Questionable Background Checks of Umpires

[Jon]

AP[/url]"]NEW YORK -- Umpires are livid that Major League Baseball has sent investigators to their hometowns, asking neighbors a series of questions that include whether the ump belongs to the Ku Klux Klan.

 

"The questions that we found out are being asked are about beating wives, marijuana use and extravagant parties," World Umpires Association president John Hirschbeck said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "And then finally with this whole thing about the Ku Klux Klan.

 

"You get someone from security, shows his credentials and starts asking these kind of questions, and right away what's the neighbor going to think other than the umpire is in trouble, he's done something wrong and he's going to lose his job."

 

Hirschbeck and union spokesman Lamell McMorris said Tom Christopher, the Milwaukee-based supervisor of security and investigations in the commissioner's office, had asked questions about Klan membership to neighbors of umpires Greg Gibson and Sam Holbrook, who reside in Kentucky. In addition, Hirschbeck said similar questions had been asked to neighbors of umpire Ron Kulpa, who lives in the St. Louis area.

...............

"We did not anticipate that they would approach neighbors posing as a close colleague and friend of the umpire's and asking them questions such as: Do you know if umpire `X' is a member of the Ku Klux Klan? Does he grow marijuana plants? Does he beat his wife? Have you seen the police at his home? Does he throw wild parties?" McMorris said by telephone from India.

 

"To try to link our umpires to the Ku Klux Klan is highly offensive. It is essentially defaming the umpires in their communities by conducting a very strange and poorly executed investigation. It resembles kind of secret police in some kind of despotic nation."

...............

"The claims of inappropriate questions by individuals conducting background checks was brought to our attention and looked into," Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's executive vice president of operations, said in a statement. "It was determined that these claims were inaccurate. Questions was conducted with a written script consistent with common practice, and there was no inappropriate conduct on behalf of the investigators."

Not a great goodwill move if true.

[Clem Fandango]

I'm assuming this has a little to do with the Milton Bradley situation last season. Having reasonable background checks is one thing, but sending officials to ask neighbors if they beat their wives or belong to the KKK is dickronkulous

[Jon]

They were clearly in the Presidential primary mood, I suppose.

[Omar]

KKK? That's no good.

[bhogg]

I'm sure their neighbors are members of the Klan, too. Therefore, they won't rat the umps out.

[cbbryan]

Why not just run a background check? Why do they need to go out and talk to these guys neighbors? Seems a bit excessive to me.

[shnsajax]

Lets not forget about that NBA official?

[TruffleShuffle]

how about we just throw all the incompetent umps out of baseball and keep all the good ones?

[photoguy9883]

I'm sure their neighbors are members of the Klan, too. Therefore, they won't rat the umps out.

 

Isn't everyone who lives south of the Mason-Dixon Line a Klan member anyway?

[bhogg]

I'm sure their neighbors are members of the Klan, too. Therefore, they won't rat the umps out.

 

Isn't everyone who lives south of the Mason-Dixon Line a Klan member anyway?

 

 

 

I can only speak for myself and say I'm not.

 

In all seriousness, there is still a KKK presence in the south. I hear lots and lots of rumors of it locally, but I've never seen tangible evidence.

 

 

There are no umpires living near me, so I guess I will never know the real answer.

[rocket]

jesse jackson has condemned the backround checks

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3224312

[mdwilla]

Lets not forget about that NBA official?

 

Did he beat his wife? Does he like to party? Does he smoke pot? Is he in the Klan?

 

No thats right he was taking money from organized crime. A credit check and some digging in the guys bank account would have showed up these problems. One NBA official takes money and let's start a witch hunt looking for anything by showing up bothering these guys friends and Neighbors. Totally uncalled for. Selig proves once again he's an idiot.

Edited February 1, 2008 by mdwilla

[circlecitycub]

how about we just throw all the incompetent umps out of baseball and keep all the good ones?

 

We might see a delay to the season if that happened.

[OleMissCub]

"Major League Baseball has done a disservice to its progressive social history by equating southern whites with white supremacists," Jackson said in a statement. "I am surprised the professional league which helped change social attitudes in all sports leagues about segregation, by championing Jackie Robinson, would make such a destructive move."

 

This is the big one.....I can't believe....I actually agree with Jesse Jackson. I'm coming to see ya Elizabeth!

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/1108/02766927jt2.jpg

[Roast]

how about we just throw all the incompetent umps out of baseball and keep all the good ones?

 

So then, who would ump the games?

[TruffleShuffle]

what's the point of background checks anyway? bruce froemming is on record having called a woman a "stupid Jew b****" and was suspended for 10 days without pay and had to apologize publicly, and then went right back to umpiring and called some playoff games too. mlb had this scathing review of him:

 

I congratulate Bruce on this terrific achievement," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "Bruce has not only worked longer than any active umpire in the history of baseball, but has worked with great skill and with great passion. He has had a remarkable career that is appreciated by all of us in baseball.

 

 

oh wait... ](*,)

[Tracer Bullet]

What if an ump is a member of the Klan?

[Vanilla Ice]

jesse jackson has condemned the backround checks

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3224312

 

what a surprise

 

 

:stickman: :stickman: :stickman: :stickman:

 

yes it was a lame excuse to try out the dancing stickman