Gil's Call - Callaway's Conduct Symptom of Larger Problem

When recent allegations surfaced alleging inappropriate behavior by former Mets Manager and Angels Pitching Coach Mickey Callaway, some of the remarks from alleged victims resembled comments made by umpire recipients of on-field abuse.

In this Gil's Call, we explore the relationship between abuse of officials by certain coaches, managers, or players that occurs on the field and allegations of misconduct that surfaces off the field.

The large difference, naturally, is that, by and large, an abusive person's misconduct during a game occurs on the field, directed at people who wear a certain uniform, while the abuse off the field is largely directed at people who share a certain personal characteristic.

In order to weed out the latter—which society at large seems to have formed a consensus as a largely unacceptable act—could, perchance, addressing the former—which society at large seems to somehow be okay with—prove an effective countermeasure?

When stories like Callaway break, many in the media or fandom decry how this could have happened, said coach is one bad apple, etc...yet those same newsmakers readily rack b-roll footage of said manager having an explosive temper tantrum directed at an umpire during a previous year's ejection to accompany the "shocking" story, as if the two aren't even remotely related.

Similar misconduct, even if different in form, is still abuse, whether it occurs on or off the field. Society seems to think the fence line separating the playing surface from the spectator area—or even the stadium gates—somehow holds a magical property that keeps things "between the lines" and suspends the principles of transitivity.

Here at CloseCallSports, we have long chronicled the perils of umpire/referee abuse and its detrimental effect on the sports officiating community.

Related Label: Umpire Abuse.

Yet for some reason, leagues have remained reluctant to substantially address bad behavior, which in 2017 led to a World Umpires Association-wide white wristband protest, followed not even one year later by the rebranded union, MLBUA, publicly calling for MLB to take action after yet another instance of umpire abuse from ejected personnel: whatever the league negotiated in the wristband protest finale clearly wasn't strong enough to hold for more than one season.

Related Post: WUA-MLB Relations Deteriorate with New Umpire Protest (8/19/17).

Related Post: MLBUA Calls for BOC Action After Latest Umpire Abuse (9/23/18).

The on-field abuse issue remains so pervasive that our mental health sponsor, Outstanding Sportsmanship is Paramount (OSIP Foundation), runs a hotline called Officials Anonymous for officials experiencing issues related to abuse. After all, the same b-roll footage used to support a potentially abusive manager's indictment could very well be used to supplement a sport's officials disclosure of trauma.

Related Link: http://www.osipfoundation.org/offanon.html.

When we are inconsistent in enforcing boundaries—by permitting abuse to continue on the field while decrying it off the field—the end result is covert abuse and gaslighting behavior off the field an a pervasive sense of entitlement. Callaway's alleged misconduct is, extremely likely, just the tip of the iceberg: not for Callaway personally, but in terms of abusive conduct by others which to this point remains unpublicized.

Disagreements are okay, arguments are okay, even yelling may be acceptable under certain circumstances. But abuse—whether through manipulative gaslighting, bullying, or overt illicit activity—is never okay and when it's time for the dispute to conclude, the afflicted teammate must be able to acknowledge and accept the umpire's stern edict of "no": the umpire must be shown that respect for autonomy.

And, thus, in order for "no means no" to work off the field, it must also work on the field and be backed up by those in charge. If the powers-that-be continue to be unable to do so, this systemic abuse—in whatever form it might take—will undoubtedly continue.

It shouldn't have to take covert abuse transmogrifying into a PR nightmare for a suspension to occur, at least not with all this prior evidence, and b-roll footage, sitting plainly in the public eye.

Video as follows:

Teachable - Working the Play at 2B With Jeff Nelson

Our Tmac's Teachable Moments series continues with a look at how to stay with and adjust to work a thorny play at second base with 2020 ALCS 2B Umpire and Crew Chief Jeff Nelson.

With one out and a runner on first, a ground ball to Astros second baseman Jose Altuve turns into an improvisation exercise as Altuve initially misplays the batted ball, but quickly recovers to attempt to force out Rays baserunner Randy Arozarena at second base under the watchful eye of 2B Umpire Nelson.

The clue for an umpire in this situation—and mainly for smaller crews in which an umpire may initially consider splitting potential responsibilities between possible plays at either first or second base—is Altuve's direction after booting the baseball. 

