I haven't seen one person that said it was alright. Should he have been assigned to another district (had the assignor known about the relationship)?Most likely. Do I think that he changed the outcome of the game? No.

 

Villa missed an opportunity to score when a runner failed to tag from third on a fly ball to CF. Villa also got outsmarted when Ludlow called a pitch out when the squeeze was on. Villa pitcher #2 shouldn't have been taken out off the mound. High chopper right over the mound with 2 outs and runner on third that the SS couldn't come up with.

 

It's just ashame that the umpire didn't excuse himself from the game before the game started. That probably would have been the "correct call". There's no way a relative should be allowed to ump a game like this.

C'mon Clyde......you can't just take one part of one sentence from the 9th post of a thread addressing a specific response from another thread and call someone out like it was the main topic of the thread.

 

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Your point seemed to be that we should be talking about the game but instead we're talking about the umpire. If I read you correctly then my post stands. If I misread your intention then straighten me out.

I was told late last night the name of the umpire involved. I have always considered him a very good umpire and, although I can't claim to know him extremely well, a good guy as well. I just don't believe that he intentionally slanted calls in favor of Ludlow. That being said, he still should have recused himself from this game assignment knowing there was the appearance of a conflict of interest. I think what likely happened is that he made some close calls that just so happened to go against Villa and suddently this conflict of interest is now brought to the forefront. I don't disagree that it's a legitimate gripe for Villa fans, but truly don't believe this ump would intentionally bias his calls because of his nephew.

The guy that assigns 9th region games does so for the freshman to varsity level. There's no way he, nor the khsaa, can check the family tree of each umpire. He also doesn't have the time to look through every roster to see if last names match to question the umpire. This situation, if accurate, should be blamed entirely on the ump. He should've spoken up when he found out he was assigned to this game, or he should've made it known at the beginning of the season that he can't (or shouldn't) do Ludlow games.

The guy that assigns 9th region games does so for the freshman to varsity level. There's no way he, nor the khsaa, can check the family tree of each umpire. He also doesn't have the time to look through every roster to see if last names match to question the umpire. This situation, if accurate, should be blamed entirely on the ump. He should've spoken up when he found out he was assigned to this game, or he should've made it known at the beginning of the season that he can't (or shouldn't) do Ludlow games.

 

Totally agree. It's the umpires responsibility to speak up once he is aware that there is a potential conflict of interest.

I wasnt there at the game so I will not comment on any calls during the game. However as an official in other sports, this is clearly on the umpire. He should of recused him self from the game period, end of discussion. If baseball uses the same game assignment system that other sports use, then in advance he knew where/when/who he was umpiring. I dont know this umpire what so ever, but he has IMO disgraced the other umpires in the state, the game, and the participants by allowing him self to be assigned to this game. He should be suspended for the rest of this post season and future years post season IMO at minimum. There is just no excuse for this, none.

I wasnt there at the game so I will not comment on any calls during the game. However as an official in other sports, this is clearly on the umpire. He should of recused him self from the game period, end of discussion. If baseball uses the same game assignment system that other sports use, then in advance he knew where/when/who he was umpiring. I dont know this umpire what so ever, but he has IMO disgraced the other umpires in the state, the game, and the participants by allowing him self to be assigned to this game. He should be suspended for the rest of this post season and future years post season IMO at minimum. There is just no excuse for this, none.

 

A little harsh. Pretty clear he made an error of judgement in doing the game and should have let the assignor know about the conflict, but it's not exactly the crime of the century. I know the guy a little bit - I don't think he was there to help ensure Ludlow would come out the winner. It certainly appears he made a mistake, but I just don't think it's an unforgiveable sin.

A little harsh. Pretty clear he made an error of judgement in doing the game and should have let the assignor know about the conflict, but it's not exactly the crime of the century. I know the guy a little bit - I don't think he was there to help ensure Ludlow would come out the winner. It certainly appears he made a mistake, but I just don't think it's an unforgiveable sin.

