Saturday, January 23, 2021
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • California Privacy Rights
  • About Us
1sportsnews
  • News
  • Sports
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Football
    • Soccer
    • Golf
    • Tennis
  • Fitness
    WellPower Challenge begins Feb. 1 | Health and Fitness

    WellPower Challenge begins Feb. 1 | Health and Fitness

    Fit After 50 Reviews – Mark Mcilyar’s Workout Program For Men Really Works? Review by FitLivings

    Fit After 50 Reviews – Mark Mcilyar’s Workout Program For Men Really Works? Review by FitLivings

    Ways to stay motivated during the winter months – Chicago Tribune

    Ways to stay motivated during the winter months – Chicago Tribune

    Low-Carb Diet For 6 Months May Help Manage Diabetes | 6 Easy Low-Carb Recipes

    Low-Carb Diet For 6 Months May Help Manage Diabetes | 6 Easy Low-Carb Recipes

  • Nutrition
    Daily Harvest meals deliver convenience and nutrition, but not always flavor

    Daily Harvest meals deliver convenience and nutrition, but not always flavor

    On Nutrition: ‘Chemical’ or ‘natural’ additives are here to stay |

    On Nutrition: Even the ‘regular’ need dietary fiber | Health

    New Rockland business, Affinity Nutrition: ‘Nourish your body, achieve optimum health’

    New Rockland business, Affinity Nutrition: ‘Nourish your body, achieve optimum health’

    USDA announces new Food & Nutrition Services undersecretary

    USDA announces new Food & Nutrition Services undersecretary

    Dairy ingredients make nutrition personal

    Dairy ingredients make nutrition personal

    New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Miss the Mark on Some Issues

    New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Miss the Mark on Some Issues

    Virginia Beach welcomes new fitness and nutrition bar

    Virginia Beach welcomes new fitness and nutrition bar

    COVID-19 Impact on Oral Clinical Nutrition Supplements Market to grow at CAGR of 6.1% by 2026 – KSU

    COVID-19 Impact on Oral Clinical Nutrition Supplements Market to grow at CAGR of 6.1% by 2026 – KSU

    Enteral Nutrition Industry Analysis, Service Management Strategies, Market Trends, Production Techniques, In-Depth Study Report 2021 – KSU

    Enteral Nutrition Industry Analysis, Service Management Strategies, Market Trends, Production Techniques, In-Depth Study Report 2021 – KSU

  • Diet
    Shilpa Shetty shares the perfect exercise, recipe to improve digestive health

    Shilpa Shetty shares the perfect exercise, recipe to improve digestive health

    Tips on fighting COVID-19 at home – NTV

    Tips on fighting COVID-19 at home – NTV

    9 Full-Body Workouts for Weight Loss (& Other Tips)

    9 Full-Body Workouts for Weight Loss (& Other Tips)

    US President Joe Biden Removes Donald Trumps Diet Coke Button, Twitter Reacts

    US President Joe Biden Removes Donald Trumps Diet Coke Button, Twitter Reacts

    GETTING IN SHAPE: Experts offer advice for choosing best diets, exercise routines | News

    GETTING IN SHAPE: Experts offer advice for choosing best diets, exercise routines | News

    Onion Nutritional Facts – Health Benefits of Onions

    Onion Nutritional Facts – Health Benefits of Onions

    Personal Chef to Go Review: Cost, Options, and More

    Personal Chef to Go Review: Cost, Options, and More

    Vitamin K health benefits | 4 reasons why vitamin K is super important for your diet and body – Know some food sources of the nutrient

    Vitamin K health benefits | 4 reasons why vitamin K is super important for your diet and body – Know some food sources of the nutrient

    Snacks for weight loss: Try these munchies under 100 calories to lose weight healthily

    Snacks for weight loss: Try these munchies under 100 calories to lose weight healthily

  • Weight Loss
    4 Low-Fat Foods You Can Eat Non-Stop And Actually Lose Weight, According To Dietitians

    4 Low-Fat Foods You Can Eat Non-Stop And Actually Lose Weight, According To Dietitians

    How many steps a day to lose weight: Is 10,000 enough?

