…it just kind of varies when the do? League then. opening is coming, but I wasn’t certain The first year, I worked a little And you flew then? for sure. There was no guarantee I was construction with a buddy in We flew then, yes. going to get any big league games ever, Sacramento. I worked for Sears in their That probably was ok for a while. even when you do get big league spring credit department. I did construction. You don’t want to be there very long. training. The off season is only about 4 months. You don’t want to become a veteran of When they called you up, did you go You’re done by September and then any league, except for one of the two up at the beginning of the season? the first 3 years I did the Instructional major leagues. Oh no. Starting in ’79, the umpire’s 3 A r n a l l G o l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | July 2018 started to get two week vacations. After see Lee Weyer running in from first base on them, but they don’t like you really the first real big strike, they hired some and he pulls his hamstring, so Lee grabs grabbing them. of the guys that worked as scabs, which his leg. And we still got that old VHS What’s the best and worst time of day made the staff too big, so that created the tape at home somewhere. to umpire? vacations that guys get now. Then it was I’m always curious about something. The worst, dusk. The 5 o’clock games 2 weeks, and it started in June to Labor Everything about baseball is sort of in L.A. are brutal because the sun is Day. Once June came around, that’s the same, more or less. Except the setting, the lights haven’t kicked in, there when the vacations start, so they pulled umpires call strikes all completely are shadows and anytime you have a guys out of the minor leagues to cover different. Do you practice calling shadow, that shadow comes between the those vacations. strikes in front of a mirror? Do and the hitter, and it doesn’t stay What was the first game you umpired? you decide how to do it or is it just in one spot. But when the sun’s setting, That had to be the Giants and the Expos instinct? it just kind of keeps moving so you don’t at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. It kind of just evolved. I don’t think like it when the ball is coming out of the Was anybody there but the umpires anybody starts in umpire school and glare into the shadow. Vision wise, it’s and the players? spends a whole career calling strikes the dusk. At night, you have the true lights of the stadium, you don’t have the glare “The 5 o’clock games in L.A. are brutal and the clouds and the different things like that. Night games in a major league because the sun is setting.” stadium are the best. If you have a night game during spring training, not so much There were a few people, 10,000 maybe. same way. You start at umpire school because those lights are lower. And what was that like? very basic, the right hand comes up, That was fun. I joined Lee Weyer and you keep your head still. They don’t That being said, umpires always look at Eddie Montague, Dutch Rennert. want you being too fancy turning off to the schedule, and we’re kind of picking That’s a great crew. the side, because it’s just you and your what schedule we want. We always Great, great crew. They welcomed me partner. They want you paying attention wanted to get to Wrigley for Friday, aboard and it’s just another step up the to everything that’s going on in front of Saturday, Sunday, all three day games ladder, but that’s a big step when that you where the ball is. As time goes by, because then you get to eat dinner at first call to go up came. Still there was you try coming out to the side, whatever night in Chicago. You put on 10 lbs no guarantee you’re gonna get hired at feels comfortable. Mine just migrated but if you could get an off day, going in any point. back to the umpire school and I bet my there on a Thursday or have a day game And do you remember the first game last 10, 15 years, the young guys that got someplace else, and get in to Chicago behind the plate? called up, the hammer was just basic, on Thursday night, I have a dinner I started at 3rd base and then we went like you’re knocking on a door kind of that night, then Friday, Saturday and from Montreal to St. Louis, and the strike call. My strike 3 was not much then you’re probably going to leave on first game in St. Louis…I was kind of different, maybe just a little more energy Sunday after the game. Get away day ignorant on what the rivalries were. I into it, but the less I did worked better games work because then you get to your was a baseball fan, but I didn’t really for me. next city, you don’t have to wake up at realize that St. Louis – Chicago was I know from having caught, some 5 in the morning for your flight in order this mega mega rivalry and it was in umpires put their hand on my back, to get to your next city. You gotta have early June of ’86. I had the plate the which I did not much care for at all some night games too. second game of that series on Saturday. because I was always afraid I was I guess you use the counter, but . . . Actually there was a fight, so I had my going to fall on my head. What did No. In the minor leagues I did, but about first . you do? halfway through my big league career, I Who did you eject? There were times you want to keep your stopped because you don’t know if it’s Greg Bargar, pitcher for the Cardinals. I head up and not look at the when right. guess he and Shawn Dunston had a little he is moving so you have your hand just So you just kept the balls and strikes issue from the minor leagues earlier, the kind of barely touching him, you kind of in your head. year before or whatever. Bargar threw at feel where they’re moving. Some guys, You tried to keep in your head. I wasn’t Dunston, and Dunston didn’t like it and use it as a distancing thing, so they put one to give the all the time. I I did a little dance with Dunston trying their hand on the catcher, so they know would say it in my mind, and when we to get him from going to the mound and they’re not too close to them, so they do got to 3-2, I would say 3-2. spun him around. Then Bargar came and it that way. Some of the guys just get Would you ever be asked what’s