Don't assume that just because they are pro's they know ...

Exit Sandman: Yanks' Rivera Bids Goodbye to Bronx

Mariano Rivera said goodbye to Yankee Stadium with hugs, tears and cheers.

Baseball's most acclaimed relief pitcher made an emotional exit in his final appearance in the Yankees' home pinstripes, when captain Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte came to the mound to remove him with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.

"It's time to go," Jeter appeared to tell Rivera. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ABC.

Kicking Back Comments: I share this story not as a weepy goodbye to the NY hurler, whom I respect very much, but to point out that pro's don't know all the rules themselves. From the article:

"It was an extraordinary sight in a sport where a manager almost always goes to the mound to make a pitching change. Yankees manager Joe Girardi checked with the umpires to make certain Jeter, who is on the disabled list, could take part."

I have experienced this many times in my professional career as well. Pro's at times are clueless about the laws and their implementation.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud Girardi for asking, it was the smart thing to do. I also believe that even if not allowed, it would have been allowed that night ... but the point remains that you should not be fooled into thinking that a player or coach knows better because they are, or were a pro.

This extends to people that are older ... they are not necessarily wiser at all.

One of the very best pieces of advise I got from my dad when I became a youth referee was that when it comes to player safety and officiating a match, I was allowed to "talk back" (politely) to adults. Just because they are older, does not mean they know at all about what they are talking about.

How true this is ... most of the time.

I learned too that sometimes they are REALLY right ... and it can take years to discover it.