    How many steps a day to lose weight: Is 10,000 enough?

    Weight Loss Surgery Benefits Emphasized by Reduced Severity of COVID-19 Infections in Bariatric Surgery Patients, says West Medical

    Weight Loss Surgery Benefits Emphasized by Reduced Severity of COVID-19 Infections in Bariatric Surgery Patients, says West Medical

    Forget Dieting. Here’s What Really Works to Lose Weight

    Forget Dieting. Here’s What Really Works to Lose Weight

    How to Balance Performance and Weight Loss

    How to Balance Performance and Weight Loss

    Weight loss: Easy home workouts to help shed the pounds including fat burning exercises

    Weight loss: Easy home workouts to help shed the pounds including fat burning exercises

    Actor went from 550 to 255 pounds

    Actor went from 550 to 255 pounds

    Herbal tea for weight loss: Stick to your weight management plans | Most Searched Products

    Herbal tea for weight loss: Stick to your weight management plans | Most Searched Products

    AG Landry issues warning about weight loss scams

    AG Landry issues warning about weight loss scams

No Result
View All Result
1sportsnews
  • News
  • Sports
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Football
    • Soccer
    • Golf
    • Tennis
  • Fitness
    WellPower Challenge begins Feb. 1 | Health and Fitness

    WellPower Challenge begins Feb. 1 | Health and Fitness

    Fit After 50 Reviews – Mark Mcilyar’s Workout Program For Men Really Works? Review by FitLivings

    Fit After 50 Reviews – Mark Mcilyar’s Workout Program For Men Really Works? Review by FitLivings

    Ways to stay motivated during the winter months – Chicago Tribune

    Ways to stay motivated during the winter months – Chicago Tribune

    Low-Carb Diet For 6 Months May Help Manage Diabetes | 6 Easy Low-Carb Recipes

    Low-Carb Diet For 6 Months May Help Manage Diabetes | 6 Easy Low-Carb Recipes

  • Nutrition
    Daily Harvest meals deliver convenience and nutrition, but not always flavor

    Daily Harvest meals deliver convenience and nutrition, but not always flavor

    On Nutrition: ‘Chemical’ or ‘natural’ additives are here to stay |

    On Nutrition: Even the ‘regular’ need dietary fiber | Health

    New Rockland business, Affinity Nutrition: ‘Nourish your body, achieve optimum health’

    New Rockland business, Affinity Nutrition: ‘Nourish your body, achieve optimum health’

    USDA announces new Food & Nutrition Services undersecretary

    USDA announces new Food & Nutrition Services undersecretary

    Dairy ingredients make nutrition personal

    Dairy ingredients make nutrition personal

    New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Miss the Mark on Some Issues

    New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Miss the Mark on Some Issues

    Virginia Beach welcomes new fitness and nutrition bar

    Virginia Beach welcomes new fitness and nutrition bar

    COVID-19 Impact on Oral Clinical Nutrition Supplements Market to grow at CAGR of 6.1% by 2026 – KSU

    COVID-19 Impact on Oral Clinical Nutrition Supplements Market to grow at CAGR of 6.1% by 2026 – KSU

    Enteral Nutrition Industry Analysis, Service Management Strategies, Market Trends, Production Techniques, In-Depth Study Report 2021 – KSU

    Enteral Nutrition Industry Analysis, Service Management Strategies, Market Trends, Production Techniques, In-Depth Study Report 2021 – KSU

  • Diet
    Shilpa Shetty shares the perfect exercise, recipe to improve digestive health

    Shilpa Shetty shares the perfect exercise, recipe to improve digestive health

    Tips on fighting COVID-19 at home – NTV

    Tips on fighting COVID-19 at home – NTV

    9 Full-Body Workouts for Weight Loss (& Other Tips)

    9 Full-Body Workouts for Weight Loss (& Other Tips)

    US President Joe Biden Removes Donald Trumps Diet Coke Button, Twitter Reacts

    US President Joe Biden Removes Donald Trumps Diet Coke Button, Twitter Reacts

    GETTING IN SHAPE: Experts offer advice for choosing best diets, exercise routines | News