the tried to get at Dunston, so I got knocked right in there and kind of hug them. count, and you go, I just don’t know. to the ground, my hat got lost. It was a And do the catcher’s talk about it to 99% of the time, you knew, but there are typical baseball fight. There wasn’t a you? those times I lost the count, one time in punch but on the camera you can see me A lot of the don’t like it. They the NLCS at Shea Stadium, between the on the ground looking for my hat. You don’t really mind if you got your hand Cardinals and the Mets actually. And 4 BASEBALL DIGEST by Abe J. Schear a lot of times, if you’re not sure, the alright. I wasn’t a real social guy that Poncino, another guy I worked with in hitter’s not sure, you say it’s 1-2 or it’s did a lot of talking out there. I had some my era, not a crew chief, but in my era, 2-2? Usually between the hitter and the conversations, but not a whole lot. thought it’s not an event, it’s either out, catcher, you’re going to come up with One thing that I was wondering, it or it’s a ball or strike. I just kind of the right count. Every now and then, seems to be that in baseball, as fast developed…I don’t want them jumping they disagree because they forget there’s as it is, in some ways, it’s harder to on my case so I went back to the basic been a or whether you called umpire first base than it is to umpire out call instead of trying to sell it, just a a strike and they thought it was behind the plate because behind the basically get it right, which I didn’t a ball and vice versa. Now they go to plate the next pitch comes, right away. always do but that’s the goal, for sure. replay. They can call up to the press box The catcher might be happy, he may It’s a fast game. When I was catching and get it right. That was something not be happy, but then there’s another one time, we played in a league where we usually didn’t do that back in the pitch coming that’s right down the we knew the umpires really well. day. We were old school. I remember middle and you call it strike and on And I’d be behind the plate and the once I called in and Jimmy the game goes. But at first base, the umpire was always telling stories. I Joyce and we got the count right that calls are so close, you have to be so had a rule, I’d say, “Kenny, you can way. Guys on the bases don’t carry any decisive. tell the stories until there’s two strikes. indicators either, and it just became more Yes, but when you’re working first, When there’s two strikes, can we both of a nuisance because sometimes you you’re expecting plays at first base. just concentrate please? Can I just look down and my indicator was wrong, The tough one, where you gotta fight concentrate?” It was kind of funny. or the scoreboard is wrong. yourself to keep paying attention is Umpires can talk too. So just a few I’m guessing that you watch games when you’re working third because you more questions. The city you liked the today, but when you watch games, do might have a check swing every now and most? you watch the game or do you watch then, you might have a fair or foul ball, I would say Chicago. I liked going to the umpires? but generally there’s not a whole lot of New York. I’m the guy who wouldn’t More umpires. When I watch the game, action. Generally third base is the least want to live there but I love going to I don’t sit and watch the whole game. active base and, if you let your mind Manhattan and I have a lot of friends I’ll watch part of it. My wife likes the wander, you just never know, you’re not there. I like different restaurants Diamondbacks, my son is a big Cubs paying attention to a check swing, and and bars and I like Pittsburgh, an old fan, so we watch a little baseball. I that could be the pivotal point of the National League city which is a great follow more online and my iPad or my game. city. San Francisco is a great city. We computer just checking box scores, see That’s a great point. If you call a were fortunate that they took us to a where the guys are going and what’s check swing from first or third, I’m lot of good places. Or they ask you going on. There’s a website www. sure the league is saying “sell the call”. “What’s your favorite stadium?” For closecallsports.com that tracks all the They really want you to decisively say sidelines? For crowd atmosphere? ejections and I kind of take a peek at that yes or no. Yankee Stadium. We liked Atlanta back and see what’s going on that way. But to sit and watch a whole game, it’s not my “I never ejected Glavine because Bobby idea… Do you have any pictures of you would always get out there ahead of time ejecting somebody from a game? Pictures? and get it for him.” Yes. I got a few, yeah. I had enough They want you to be decisive. Not really in the day cause there were no ground ejections, I had to get pictures. “selling”. rules. Everything was like the old cookie So, the funniest catcher that you ever And they don’t want you to just go like cutter River Front and Three Rivers umpired behind. I know catchers this (Abe shrugs). where the fans could not reach over, often like to talk. Some of them just warrant that. I they couldn’t interfere with the ball. Some catchers talk, some don’t. The worked with a lot of different guys Now every stadium they build is for fan catcher, I’m trying to think of the name, when I was coming up, and you take a entertainment, they want them right on he’s with the A’s. I remember one day little bit from all of them. One of them, the action and that causes headaches for he came in and said ‘this is the coldest , had a philosophy that was the umpires. game in my career’. I went back and completely the opposite. Keep out of If you could be Commissioner for a looked…he had been the big leagues it. All the team wants is for you to get day, what would you do to change the for 3 months. So we put a candle in a it right. By selling it, sometimes that game? Hostess Ding Dong or something and makes them jump up and why did he I’d put a little more teeth into penalties, sent it over and said, “congratulations sell that, was it really that close? So which is all collective bargaining, but on your 41st game”. Brad Asmus was then they go and take a look at it. Larry they want to speed up the game and they

