{"product_id":"the-umpire-is-out-9781496230447","title":"The Umpire Is Out","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDale Scott’s career as a professional baseball umpire spanned nearly forty years, including thirty-three in the Major Leagues, from 1985 to 2017. He worked exactly a thousand games behind the plate, calling balls and strikes at the pinnacle of his profession, working in every Major League Baseball stadium, and interacting with dozens of other top-flight umpires, colorful managers, and hundreds of players, from future Hall of Famers to one-game wonders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Scott has enough stories about his career on the field to fill a dozen books, and there are plenty of those stories here. He’s not interested in settling scores, but throughout the book he’s honest about managers and players, some of whom weren’t always perfect gentlemen. But what makes Scott’s book truly different is his unique perspective as the only umpire in the history of professional baseball to come out as gay during his career. Granted, that was after decades of remaining in the closet, a\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A rollicking new memoir. . . . Scott is cheery yet candid about the indignities of umpiring.\"—John Swansburg, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Umpire Is Out \u003c\/i\u003eoffers so many inside stories on great names in baseball history. Scott is honest in how he explains each encounter. He's a man you can't help but to root for in his coming years as a private (baseball) citizen. Scott truly is one of the better ambassadors of the game.\"—Don Laible, \u003ci\u003eBradenton Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[\u003ci\u003eThe Umpire Is Out\u003c\/i\u003e] is highly recommended as a biographical memoir of umpiring and the game itself over the past forty years, and also as a non-salacious, candid portrait of gay life in American sports over the same era. It is generous, humorous, enjoyable, and is a great source for learning about both subjects—\"The Wedge,\" as it were, of Scott's professional and personal life.\"—Tim Wiles, \u003ci\u003eNINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Dale Scott was both consistent and approachable, perhaps the two most important qualities for an umpire. Dale’s personal story is inspirational, but his book also features vivid game stories from a truly great run at the top of his profession.”—David Cone\u003cbr\u003e“Dale’s personal story differs dramatically from those of his umpiring colleagues. And yet, what also shines through is what he and so many of us have in common: an abiding love of baseball and an appreciation for what the game has meant to our lives. This is a textured story, both entertaining and meaningful. And told with uncommon grace.”—Bob Costas\u003cbr\u003e“As the late, great Ernie Harwell once said to me about Dale, ‘A great umpire is like a great driver in traffic: you never notice they’re there.’ That was Dale Scott. He had a great, consistent strike zone, and I don’t recall him ever missing a call on the bases. But as good an umpire as Dale was, he’s also one of my all-time favorite people.”—Harold Reynolds\u003cbr\u003e“Dale Scott umpired for more than thirty years in the big leagues. He’s seen it all, and most of the best parts seem to have wound up in these pages. But heck, I’d buy the book just for the chapter on the José Bautista Bat Flip Game!”—Dan Shulman\u003cbr\u003e“For more than ten years, Dale Scott made me laugh every day. As a mentor, he taught me how to not only survive but excel in the Major Leagues, and I am forever grateful for his friendship and leadership. This memoir delivers the humor, excitement, and knowledge that only a true insider can provide. Make the right call and read this book!”—Dan Iassogna\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Illustrations\u003cbr\u003e Foreword by Billy Bean\u003cbr\u003e 1. Nutcutters, Polebenders, and Shithouses\u003cbr\u003e 2. Eugene\u003cbr\u003e 3. Playing the Game\u003cbr\u003e 4. “You Were Terrible!”\u003cbr\u003e 5. “He’s That Blind SOB”\u003cbr\u003e 6. Only in the Dominican\u003cbr\u003e 7. Getting the Call\u003cbr\u003e 8. When Sparky Quit Chewing\u003cbr\u003e 9. “Mike, Your Mom Is Blasting Me”\u003cbr\u003e 10. Sophomore Slump\u003cbr\u003e 11. For the Last Time\u003cbr\u003e 12. “I Can Put Two and Two Together”\u003cbr\u003e 13. TK\u003cbr\u003e 14. Hardly the First\u003cbr\u003e 15. “What Do You Mean, Colorful?”\u003cbr\u003e 16. Nolan and George\u003cbr\u003e 17. Hello Again, Boss\u003cbr\u003e 18. Jeffrey Who?\u003cbr\u003e 19. A Long Way from Bradenton\u003cbr\u003e 20. “What Flavor Was the Kool-Aid?”\u003cbr\u003e 21. W.\u003cbr\u003e 22. Like a Human Blood Clot\u003cbr\u003e 23. “Hell Has Frozen Over”\u003cbr\u003e 24. “Hey, Lou, You Missed a Spot”\u003cbr\u003e 25. “I Am the Walrus”\u003cbr\u003e 26. Postseason from Hell\u003cbr\u003e 27. Get the Hell Out of the Way\u003cbr\u003e 28. From Frank’s Friendly to Jimmy Fallon\u003cbr\u003e 29. Flip\u003cbr\u003e 30. “I Can’t Believe This Is Happening Again”\u003cbr\u003e 31. No Complaints, No Regrets\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e Appendix\u003cbr\u003e Index","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49409239548247,"sku":"9781496230447","price":25.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781496230447.jpg?v=1730506098","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-umpire-is-out-9781496230447","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}