by Bruce Weber
First published 2009
Professional baseball umpires face a peculiar reality. Millions of fans consider them overpaid incompetents doing simple work poorly. The truth tells a different story. New York Times reporter Bruce Weber entered this misunderstood world by interviewing dozens of professional umpires, then training to become one himself. He worked games from Little League through big league spring training. Weber discovered an eccentric brotherhood with unique customs, rituals, and colorful slang. He learned the complex rules that govern umpire work and witnessed the brutal path from minor leagues to majors that only a few survive. The job offers a strange bargain: blame without credit, resentment from players, managers, fans, and owners alike. Weber explores fundamental questions about the game itself. Why do strikes vary? What separates the umpire's role from the game? He reveals training methods, positioning techniques, and the specific words that trigger automatic ejections. The book examines how instant replay changed baseball and how umpires responded to this technological intrusion into their domain.
Genres: 20th-century, sports, non-fiction, baseball, 21st-century, true-crime
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
352 pages · Hardcover · Scribner