    GETTING IN SHAPE: Experts offer advice for choosing best diets, exercise routines | News

    Onion Nutritional Facts – Health Benefits of Onions

    Onion Nutritional Facts – Health Benefits of Onions

    Personal Chef to Go Review: Cost, Options, and More

    Personal Chef to Go Review: Cost, Options, and More

    Vitamin K health benefits | 4 reasons why vitamin K is super important for your diet and body – Know some food sources of the nutrient

    Vitamin K health benefits | 4 reasons why vitamin K is super important for your diet and body – Know some food sources of the nutrient

    Snacks for weight loss: Try these munchies under 100 calories to lose weight healthily

    Snacks for weight loss: Try these munchies under 100 calories to lose weight healthily

  • Weight Loss
    4 Low-Fat Foods You Can Eat Non-Stop And Actually Lose Weight, According To Dietitians

    4 Low-Fat Foods You Can Eat Non-Stop And Actually Lose Weight, According To Dietitians

    How many steps a day to lose weight: Is 10,000 enough?

    How many steps a day to lose weight: Is 10,000 enough?

    Weight Loss Surgery Benefits Emphasized by Reduced Severity of COVID-19 Infections in Bariatric Surgery Patients, says West Medical

    Weight Loss Surgery Benefits Emphasized by Reduced Severity of COVID-19 Infections in Bariatric Surgery Patients, says West Medical

    Forget Dieting. Here’s What Really Works to Lose Weight

    Forget Dieting. Here’s What Really Works to Lose Weight

    How to Balance Performance and Weight Loss

    How to Balance Performance and Weight Loss

    Weight loss: Easy home workouts to help shed the pounds including fat burning exercises

    Weight loss: Easy home workouts to help shed the pounds including fat burning exercises

    Actor went from 550 to 255 pounds

    Actor went from 550 to 255 pounds

    Herbal tea for weight loss: Stick to your weight management plans | Most Searched Products

    Herbal tea for weight loss: Stick to your weight management plans | Most Searched Products

    AG Landry issues warning about weight loss scams

    AG Landry issues warning about weight loss scams

No Result
View All Result
1sportsnews
No Result
View All Result
Home Sports MLB

MLB umpire Little staying positive in uncertain time

Alastruay by Alastruay
March 22, 2020
in MLB
0
MLB umpire Little staying positive in uncertain time
586
SHARES
3.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

But this year is different. Oh so very different.

These days, the Major League Baseball umpire is spending more time at home with his wife, Katy, and their three sons, all under 3 years old. He’s not complaining about that, to be sure. Lord knows, she isn’t.

But the calendar says it’s mid-March and by that time of the year an umpire is supposed to be umpiring. Little is supposed to be getting ready for his eighth season in the majors.

But life has changed everywhere — in sports and the world in general — because of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, and Little’s life is no exception.

The Johnson City native, a former athlete at Science Hill and Milligan, took some time to elaborate on how difficult the shutdown of spring training and the delay of opening day have been on his profession and favorite game.

How tough have the past few weeks been?

“I don’t know how you define tough in that regard. Tough is someone really affected by this crisis. Fortunately, we haven’t had to deal with it directly.

“As far as leaving spring training on a whim and coming home, it’s a big change. It’s something we’re not accustomed to. But the whole world’s not accustomed to what’s going on. I’m sitting at home. Blessed to be home and be healthy, at least to this point. I’m looking at the good right now. I’m with my family. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be.”

You get all geared up for spring training and now this. What’s been the biggest emotion?

“The first emotion is kind of a shock that this has really become this big of a problem and you never really perceived this. Back in early January, everybody’s excited to get going and not even seeing anything like this coming. And then all of a sudden, boom, here it is.

“In umpiring, we always say surprise is your worst enemy. With that said, something like this will always surprise you. You’re just not prepared for it.”

Do you think you’ll get to work this year at all?

