Professional Courtesy Goes a Long Way

I have to say after watch Games 5 and 6 of the ALCS, being a MLB catcher looks like no fun at all. Here is one view why:



Ouch.

Avila would eventually leave Game 5 due to this collision with a knee injury, but return for Game 6.

Game 6 was not much fun for Avila either as besides the Tigers losing the game to put the Red Sox in the World Series, he took a wicked hit from a foul tip right in the mask. It is what happened just before and just after that got my attention though.

Immediately before the mask cracking foul tip, home plate umpire Dan Iassogna to start the inning cleaned home plate as they typically do. Well only a few pitches later, Avila was hit and clearly stunned by the foul ball. It was obvious on the video as he swayed back and fourth and went to his knees for a second.

No doubt Iassogna was concerned as you could almost make out the two talking through their masks. Now, to save the embarrassment of a trainer coming out, Iassogna himself stalled the game to give Avila a few extra moments to collect himself ... by cleaning an already clean home plate.

There was no reason for Iassogna to do this except as a professional courtesy to Avila to give him an extra second.

It to me highlighted the special relationship home plate umpires and catchers share throughout a game as so much of the game is decided right there between those guys.

It was really cool actually, and makes me wish catchers and home plate umpires were mic'ed up ... well ... maybe not after seeing this (explicit language warning ... it is funny though and highlights different traditions in different games):

Follow the Umpires Code

While not being a baseball guy as I have admitted in the past, I am a spots (sporting?) guy, and stayed up to watch the final pairing for the ALCS which opens this Saturday (the 12th) at Fenway Pahk.

In looking around for info, I ran across "Baseball's 25 Biggest Unwritten Rules" from the LA Times. While I certainly don't take them as the real set of unwritten rules (some clearly were, some clearly were not), I found one of them interesting ... Follow the Umpire's Code:

I smiled a bit because in thinking about it, there certainly is one, for all officials of the sport. There are traditions that have been around for years and years, and ones that have recently emerged that must be respected too.

One for me is to always, always, wear long sleeves when I referee. Regardless of weather, regardless of location. Some have called this a "Massachusetts" thing for some time, but my reasoning is simple, it is out of deference to how, I believe, referees should dress for a match.

If you take a look at how referees used to dress ...

Photo courtesy of Third String Goalie

... to me it seems clear we have lost our way a bit in referees being a bit more "formal."

Now I understand that a particular uniform is required per the LOTG and local associations, but there has always been something a bit more formal to me about long sleeves ... just a touch more respect for The Game and all of its participants.

With that as a backdrop ... what are your traditions for The Game?