 

I will disagree coop, as officials we are clearly told over and over to make sure that we do not put ourselves in these situations. How can we expect the coaches and players in the game to do the right thing, when the person in charge of the rules of the game can not.

I haven't seen one person that said it was alright. Should he have been assigned to another district (had the assignor known about the relationship)?Most likely. Do I think that he changed the outcome of the game? No.

 

Villa missed an opportunity to score when a runner failed to tag from third on a fly ball to CF. Villa also got outsmarted when Ludlow called a pitch out when the squeeze was on. Villa pitcher #2 shouldn't have been taken out off the mound. High chopper right over the mound with 2 outs and runner on third that the SS couldn't come up with.

 

I'm there with you NKUClub......Ludlow Won this game because they played the better game and had some timely hitting and very good pitching and defense. Villa played a very good game but missed opportunities at key times.

 

Good Luck Panthers going forward.

The guy that assigns 9th region games does so for the freshman to varsity level. There's no way he, nor the khsaa, can check the family tree of each umpire. He also doesn't have the time to look through every roster to see if last names match to question the umpire. This situation, if accurate, should be blamed entirely on the ump. He should've spoken up when he found out he was assigned to this game, or he should've made it known at the beginning of the season that he can't (or shouldn't) do Ludlow games.

 

I would have to agree with this statement, this would be on the umpire. How many HS umpires work in the region between frosh, JV and Varsity? How is an assignor to know family relationships between all of the umpires and the countless number of players? I would imagine that umpires are given the opportunity at the beginning of the season to 'scratch' teams with whom they have a relationship, similar to the schools 'scratching' officials that they don't want to work their games.

Sounds like a bad situation but I know for a fact that this happens more than you think and the same last name is the only reason to believe they are related if they don't have the same name its not a factor and this thread doesn't come up or if villa win its no issue IMO play smart baseball, hit, score runs and you never even know the umps are out there. By the way if a teenage kid questions the ump or makes smart a$$ remarks they need to be tossed.

Sounds like a bad situation but I know for a fact that this happens more than you think and the same last name is the only reason to believe they are related if they don't have the same name its not a factor and this thread doesn't come up or if villa win its no issue IMO play smart baseball, hit, score runs and you never even know the umps are out there. By the way if a teenage kid questions the ump or makes smart a$$ remarks they need to be tossed.

 

Questioning by itself shouldn't get a kid run. It simply matters as to how he questioned and what he said.

I wasn't aware until today that high school baseball even had the option of restricting a coach to the dugout. Glad to see it being used as it keeps a coach in the game and keeps him from having to sit a few games.

 

It's the basketball version of a T. I like it.

i personally know both the ump and his nephew.ive known the ump since we were kids playing knothole together and facing each other in high school.ive always have known him to be fair. And its not the first time he has ump one of his games this year. Just because his nephew was on one of the teams playing dosent mean he favored that team if anything he was probably harder on that team. yes he probably should have excused himself but he didnt and because one team didnt like his calls its a big controversey now. where was all this talk when he ump his games earlier in the year.

I agree with others who have said that he should have not taken this assignement. However I feel like a team who may know the umpire a lot of times may actually get more bad calls. I know I have had to umpire just even knothole games of friends who coach on teams, and I typically probably hurt them more. I know I feel like try so hard not to show favoristism to the team I know, that I usually probably gave the 50/50's type of calls and stuff to the other team. If an ump does happen to have a game of people I know, and especially if the other teams knows it like in the case with Villa knowing it. Then I would say the ump probably would try even harder not to show favoritism to either team, and maybe even lean on the side of the other team on some calls.

 

I was not at this game, but I know with most games there are many calls of umpires that people will question. And it seems like some of these calls talked about on here, are your typical calls people will argue. However more is being made of it, because some people are acting like the reason the calls happened was to help the other team. I just don't agree with that, people disagree with umpire's calls no matter who the umpire is, especially if it goes against the other team. I don't see a high school umpire doing anything on purpose to help another team. Only thing I agree with is that he should have not done this game to avoid people from even thinking this.