Baseball.
It is a game rooted in history more than any other game. Every act is measured against the acts of all those who have played before. My grandfather and I can debate the game.
Randy Johnson? Walter Johnson?
Willie Mays? Tris Speaker?
Josh Gibson? Johnny Bench?
Honus Wagner? Mike Schmidt?
It is a game to be respected. The rules of our game, in written, common form, go back to 1845. Tradition. History... A simple looking game, but the rules are unbelievably hard to master. There are infinite combinations. There is no way to describe every possibility. The rules of baseball require an understanding of intent. Of the balance between offense and defense. Of the absolutes of the rules. And the vagaries. A respect for tradition. Each umpire is bound by that tradition. It is the root that holds the game firm, be it for an 8 year old kid playing machine pitch or for the greatest players of our time, selected for the Major Leagues.
Those of us that officiate this game, at whatever level, are charged with a responsibility to respect this history. We are guardians, carrying this game forward in our time.
Let us explore and grow our understanding of the rules of baseball
Let us commit to respecting the basis for these rules and an understandings of the damage, the anarchy, that would ensue were we to allow each umpire to develop his own interpretations.
And let us act so as to develop friendships bound through common interest in our game, in a manner we would were we to have the luxury of meeting face to face.