Once the field umpire observes Altuve chase the ball toward the middle of the infield, one may surmise that the imminent play will most likely occur at second base, rather than first base and the idea of hedging one's bet by staying in the middle ground between first and second base should vanish: much like GameStop stock, it's all in toward second base.

Umpire Nelson adjusts his positioning accordingly and enters the keyhole angle to take this play at second base and keep an eye on the runner's legs while observing (in this case, visually due to the soft toss) the fielder's receipt of the throw. Ordinarily we may listen for the sound of the glove, but the closer the throwing fielder to the base, the less likely it is that the sound will be detectable, which means umpires must line themselves up to see both the foot on the base and ball in the glove, preferably along the same visual path to avoid having to dart eyes back and forth.

Video as follows:

Call for Questions - Podcast with Umpire Tim Tschida

As we prepare for a return to normalcy, CloseCallSports.com announces Tim Tschida as our next guest on The Plate Meeting podcast. After his American League debut in 1985, the Minnesota-born umpire officiated AL and MLB games through his 2012 retirement, cataloging 3,358 regular season games and 86 ejections, with nine Division Series, three League Championship Series, and three World Series thrown in between.

Tschida, who ejected Lou Piniella and Cal Ripken early in his career before transforming into the most popular umpire-ejects-manager GIF on the internet with his 2012 ejection of Don Mattingly, retired to bartending in St. Paul, as chronicled in a local 2018 interview.

Related Post: Where Are They Now? Tim Tschida is a Bartender (7/19/18).

Tschida ejects Donnie Baseball.

Comment with your questions for Tschida, from baseball to bartending and beyond.

The Plate Meeting, a Left Field Umpire Podcast, Close Call Sports/UEFL's official audio show, features interviews and discussions of officiating topics with umpires.

To subscribe to The Plate Meeting, visit the show's Anchor.fm page, or Apple Podcasts page, which offers external links to popular podcast providers, such as iTunes, Spotify, Radio Public, and Google Podcasts. We will also strive to add any video-enabled show to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/CloseCallSports.

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Teachable - Cueto's Interference is Not a Tangle

Every so often, a Tmac's Teachable Moment crosses path with an Ask the UEFL Rules Review and such is the case of HP Umpire Quinn Wolcott's call of interference on Johnny Cueto's bunt attempt, compared to Ed Armbrister's classic tangle-untangle from Game 3 of the 1975 World Series.

In this analysis of Cueto's actions following his bunt in Cincinnati, we compare and contrast with Armbrister's play, noting that both batters, having bunted the ball in front of home plate, became entangled with their respective catchers, only that Cueto was ruled out for interference while Armbrister earned himself a "that's nothing" call from HP Umpire Larry Barnett, much to the chagrin of catcher Carlton Fisk.

The primary difference, we find with an assist from the 2020 ALCS where history repeated itself and Rays batter-runner Manuel Margot legally tangled with Astros catcher Martin Maldonado, is embedded within Official Baseball Rule 6.01(a)(10) Comment itself.

Related Post: Margot-Maldonado's ALCS Tangle Recalls Fisk-Armbrister (10/13/20).

According to OBR 6.01(a)(10) Comment, "When a catcher and batter-runner going to first base have contact when the catcher is fielding the ball, there is generally no violation and nothing should be called."

And therein lies the key distinction: While Armbrister and Margot clearly became entangled with their catchers while running to first base, Cueto did no such thing: he remained stationary in the batter's box and, by virtue of his immediate inaction, did not satisfy the criterion of 6.01(a)(10) in that he was not "going to first base" at the time of the contact. For this reason, the rule's quasi-exception does not apply and Cueto thus was guilty of interference whereas the other players who were going to first base enjoyed the protection of the rule.

This is an example of how knowing the game, knowing players' responsibilities, and anticipating plays as an umpire will help in officiating tricky situations, such as a potential tangle/untangle.

Video as follows:

Officiating on the Big Screen - Star Trek Umpire Analysis

CloseCallSports.com introduces our newest series for 2021, Officiating on the Big Screen, where we analyze portrayals of referees and umpires in movies, TV shows, and other pop culture. In this debut episode, we travel to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Take Me Out to the Holosuite, where Odo serves as umpire for a baseball game between the USS T'Kumbra Logicians and Deep Space Niners.

After DS9 Captain Benjamin Sisko accepts visiting Vulcan Solok's challenge to a ballgame, the teams place their faith in Chief of Security Odo, the only person Sisko trusts to be an impartial umpire.

