Coach loses bet and buys new referee equipment

Being a referee should have its rewards because if you go down that path, be prepared to spend some money on referee equipment. I have never been a referee, although I have practically trained to the same level in the world of baseball. In a way, I am good friends with several referees and with all the discussions I have had with them over the years, this must be some kind of divine revenge.

Last week I was paying a friendly bet I had made with an old friend of mine. He and I have been rivals for years, especially on the pitch, and I was going to pay him back by helping him improve his refereeing team. It wasn’t my idea to lose, but like I said, coaches don’t like it when they’re wrong.

My friend, Brice, is a much better baseball umpire than a player. Behind the plate he was alive, but he couldn’t handle a hit-and-run situation if his life depended on it. Rather than being relegated to sitting on the bench, he decided to pursue the noble profession of baseball umpire. There, he had found his home and his business office was usually behind the plate at one of the most competitive conferences in the country.

Baseball runs in our blood, Brice and I, but too many times we find ourselves on opposite sides of an argument. We met in college and as I was developing as a catcher, Brice was honing her skills as a blue.

We recently met on the same field at a high school championship game and I promised to help him improve his old refereeing team if he didn’t miss a single time. He promised to invite me to dinner, a much better deal for him, as I would find out. Okay, you might not think this was a good bet on my part, but I’ve been with Brice and umpires like him for eons and believe me when I tell you this. They know when they make a mistake. They rarely do do not blow a call.

With the way the game is structured, umpires are like the Pope. They are infallible and once they make a call, even if they are wrong, this call is the gospel. Referees are trained in this way and many have this inability to be corrected in all walks of life. He knew Brice would screw up at least one call. Many coaches may not grasp the complexities, but I would and was already planning where we would have dinner.

In many ways, coaches and referees are similar. We never expect or like to be wrong and when we are, be it obvious or not, we deny it, we hide behind the cloak of our position and we expect rupture and understanding. The referees do not argue as coaches. They don’t have to, but slip behind the heavy veil of authority.

Brice and I met for a hamburger and in her hand was a catalog of the latest in umpire equipment. Like I said, I lost the bet, I have no idea how he got so lucky. Anyway, I was willing to spend maybe $ 40 plus food, but when I saw the knowing smile on his face, well, I wasn’t prepared for what was in store for me.

Did you know that these chest protectors are now made from some kind of armor? The one I saw in the book looked a lot like the character from the movie, Iron Man. It must fit under the shirt somehow, because I’ve never seen a referee with one visible.

$ 100 plate shoes? I mean it is not like steel plates that cover the foot. I thought about the game, my tantrum, and the referee’s shoes. Did I mention that I lost the bet? Did I tell you the circumstances? Oh, I’ll get to that part.

I winced at the price I was going to have to pay. He moved on to the referee mask and explained about a new product called CoolMax, a recently invented fabric that draws moisture from the body to increase ventilation. I can understand how this would be important in a chest protector, but in a mask? Moisture control in baseball?

I thought about the game and had to admit that even though we had lost the game, Brice only had one questionable call. Lucky boy. It was a play to plate that occurred when my worst hitter grounded out to home plate with the bases loaded.

The catcher at the time, an excellent athlete, fielded the ball, fired at first, and as he did so, my third base coach sent our running back to the plate. A good decision because the third rider had a good lead and was quick as everyone came out.

The call as he slid into the receivers’ domain was close, but it was obvious from the third base dugout that he was out. This is due to a relay shot to the plate early on, a pitch to the left side of the plate at knee height. All the receiver had to do was catch and hold on to the ball. This is not what curls my hair. Not this call on the plate, but the previous call.

To begin with, I felt the ball was off and this brought all my fury towards Brice. He felt? Hell, I knew it was a foul ball. Foul cut out of the batter’s cage, then fielded cleanly after a rebound in fair territory. Brice didn’t make any calls, didn’t have time, which was an indication that the ball was in play. The opposing receiver did the right thing. He played ball and did a great job of doing it. Without a doubt, although the work would be called dead.

When I approached Brice, a locomotive gathering steam on the side of third base, I was ready with an explanation. Without a mask, he told me that the ball had been cut in fair territory and that my angle of vision was wrong. It was dark and I couldn’t see what he saw. I responded by kicking all the dirt I could onto his shoes.

I would have kicked myself out of the game if I hadn’t finished. We had lost by one race and I followed my prey at the plate. Brice yelled back at me, telling me that I was wrong and that she had no idea what she was talking about. I replied again and kicked more dirt and his parting words were: “You are going to buy me a new pair, buddy.”

The movie proved Brice right and as I sipped my drink and flipped through the catalog it was obvious that my shopping would start with the referee shoes. The mask would also be mandatory for my bad behavior. I ordered more drinks and thought about my tirade. The new referee team was going to cost me. Leaving the catalog, I remembered the incident as if it had just happened. My bill would be at least $ 200 for everything. I figured it was better than having to apologize. Getting it wrong can be expensive, but you still don’t have to admit it. Especially a referee.