"Part of the Game?"

by Neal Johnson

"To err is human" ... we should know that. The recent Roberto Alomar incident has caused several debates and controversies over actions taken by the American League and the Umpires Association. As an official, I can agree with the issues raised by both sides. What it brings to light is the perception the rest of America has towards sports and its officials. Whether its for young children, high school, college or adults, officials are members of our society who give their time in support of athletics. Officials enforce the rules of the game to the best of their ability. The majority of people who participate in sports recognize this and treat officials accordingly. Those who don't are the reason behind this letter. When players are on the field and they make and error, drop a pass, strike out, etc., it is just "hard luck" or better luck next time." When an official makes a call that may be wrong or is close you don't hear "hard luck" or "better luck next time". What you hear is "brutal", "trash", "you suck" and other explicites. Whether the call is right or wrong, you are assured to get some kind of verbal abuse. If it's not from the players, it's from the fans, or both. When officials take the field, they are told to ignore these kinds of remarks because they "are part of the game". Should officials also ignore the fact that they are human beings. Officials make mistakes just like everybody. Most officials know when they have erred and work harder to improve themselves so they won't make the same mistake again. If officials were treated accordingly, maybe everybody could enjoy the game more. To all the players and fans, lets take the Alomar incident to heart and remember that officials are human and only want to be treated as anyone else would. Neal Johnson