The character Odo, played by Rene Auberjonois, is a Changeling whose reputation is as a constable with great respect for and fair enforcement of the rule of law. Odo and Sisko's relationship evolved throughout the series from a contentious one to a close association; Take Me Out to the Holosuite thus serves to further cement Sisko's trust in Odo.

The following video analysis of Odo's performance as home plate umpire delves into Odo's mannerisms, mechanics, and technique, from plate brush to positioning to situation handling and beyond, including Odo's ejection of Sisko.

Video as follows:

Teachable Tumpane's Toework During Pulled Foot Play

Tmac's first Teachable Moment of 2021 visits 1B Umpire John Tumpane's pulled foot vs out call in Game 7 of the 2020 American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays. With Alex Bregman at the plate, Rays first baseman Ji-man Choi reached to field a throw from third baseman Joey Wendle, and in doing so stretched to try and keep his right foot in contact with first base as Bregman ran by.

For 1B Umpire John Tumpane, working his first career ALCS, this meant a quick adjustment from an expected out/safe timing call to a potential pulled foot situation, and the umpire dutifully shifted his focus to Choi's footwork to determine whether or not the fielder maintained contact with the bag.

In order to do this, Tumpane adjusted his position to form the keyhole angle (or wedge or view) required to best officiate this play and see potential separation (or daylight) between foot and base.

In this case, Tumpane confirmed that Choi had successfully keep his cleat in contact with the base and therefore ruled Bregman out, a called confirmed following Replay Review initiated by a Manager's Challenge.

Video as follows:

MLB Hires Jeremie Rehak to Full-Time Umpire Staff

MLB has hired Wendelstedt Umpire School alum Jeremie Rehak to its full-time staff after three baseball seasons and 281 games of major league experience. Born in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, Rehak officiated his first game at the big league level on April 9, 2018 in Kansas City.

After graduating from Wendelstedt School in Florida during its 2011 course, Rehak journed through Minor League Baseball's Gulf Coast, Appalachian, Florida Instructional, Midwest, California, Eastern, Arizona Instructional, International, and Arizona Fall Leagues before earning an invitation to Major League Spring Training as well as a sleeve number assignment of #35 in 2018 alongside fellow Pennsylvanian and MLB staff member Jansen Visconti, whom MLB hired in early 2020.

Rehak has 13 ejections through his three years of call-up service and was named the UEFL's Fill-In Umpire of the Year in 2020, having previously won the same award in 2018.

News of Rehak's hire was first reported by the Wendelstedt Umpire School on Facebook and leaves a temporary overfill on the staff as MLB has yet to officially announce a corresponding retirement. Not many winters go by with excess staff on payroll, though.

Gary Cederstrom Named to North Dakota Hall of Fame

One year removed from his Major League retirement, ex-MLB umpire Gary Cederstrom will be inducted into the North Dakota Officials Association (NDOA) Hall of Fame in a nod to his football and basketball referee service at the high school level that set the foundation for his officiating career.

Cederstrom, who retired from baseball following his 2019 World Series assignment and who picked up a UEFL Award for 2019 Crew Chief of the Year on his way out, began officiating high school football and basketball games in 1975 in his hometown of Minot.

After a brief absence coinciding with his 31-year side job as a Major League Baseball umpire, Cederstrom returned to the North Dakota High School Activities Association and resumed his career as a high school football white hat, working his first game since the MLB World Series on the North Dakota gridiron in August 2020.

Related Post: Retired MLB Ump Cederstrom's New Career - High School Football Referee (8/22/20).

Cederstrom will be inducted as part of the 2020-21 North Dakota Officials Association Hall of Fame class.

Referee Attacked, Killed During Soccer Game in Kenya

Nary hours after a high school football player charged at a referee in Texas, an elderly referee has been killed during a soccer game in Kenya. Mwalimu John Chang'aa aka Okwoyo succumbed to injuries sustained when a group of players and fans attacked the officials at half time in Kisii County.

According to local reports, retired teacher John Okwoyo was officiating a contest at Gesabakwa Green Stadium between teams Apire and Ichuni Youth when the crew encountered a play during which the ball wound up in the back of one of the team's goals. However, the assistant referee had raised his flag into the air prior to the goal to signal an infraction, and the crew ultimately cancelled the score and awarded a penalty to the defending team.