5 A r n a l l G o l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | July 2018 have these new rules, well there’s no The games are long now. get it for him. real penalty besides fining them $100 It can be painful. You get the Yankees So you ejected . for slow play or not coming out of the and Red Sox, you know it’s going to be A couple of times. Both times bull pen fast enough. It’s not gonna get a 4 hour game, you know it going in. So over Glavine. Bobby led the world the guy to come out of the bull pen fast you kind gear yourself up, that it’s going in ejections, but he was like your enough. The only way they’re going to be one of those games where they’re grandfather. He would always back his to understand, is if it starts taking real just going to grind everything. Just grind players, you knew that. He’d get a little money from them and then I guarantee it. grumpy sometimes, but the next day he’d the reliever will be coming a little faster, And my last question, I would guess completely forget about it. they’ll warm up a little faster, the hitters you think about stuff. If you could And you knew you were going to eject will stay closer to the box. It’s not to be have umpired behind the plate for him as soon as he walked on the field. an anti-player commissioner but I think a pitcher say pre 1970, before you Yes, but not every time he came out the penalties should be more in line with umpired. Do you ever look up and say did he get ejected, but more times than what they’re making. I wish I could have umpired a game not. If you thought he was taking it for When you were behind the plate, who and watched him pitch? a player, I mean Chipper or whoever. was the pitcher you enjoyed watching I heard he was kind of tough to work He would take the bullet every time for pitch as an umpire? with, . The year that he was those guys. Every time. For low stress, one of the best was Oral at low 1 ERA [Note: 1.12]. How fun We used to go to the Braves games and Herscheiser. He didn’t show emotion would that have been? And I guarantee watching him get ejected was really out there. I’m sure I didn’t make him he wasn’t on a . He didn’t fun. happy all the time but he got the ball like anyone talking to him. Seaver, I Oh yes. He wasn’t bad about it. He’d thrown. He was always around the plate. miss Seaver. He was late ‘60’s and then get a little mad and he’d waive his arms Like Maddox. Greg would nibble. Back on after that, I don’t know, , around a little bit, swear a little bit, but in the day, if you called a pitch 4 or 5 one of those old guys. . you don’t hear about Bobby bumping inches off the plate, it wasn’t crazy. But That’s exactly what I thought you’d somebody. He wasn’t or Maddox didn’t like throwing stuff off say. and Lou Pinella when he the plate, because he didn’t want the guy Guys that threw strikes. You want was a younger manager. chasing it. He wanted the batter to hit guys that throw strikes. The reliever Bobby’s ejection record will never the pitch that he threw, not the one that for Houston, . You’d love be broken because of instant replay the umpires were kind of nudging the to get Mike Scott. Guys like Fernando and everything else today keeps the hitter to start swinging at. Valenzuela nibbled a lot. managers in the game. Well the umpires had to like guys like That’s what did. He Managers get ejected today on balls and that because you could go back and didn’t try to throw the ball ever over strikes. eat dinner pretty soon. Those were the plate. Right. I don’t have any more fast games. No, not Tommy. Tommy and I had a questions. This is great. It’s a perfect Yes. of the Padres was fast. couple of issues, a couple of blow ups. I interview and I really appreciate it. Jim Kaat. Not too many guys that get it never ejected him because Bobby would Great.

and go anymore. always get out there ahead of time and

“You’re Out” “You’re

arling D ary G

75th EDITION 75th

   

BASEBALL DIGEST BASEBALL

Atlanta, Georgia 30363 Georgia Atlanta,

Suite 2100 Suite 171 17th Street NW Street 17th 171

Top View