Anyone heard the joke about the ref who should buy a ticket to the game because they were ball watching? As a fan, your natural inclination is to watch where the ball goes. It takes will power and self-discipline to overcome that habit. An official that ball watches will consistently miss fouls and violations. It Read More …
Until the late 1800s, baseball umpires did not use any signals. Some historians credit William “Dummy” Hoy, a deaf player with the Washington Nationals, with introducing hand signals for balls and strikes, safe and out calls. Others, credit umpire Bill “The Old Arbiter” Klem, who began officiating two years after Hoy retired, with inventing hand Read More …
The GLOA Observation program was implemented in 2013 and serves the Association in three primary ways. It improves the GLOA’s training program, ensures that all members meet the high standards set by the Association, and is as a key component of the Officials Classification Program. Since 2013, 83 of the 129 eligible members (83%) have Read More …