Bill Nowlin’s, “Umpire’s,” gives an unparalleled peek behind the shield of professional baseball umpires, arguably the most disliked arbiters in sports. By interviewing current and former major league umpires, reviewing historical umpiring accounts, and studying the seemingly obscure aspects of umpiring such as the equipment, Nowlin establishes this piece as a highly in-depth analysis into the world of “blue.” Starting off by discussing historical umpires, Herb Wilson described the life and career of Nelson Chylak, an umpire in the post-WWII United States. He was serving as a Ranger in the Battle of the Bulge when an explosion blew up the trunk of a tree and got shrapnel got in his eye. They were not sure if he was going to regain his vision…show more content… Reyburn and Crew Chief Sam Holbrook, those same tendencies are just as important now as they were then. When on the topic of neutrality, it means not only acting as a fair arbiter between the two clubs, but to remain emotionally neutral as well. This can be specifically challenging when on the topic of managers arguing calls, as there is a certain threshold that gauges when they should be thrown out of the game. For example, drawing a line in the dirt attempting to show the umpire where the ball crossed the plate is a cause of immediate ejection, just as kicking a base or uttering any phrase that accuses the umpire of favoring sides. There is a certain demeanor that is required of professional umpires, on that can only be proven under fire and evaluated over the course of time. This is the reason that there is such an arduous road to becoming an MLB…show more content… For strikes and balls, they can log into a portal at the end of the game and it will tell them exactly how well they called the strike zone. The percentage is usually above 95%, and both D.J. and Sam noted that it is much easier to call a game when a pitcher is on the money and throwing strikes, because it allows them to see the corners better and keep the game moving along. With the amount of travel that these gentlemen (and hopefully ladies someday) do, it is unbelievable that they remain so consistent, and luckily they now have replay to double check or possibly overturn an incorrect call. There is a consensus among umpires that booting a call is one of the worst feelings in the world, as it can make you feel isolated out on the field. Replay has been nothing more than a safety net to umpires, and it usually proves that they got the call right in the first place. Overall, the biggest surprise to me from the book was that none of the crews really had a problem with replay review, as I thought that the traditionalists would be against the idea of having technology overturn the