The report states that at halftime shortly thereafter, the offending team surrounded the referee before fans rushed off the sidelines to join in and a group attack occurred, resulting in the referee's death as he sought medical attention.

It was unclear if a fan or a player murdered the referee, but reports indicate that one fan who kicked the elderly referee in his chest was identified and arrested by local police.

News of the referee's death comes one just over one day after Texas high school football player Emmanuel Duron attacked TASO referee Fred Garcia during a playoff game. Hours later, the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District announced it had decided to remove the team from the postseason and noted "appropriate disciplinary action" would follow an investigation into the incident, while the local police department arrested Duron, who now faces at least one criminal charge.

The District wrote, "We extend a sincere apology to the referee and his family" while the Texas Association of Sports Officials wrote, "Unfortunately, this type of blind-sided assault on an official while working on the field is not new to Texas football.

In 2008, Euless Trinity HS player Eric Fieilo tackled an official during a game, but evaded criminal charges. Fieilo later became a police officer at Euless PD.

Video as follows:

COVID Criminal? Texas Football Player Attacks Referee

Our series on abuse-of-officials continues in Texas, when Edinburg High School Football defensive end Emmanuel Duron became an alleged criminal after attacking a referee following his disqualification/ejection from Thursday's game, leading to police involvement.

After a late hit on the quarterback penalty and an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Edinburg High School senior and DE Emmanuel Duron appeared to forcefully shove referee Fred Garcia during Edinburgh's Thursday's playoff play-in game against Pharr-San Juan-Alamo following the white hat's penalty announcement.

Note: The technical officiating jargon here is disqualification, but for all intents and purposes (e.g., when comparing the action to something seen in professional baseball), the decision to remove the offending player from the game is on par with an ejection.

Following the alleged criminal act, local reporter Andrew McCulloch reported that a card had been brought on the field to assist the victim. Several minutes later, the referee stood up and walked off the field under his own power.

Law enforcement identifies Duron.

Although local reports indicated that police officers escorted Duron from the field, he was not handcuffed, no arrest was reported, the officers who escorted Duron from the stadium stated "No comment, we're not at liberty to talk about that," and after a delay, the game continued with Edinburg ultimately winning the contest, 35-21.

According to the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO)'s 2020 Legislative Scorecard, Texas is one of 22 states that have passed officiating assault and/or harassment laws, though Texas' law is not exclusive to officials and rather pertains to any person who participates in a sporting event (such as players).

It states that such intentional physical contact against someone who is a sports participant shall constitute a Class B misdemeanor; however, if the victimized referee is an elderly individual, the classification would increase to Class A.

In 2008, Euless Trinity High School player Eric Fieilo attacked an official in a similar manner—blindside hit during a playoff game, his last of senior year—and, as a result, was sent to an alternative school and lost scholarship offers. Fieilo, however, was not charged with a crime.

Does crime pay? After graduating from Sam Houston State, which opted to give Fieilo a football scholarship after all, Fieilo—having not been charged for his high school alleged assault—joined the Euless Police Department, which apparently had no issue with Fieilo's purported violent battery on a fellow citizen.

13% of officials have been assaulted.

After the potential purported criminal became a police officer, Fieilo had two human interest stories written about him: one by Dallas Morning News reporter Naheed Rajwani and a second by Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bill Hanna. Both articles portrayed Fieilo's story as redemption, with Rajwani deeming him a "revered cop" who recovered from "his most embarrassing moment" and Hanna writing of Fieilo's "horrible decision."

Neither Rajwani nor Hanna mentioned Fieilo's victim and in lieu of apologizing to the man he admittedly attacked, Fieilo instead praised God for giving him a second chance and called the incident and its aftermath a "blessing."

Unfortunately, the official Fieilo hit wasn't asked to comment on how much of a "blessing" it was to have been the victim of a purportedly injurious violent crime.

Assaults on officials have resulted in several deaths over the years, including 2013's death of Utah soccer referee Ricardo Portillo at the hands of an unnamed player who he had issued a yellow card to moments earlier. In 2014, referee John Bieniewicz died after ejected player Baseel Abdul-Amir Saad allegedly punched him in the head.

So if you're ever debating about the importance of pressing charges when attacked, remember the name Elikena "Eric" Fieilo, the player who allegedly assaulted an official and instead of being charged with a crime, became a police officer in the very same town.