Those Crazy Umpires...Prospect League Edition

Slippery Rock 4, Chillicothe 2

It's one thing when you have to contend with the other team on a baseball field, trying to do what you can to win a ballgame, but it's a completely different thing when you have also have to look over your shoulder to see a home plate umpire who does not put his ego aside and just call a game properly. For one thing, you're getting pressure from the opposing team, and they're focused on catching up with you in the standings, and when you come across an umpiring crew that does not relent when it comes to even the easiest issues, you'll find yourself struggling to move around in the game.

If I have to be very honest when it comes to the home plate umpire who called this game between the Slippery Rock Sliders and the Chillicothe Paints, then I have to say that I completely agree with hometown radio announcer Greg Bigam that this home plate umpire needs to be evaluated by Prospect League officials after the season ends because this had to be one of the most unprofessional performances that a home plate umpire could have. In all my time listening to Paints baseball, both the Frontier League and the Prospect League versions, I have never really heard of such an off day by an umpire before. He was said to be shouting at a few of the fans who were heckling at him during the game, handling it badly.

Check the ego at the door and don't try to be Mr. Perfect on the baseball field, or else you won't make friends with either team, nor with the fans who are watching the action.

For the game itself, the Paints did what they could to keep this game within reach, and it wasn't a blowout, but the clutch hits didn't come for the Paints. The team did get in a bunch of hits, but none of them were timely, and most of them weren't stringed together. Take into account that the Slippery Rock Sliders did a good job of executing their own gameplan. They deserve credit for the great plays that they made when they were on defense. The lineup for the Paints was tweaked a bit for this game, and here's how it went.

Shortstop Ben Allen had a single. Second baseman Kyle Gendron had two singles and an RBI. After he struck out to end the fifth inning, he was ejected because he was arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire. Of course, I wasn't there to see what happened, but Kyle must have said something really serious that warranted an ejection. Whatever the case, the tone wasn't as good as it should have been at this point.

Catcher Andrew Marshall had a single. Andy Brouse had a single and a double. Eian Banks had a single and an infield single. Kris McDonough had an RBI single. Steven Mirizzi had a single. Overall, the good thing about this is that the Paints are still getting hits in, but the not so good thing about this is that they're not making these hits more valuable. I guess you can say that we need more quality in the hits we make rather than the quantity of them.

For the pitching, A.J. Achter made the start for the Paints. He took the mound, and coming off a start in Butler where he was kind of shaky, Achter was a bit shaky here, unfortunately. He went 5 and 1/3 innings deep in his start, and he would end up surrendering four runs to Slippery Rock's offense, giving up 6 hits and a pair of walks as well.

He would strike out two batters, but for this start, this was as effective as he could be. Things were just tough for A.J., but some hits did involve hitting the natural grass surface of Jack Critchfield Park, and on the third base side, balls can really bounce bad on that side for whatever reason. Defensive miscues were bound to happen on a few plays around that area, in all honesty.

Rex Ingham, Chadd Steinborn, and Blake Mascarello would each get into the game to make relief appearances, and none of them would give up any more runs to the Sliders. To review the game, it was the kind of game where you just have to dust yourself off and shrug. Just say "Oh well. It happens.

The Paints will finally return home to Chillicothe and will resume play at V.A. Memorial Stadium on Thursday, July 23rd. They will host the North Coast Knights at 7:05 PM.