Tagged: Snow
Do You Love Baseball?
How much do you love baseball? What are you willing to do to umpire the best game available? Seeing an umpire work a college game is the culmination of years of work. Studying, attending camps, working games in every type of weather, and on diamonds in every type of condition.
Baseball requires dedication from players, coaches, and umpires. The biggest change off the field to umpire college games is the travel. I am not flying all over the country to umpire, but I am driving to work games at previously unknown colleges. The drives changed from 30 minutes or less to an hour or three each way. You have to get to the field earlier, an hour before first pitch instead of 30 minutes. The extra distance requires driving in the early morning and late at night. Many miles in parts of the Midwest I never thought I would see. I listen to audiobooks as the scenery passes. This time to “read” has been wonderful as life off the diamond has gotten busier, and limited the time I can sit and read a book. Mile after mile, watching the empty fields roll by.
The grind of the college season is in the miles and the time away. If you have a family, having a spouse that both supports you and understands makes it possible. Without that support, and their taking on extra responsibilities, you could not work the games. Once you are on the diamond, life is simple, but not necessarily easy. Your focus is singular, making the correct calls. It is not the chaos of real life.
The expectations are the same for each game. You show up and work the game to the best of your abilities. Some schools provide a locker room, or just a room, for the umpires to change in. Some provide food and/or drinks. Some cannot, or do not, provide anything. I fully expect to be provided with nothing and to change in my car. I am there to do my job, anything a college provides to the umpires is a bonus.
College baseball starts in February. The weather in the majority of the country is less than ideal for baseball on Valentine’s Day. This year I umpired with the Wind Chill in the 20’s and had to suspend a game when a snow shower made the baseball disappear. You are bundled up, praying the wind is not too bad. Do you love baseball enough to have the cold wind sting your face for two and a half or three hours, take a 30 minute break, and do it again? Every umpire wants to work when it is sunny and 70°. Those are the games when the joy comes from simply being outside. Umpiring when you would rather be next to a fire teaches you a lot about your love for baseball. Are you willing to grind through the miles, weather, and tough games because you love the game? Only you can answer that question.
DJ
Restlessness
Winter has always been difficult for me. To begin with, I have never liked the cold; I would rather be in shorts than bundled up. Growing up in Georgia, winter did not mean playing in the snow, it meant the weather was cold and everything outside was dead. There was little reason to go outside, unless you were going somewhere, nothing fun or exciting was happening. Cooped up inside, day after day, there comes a point where you no longer want to read, watch TV, do pushups and sit-ups, or sleep. All you want to do is go outside and not be cold. I searched more deeply into any kind of baseball as the slow crawl through winter carried on. Welcoming any distraction, I dissected every ounce of baseball news. Rumors about a signing, even a trade for low-level prospects, became increasingly interesting. Winter has been, and will continue to be, miserable.
I moved away from Georgia, first to the New York City area, and now to Cincinnati. The snow in New York was fun. I made up for those lost years of sledding and playing in the snow. Any time I can play in the snow, or at the beach, I turn into a 5 year old. Life is too short not to act like a kid whenever you can. Once the snow is no longer falling and the ice slick forms, playtime is over. Doesn’t matter whether you’re a kid or a grown-up playing pretend. Then I want the snow to melt away quickly. Not lingering for months turning into a disgusting sludge. I love to play in the snow, but there is a point where I want it gone so I can play in the grass again.
Baseball is beautiful. (The Winning Run)
As this winter has been much less snowy than the past few, I once again find myself ready for winter to fade away. The ground is not covered with snow this year and only serves to remind me of the winters when I was a kid. Some days you look outside and the sky says it is a beautiful day for baseball, but the thermometer smacks you back to reality.
Late January and early February are the most difficult time for me. I become the most restless this time of year. I have been inside far more than I want, and yet the weather keeps me inside against my wishes. I want to hear the crack of the bat and the sound of gloves popping. I want baseball news that is more than transactions. I want to go outside and hit a baseball myself without my hands screaming at me from the bitter cold. In short, I am ready for spring and for baseball.
DJ
The Winning Run 