“I always try to look at the positive things. I think we could definitely play some baseball. Our bigger concern before we play is just simply how this country’s going to be changed by this. We just hope the people of the country and of the world, for that matter, are kept safe as possible. That far exceeds any thoughts of baseball.”

Turning away from the current situation, do you still get excited when you’re about to report to spring training?

“Every year. There’s full excitement. I had a full schedule going with the baby coming, January winter meetings, physicals and all. With all of that going on, those meetings are the time you start turning on the switch and gearing up. Your families are used to it at this point. They have a preparation for you being gone and that’s probably never going to change. I love my job. I love what I do. It’s a great career and I’m very fortunate to be in the Major League Baseball family.

“Even though there’s only 76 of us on staff, we’re still part of a much larger family of Major League Baseball. We’re all in this together.”

When you do go back, will you be more careful when a manager comes running out of the dugout and gets nose to nose with you for an argument? Social distancing and all?

“I haven’t even thought of that, to be honest. I think there might be some reserved actions on those things moving forward, maybe some changes, maybe some guys getting creative. Hopefully we’ll find out sooner than later.”

What do you think of the proposal to eliminate so many minor league teams? Didn’t you work the Appalachian League on your way up?

“I worked in several leagues. You have to work at every level and I did work in the Appalachian League. I don’t know the details on all the sides to that stuff, only what I’ve read about it. I can say from my experience that working at each of those levels certainly helped developed my skill set as an umpire.

“From an umpire’s view, the development is typically slower than that of a player because you’ve not performed that type of task for much of any part of your life. As a player you start playing from the time you can walk around. As an umpire you don’t actually start that until later. There’s a lot to learn, a lot more than most people realize.”

Your strike zone is constantly rated as one of baseball’s best. How does that make you feel when you see that?

“I’m a competitive person and I have a job to do. At the end of the day, I just want to be right. The people put out those reports and we see them or somebody will send them to you. You never know where they’re getting their data and, again, when you put out general data it doesn’t always give all the integral parts that also go into umpiring. We want to be right at the end of the day, but there’s also a lot of aspects to umpiring a game. It’s more than balls and strikes and out and safe. It’s management of people and situations. Those are tough to measure.

“You look at it and kind of smile at it and keep on going because you can be at the top of one of those charts, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the next game you work. In the next game, people want you to get those calls right. The next pitch is the one that matters the most.”

Did you work many Astros games in recent years? And, looking back, did you ever get suspicious?

“I worked them several times, home and away. But there was never any idea on our side in any games I worked. It never came to thought, was never brought to anybody’s attention. Our job is to keep the integrity of the game, so it’s not like if an umpire knew something was going on, we wouldn’t address that.”

What’s the best part of being a major league umpire?

“It’s my favorite sport and to get to work in the 30 major league parks every night is probably the coolest thing. There’s not many jobs out there that you get to tour the country and work in the bright lights at game time.

“There’s also a shared gratification out of the fact that we get to be the decision makers on the calls and there’s a very competitive side to the umpires. We might not be playing the game, but to get the calls right, you have to be a competitive person. That level of inside competitiveness is what drives you to getting calls right.”

What’s the worst part of being a major league umpire?

“Being away from family. With three boys, there’s no joy to leaving them to go work. But it is what I do and it is part of our future. There’s pros and cons to everything. My kids are going to grow up with experiences that most kids will never have. They’ll get to do a lot of traveling and things I didn’t get to do growing up. Hopefully it will be a very fun next 20 years or longer. Certainly as long as I’m doing the job, there will be some perks they will experience.”

What’s the best line from a player or manager you’ve heard after ejecting him?

“I’m not going to name names, but I had a guy after I kicked him out say, ‘Good. That’s what I wanted. I didn’t want to be here anyway.’ ”

Do you ever wish you could talk back to the fans?

“No, actually. I probably get more inner laugh and giggles out of fans than anything. I’m lucky to have the personality that berating me really doesn’t bother me when it comes to the fans. A lot of that comes from I recognize the fans of the game, that’s part of what they do. It’s part of what they should do. They’re rooting for their team, having fun. It’s a great experience for them. It’s part of the deal. I don’t ever really take them personally.”

