As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires

It'll never be the same

Since reading As They See 'Em I've watched several ball games on television. Something's very different now. It's just not just a game between two teams. It's a whole lot more. There is so much going on that wasn't visible to the naked eye before. The perspective from which one views a baseball game will be forever changed. It'll never be the same. That old addage about walking a mile in someone else's shoes...it's never been more applicable than when it comes to those of an umpire. I would have to admit that I can't be excluded from those of us who have yelled "You bum...whaddareya blind ?" at some point in time. As amazing as it would seem, most of those who actually play the game probably couldn't pass an exam on the it's rules. Really. With all of the finger pointing and kicking of sand, you would think that the players might know the rules of the game that they are payed millions of dollars to play. Not a player in the big leagues, in his wildest dreams, could ever approach the "batting average" of an umpire. Not even close. For the most part, umpires are, as they are taught, to be "ivisible" on the field. As you read about their training, drilling and on field experiences you'll see how, as Yogi Berra might say, "they're perfect until they're not". The next time you watch a major league game you'll see the umpires in an entirely different light. Very few have what it takes to join their ranks. Because of this book, you'll have so much more of an understanding of what they do. Every baseball fan NEEDS to read this book. After your "trip" through the making of a professional umpire, you'll be able to thoroughly enjoy watching a game. You'll probably still yell "Ah, ya bum" a few times here and there...but at least you'll know why your yelling.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Good Read

This book really educates the fan about umpiring. It is one of the only books out there on the subject. Weber does a great job of writing the story and some of the anecdotes are really funny.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A good read

This was a good book to read. The amount of reasearch put into this book was incredible. This book is not only good for umpires it is good for the fan looking to expand their knowledge. It shows you how hard it is to be an umpire and the amount of expertise they really have. This is one of the only books on umpiring. I recommend it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Well researched and informative

This was a fun book to read about a subject which is overlooked by sports fans. We know so little about the men to are so central to the game of baseball. This book combines reseach, life experiences, storytelling, dramatic moments, and personal tragedies and triumphs. I came away having been entertained and enlighthened. The writing is very good and pleasant to read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great read!

This is the perfect book for umpires at any level.

Fantastic insight into the world of professional baseball umpiring.

The author did a great job of being objective as he wove his way through the world of professional baseball umpiring. It was well written, and, as an amateur umpire myself, who attended one of Jim Evans' five day clinics, I found myself laughing and commiserating with Mr Weber's trials and tribulations.
It amazes me at how much the owners and their commissioner lackeys these days do not like the Men in Blue. It's a shame.
An excellent read for all umpires and anyone truly interested in just what it takes to be a baseball umpire.

Engaging

I have to admit that as a Baseball fan, I haven't fully understood all of the aspects of the game with little to no understanding of umpires. I found this book educational, engaging and at times sympathetic. Umps are a rare breed - little glory for a difficult (chosen) role. Regardless of the call you have to respect what they do. Bruce Weber's writing is smooth and an easy read. Good book for the novice as well as the seasoned fan.

Keep the title in mind

This book is written by a reporter, not a former Major League umpire. Mr. Weber did attend, and apparently graduate from, the Jim Evans School of Umpiring. So, at least he has a similar experience with MLB umps. He did manage to glean some good information from current and past umpires, but there is a lot of information in the book which comes from umpires who did not want to be identified.

If you have a friend or relative who is thinking of becoming a professional umpire, have them read this book. The best part of this book was learning that baseball team owners and league officials really do not support the people who are supposed to represent the league on the field. If baseball could be played without umpires, they would do it. That was the overall message I got out of the book.

I am a current amateur umpire, and my son has talked about going to the umpire school and trying his hand at umpiring. I'm waiting a couple of years, then I'll have him read this, just so that he can make an informed decision. Mr. Weber does a great job of explaining the long road that MLB umpires must travel in order to get to umpire in the Majors. After reading this book, I am very happy that I did not take that career path some 20 years ago when I was seriously giving it some thought.

If you are looking for a light baseball story with a bunch of funny anecdotes, this book is not it. It reads long, and Weber gets to droning on and on sometimes. You REALLY need to have a strong interest in umpiring to force yourself to read through some of the sections, but overall I did get something useful out of the book.

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