Don't Bother Heckling The Umpire

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23701539.post-7295391036385657702008-05-19T10:43:00.003-04:002008-05-19T11:15:37.683-04:00Don't Bother Heckling The Umpire - It Won't Work<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_bCmnOFPknBM/SDGY8kMMSsI/AAAAAAAAAh0/cdnTiI18StE/s1600-h/umpire.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 171px;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_bCmnOFPknBM/SDGY8kMMSsI/AAAAAAAAAh0/cdnTiI18StE/s320/umpire.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202107210864020162" border="0" /></a>Baseball fans are rarely objective observers. Many times fans from both teams go home grumbling about how the umpires, the men in blue, were unfair to their team. The ump was inconsistent in calling balls and strikes, was out of position for the play at second, or is secretly dating the opposing team's coach's niece. Some fans, in their passion, become vocal and let the umpire know how they feel, hoping against hope that it will have a positive impact on the game. Don't even try that with Peter Rozynski; <a href="http://www.oxfordpress.com/sports/content/shared/sports/stories/2008/05/SOF_UMPIRE_0518_COX.html">it won't work</a>. He can't hear you. Rozynski is a deaf umpire in south Florida, one of approximately 35 deaf umpires across the country. He primarily works softball games, and was recently named the Rookie of the Year for the East Coast Umpires Association, the organization for Palm Beach County, Florida's high school umpires. "I wanted to show the softball world that I have my abilities, and my deafness does not interfere," Rozynski wrote in an E-mail. "I love communicating with fans and players who have become interested in me, and I view my challenges as an opportunity to improve myself and educate others." It has long been believed (although disputed by some) that hand signals were implemented into the game so that coaches and umpires could communicate with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_Hoy">William "Dummy" Hoy</a>, the most accomplished deaf baseball player in history. He played from 1888 to 1902, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds. Back in 2003, Rozynski <a href="http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=179740">sued the </a><a href="http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=179740">New Jersey State Baseball Umpires Association</a> under the ADA, claiming they refused to provide sign language interpreters he needed to take required classes to become an umpire. The National Association of the Deaf represented him and an amicable settlement was reached. Rozynski acknowledges that his deafness can present some problems on the field, especially in situations where umpires normally rely on their ears to help them, such as : <ul><li>Determining whether the batter swung and missed or "tipped" it with the bat; </li><li>On close plays at first, umpires often listen to the disparate sounds of the runners foot hitting the base a fraction of a second before or after the thrown ball hitting the first baseman's glove. </li><li>If a batter or runner yells for "time" with no corresponding hand gesture, he often misses it. </li></ul>Rozynski, deaf since age 2, has limited verbal skills. He gets around this in two ways: First, he is emphatic in the use of hand gestures, removing any ambiguity in the call. Second, he does have verbal utterances for strikes, balls, out and safe. They may not be what players are accustomed to, but once they learn his style, it ceases to become an issue. And don't try to sneak in the "magic words" during an argument. "I can read those lips," Rozynski said. "But if they turn around and say something behind my back, it's a different story." A former semi-pro baseball player, Rozynski started umpiring to stay close to the game. An additional reason he gave is one many fans could relate to: He said over his lifetime he had seen "a ton of bad calls." And yes, his eyesight is just fine. CoralandOpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12351985847303007612noreply@blogger.com