What’s the best insult you’ve heard from a fan during a game?

“Most insults you couldn’t put in the paper, but when I was refereeing (high school) basketball, I did get told that they hope I’m a better umpire than I am a referee. I actually responded to them. As I was handing the ball to a player to inbound, I looked back and said ‘I hope I am, too.’ ”

You might also like

Enrique Hernandez agrees to deal with Red Sox

Rays’ potential starting-rotation additions before 2021 season

Pirates hire Christian Marrero, reassign Mike Rabelo

Source link

Previous Post

Second NHL player tests positive for coronavirus

Next Post

Patriots to sign QB Brian Hoyer, joins NE for third stint

Alastruay

Alastruay

Related Posts

Enrique Hernandez agrees to deal with Red Sox
MLB

Enrique Hernandez agrees to deal with Red Sox

by Alastruay
January 23, 2021
Rays’ potential starting-rotation additions before 2021 season
MLB

Rays’ potential starting-rotation additions before 2021 season

by Alastruay
January 23, 2021
Pirates hire Christian Marrero, reassign Mike Rabelo
MLB

Pirates hire Christian Marrero, reassign Mike Rabelo

by Alastruay
January 22, 2021
MLB News: Jason Castro heads back to Houston
MLB

MLB News: Jason Castro heads back to Houston

by Alastruay
January 22, 2021
Story of Crosley Field’s sloped outfield
MLB

Story of Crosley Field’s sloped outfield

by Alastruay
January 22, 2021
Next Post
Patriots to sign QB Brian Hoyer, joins NE for third stint

Patriots to sign QB Brian Hoyer, joins NE for third stint

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Where will the Rangers finish in the AL West? Who wins the World Series?

Where will the Rangers finish in the AL West? Who wins the World Series?

July 19, 2020
Potential Round 1 NHL playoff series odds

Potential Round 1 NHL playoff series odds

April 25, 2020

Categories

  • Diet
  • Fitness
  • Golf
  • MLB
  • NBA
  • NCAA Basketball
  • NCAA Football
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • Nutrition
  • Soccer
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Weight Loss

Don't miss it

Daily Harvest meals deliver convenience and nutrition, but not always flavor
Nutrition

Daily Harvest meals deliver convenience and nutrition, but not always flavor

January 23, 2021
4 Low-Fat Foods You Can Eat Non-Stop And Actually Lose Weight, According To Dietitians
Weight Loss

4 Low-Fat Foods You Can Eat Non-Stop And Actually Lose Weight, According To Dietitians

January 23, 2021
‘His winning formula is amazing’
NBA

‘His winning formula is amazing’

January 23, 2021
NFL

‘Polar night,’ NFL championship games, coronavirus pandemic: 5 things to know this weekend – USA TODAY

January 23, 2021
Enrique Hernandez agrees to deal with Red Sox
MLB

Enrique Hernandez agrees to deal with Red Sox

January 23, 2021
NHL roundup: Stars finally start season, wallop Predators | WSAU News/Talk 550 AM · 99.9 FM
NHL

NHL roundup: Stars finally start season, wallop Predators | WSAU News/Talk 550 AM · 99.9 FM

January 23, 2021
1sportsnews

Latest sports news, scores, schedules, stats and more for all pro sports including NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college sports.

Categories

  • Diet
  • Fitness
  • Golf
  • MLB
  • NBA
  • NCAA Basketball
  • NCAA Football
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • Nutrition
  • Soccer
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Weight Loss

Browse by Tag

Bitcoin Champions League Explore Bali Golden Globes 2018 Grammy Awards Harbolnas Litecoin Market Stories United Stated

Trending

The Latest: ACC postpones Pitt-Boston College men’s game | NFL

Tennis: Locked down players should get preferential treatment, says Vallverdu – Omni Sports – Sports

NHL All-Star Game Fast Facts

© 2020 1sportsnews.com

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sports
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Football
    • Soccer
    • Golf
    • Tennis
  • Fitness
  • Nutrition
  • Diet
  • Weight Loss

© 2020 1sportsnews.com