Archbold pulled away from a tight game to defeat the Cougars 4-0 and tonight they will go for their 3rd straight crown....Bryan {after going 12 innings against Coldwater on Sunday} had to go 8 to pull out a hard fought 6-5 win over the Chieftains ... not sure how much pitching they will have left for tonight, but we will see....well, Bob, Ed, and Duane, will, they are working the finals, which I joined Bob and Ed for last year.
I walked off the turf field at the great venue at Defiance High School after working the plate for the final time, after the Bryan/Bellefontaine game...no regrets on leaving the sport I started playing back in 1955 on the sandlots of Venice, Florida, and have been close to ever since...Son Sam will continue the umpiring in Illinois, and Hal's sons, Grandsons Kasyn and Kam, hopefully will continue to play as well.
Despite the back stabbing by the Ohio High School Athletic Association {OHSAA} about 9 months ago, it took nothing away from this year...and after a handful of college games, plenty of club games, and a full season of ACME, topped off by my 10th state tournament assignment in the last 11 seasons, who can complain?
Will I miss it? Of course, what I won't miss are the sometime brutal weather conditions in Ohio in the Spring and the heat of this summer{the reason I decided to give it up, I could blame age, but that would be a lie, I can still do this, I just choose not to}.
Now with baseball and my other two officiating sports, football and basketball passed ... I can choose or not to do some fill in work at Honda, and concentrate on my Photography and Dual Sport Motorcycle Riding{need to get off my ass on that one and get the TW ready for fall riding}...watching the grandsons and watching them play their various sports are on the agenda...
But Baseball, except for watching...No More and it's been one Hell of a ride, from player to coaching, to umpire work.
back later>>>>
Late Brother Mike and Me in 1958 at Venice, Florida, he was on the Elks Varsity and I played one season on the Junior Squad before moving up to varisty with the Elks then Venice~Nokomis Bank Squad...
Update February 2020...needless to say this was not my final game working baseball as an umpire...cut way back and likely this Summer will be the last, but as long as good schools and coaches want me, I will help out, if I stay reasonably healthy. PRH
2 comments:
You should be in the Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame if only for the fact of the terrific job you did covering up for the incompetence of your frequent partner Mr. Mosier. That lad never knew a bad call he was afraid to make!
I will make sure I send that to Garry....lol, he will get a kick out of it! :)
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