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Feb 10, 2012

Eric_W rated it:

I was a FIFA and NCAA soccer referee for eight years, and when I watch a match now I spend more time watching the officials than the players, their positioning, their interactions with the players, their decisions, etc.

“The impetus for this book was a visit I made in January 2005 to the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring in Kissimmee, Florida, in order to write a story for the New York Times, where I work as a reporter. I thought it would be a lark, a chance to talk baseball More...

1 comment like (5 people liked it)

Apr 28, 2009

Beth rated it:

Did you know it's more difficult to become a major league umpire than to become a major league baseball player, based on the number of slots available -- and once someone rises to the majors, he holds onto the position like a supreme court judge? NYT reporter Bruce Weber covers all aspects of umpiring--from myths to history to politics--like an anthropologist, even going so far as to attend one of the two grueling 5-week umpire schools in the country to round out dozens of interviews with hired, More...

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Jul 18, 2009

Desiree rated it:

Baseball fans love the minutiae of logic, the extrapolation of emotion, the magic of the moment and the nudge of nostalgia. And that's why if you love being wedged on a pew in the church of baseball, holy water in a plastic cup and communion with relish on top, you'll really enjoy this book.

Sports reporters can tend to be beautifully verbose and master of the simile, and I love all that. I've never read any of Bruce Weber's baseball writing for the New York Times, but in this book, h More...

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Jul 27, 2009

itpdx rated it:

As They See 'Em is not JUST for baseball fanatics. This interesting and well-written account will appeal to anyone with a basic knowledge of baseball. Bruce Weber weaves his experiences at baseball umpire school, umpiring non-professional games and, even, umpiring a few innings of a major league intra-squad spring training game with lots of interviews. He interviewed major league and minor league umps, players, managers, and officials. The stories are peppered with humor and tension. He includes More...

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May 11, 2011

Phyllis rated it:

Well, I went into the book as a bit of a baseball umpire fan. I've been fascinated by the people who can best be described as having done a terrific job if nobody remembers they were there. And yet, there they are--every game. Sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes four or six people, covering more of the field than Garry Maddox. (Look it up.)

Bruce Weber writes well and has done a good job of telling the story of the occasionally haughty and often underappreciated men (sigh, Cor More...

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Jan 06, 2012

Jerry rated it:

Thoroughly entertaining account of what it takes to be an umpire in the pros. Basically spends a lot of time on what it takes to make it to the majors and the long (very long) odds of doing so.

What comes across is that umps are certainly no saints but are badly put upon by the league and generally fair game for criticism (sometimes even life threatening!) from fans and managers and pretty much anyone. The overriding question is: "Why would anyone want to do this?" Weber doe More...

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Aug 24, 2009

Sebastian rated it:

As They Seem 'Em provides some level of insight into an aspect of sport that is often overlooked -- the development, life, history and challenges of umpires in professional baseball. While the book is often interesting, at times it is tediously over-wordy and slow moving. It could probably stand to be edited and slimmed to some extent.

Weber ranges from his own experiences in umpire school, to the wretched lives of umpires working through the lowest levels of minor league basebal More...

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Oct 06, 2011

Keyes rated it:

This was a terrific book. Really gives you a sense of the struggle and the burden of being a MLB umpire. Having read the book, I would never dream of pursuing that goal. It's helped me view baseball games in a different light, and I'm trying to be easier on the "men in blue" (which, according to the book, is a moniker they despise). Weber is a funny, self-deprecating sports fan who does a fine job of humanizing the umpire - instead of just crapping on him like most everyone else (mysel More...

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May 12, 2011

Reenie rated it:

An absolutely fascinating book, which almost - but not quite - could stand alone as an interesting tale of a very weird profession without requiring a reader to be a diehard baseball fan. In the end, I think the details of calling strikes and balls and look back at famous plays and calls would drive you to stick this book at the back of a dusty shelf if you're not the kind of person who would willingly watch 20 hours of Ken Burns & friends reminiscing about ballplayers (err, yeah, that would be More...

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Aug 06, 2010

Saxon rated it:

Weber delves into the secretive, close-lipped, often overlooked fraternity of baseball umpires. Weber covers everything from the lives single-A umps, the politics between baseball owners and umpires, gender and race barriers that are still a huge factor, umpire school and discrepancies in the rule-book. All of this Weber does in a quick and witty journalistic style that makes this 430+ page book on umpires actually really, really fascinating.

In a way, Weber is a bit of an umpire apol More...

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Aug 06, 2010

Paul rated it:

There is a key lesson within Bruce Weber's book about baseball umpires, As They See 'Em: The lesson is that no matter how avid a fan of baseball you may be, it is highly likely that you take for granted the arbiters of the game's rules. In fact, there is a telling portion near the beginning of the book where Weber carefully reveals that even lifelong fans of the game aren't all that familiar with the rules themselves.

Of course, because the baseball umpire is ubiquitous both in the pa More...

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Aug 25, 2009

Amanda rated it:

Stellar book. Well-written and fascinating. Weber attended the Jim Evans umpiring school in Florida and did extensive interviewing and research in an effort to bring fans inside the life and mind of a Major League umpire. I don't think reading this book will get anyone to go easier on umpires in the heat of the moment, but it will certainly help you after the fact when you think about what it is they do, exactly, without help from slo-mo television cameras and countless replays of every moment o More...

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Sep 24, 2011

Stephen rated it:

I have to confess, I picked this book up mostly because it sounded vaguely interesting and I was starting to get a serious jones for the upcoming baseball season. My intention, more than anything, was to quickly skim through the book, reading only sections of interest and pick up a few interesting tidbits and maybe a funny anecdote or two.

What I ended up with was something else entirely. Weber does an excellent job of quickly making you realize that you don't know the first thing a More...

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Sep 02, 2010

Nathan rated it:

This is, in the purest sense, a book about baseball. Or rather, it's a book about baseball in its purest sense. Weber knows his audience and his subject equally well, conversing naturally and easily in the unique idiom of baseball. His style is a product of his subject; this isn't much better or worse, stylistically, than your average Sports Illustrated article. Lucky that the handling of the subject material could easily carry this book. It will make you appreciate the qualities that make base More...

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Sep 16, 2011

Vince rated it:

This review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

As They See ’Em: A Fan’s Travels in the Land of Umpires

Nonfiction. By Bruce Weber. Scribner, $25. Grade: B

Book in a nutshell: For the past 25 years, Bruce Weber has graced the pages of the New York Times, writing obituaries, critiquing books and theater, discussing sports and explaining, once and for all, that he’s not that Bruce Weber (the big-shot photographer).
This Weber gets behind the plate w More...

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Jul 24, 2009

Robert rated it:

This was an eye-opener for me. Weber does a great job explaining all the different things that umpires need to do while working a game. A lot of stuff that I never realized, and will now cause me to try to actually watch their movement as gameplay takes place. It is rare to hear umpires speak candidly but you get a fair amount of that in here too, especially about the famous umpire walk-out that cost a bunch of umpires an early retirement and a loss of years on their pension. Weber's attempt More...

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Jun 22, 2009

Stan rated it:

This book is quite intresting, and pretty depressing. It shows the umpire's lot, especially below major league leavel, as being absolutely awful. And by the time they make the majors, the umpries seem like a bunch of maladjusted egotists. I read it with a combination of fascination and disappointment. But it doesn't make me like baseball any less! If you're a hard-core fan, interested in behind the scenes, it's worth the read.

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Aug 16, 2009

Dawn rated it:

Very interesting and well-done. I'm a casual fan of baseball, but I never really gave much thought to the umpires, both as people and what they actually do. I have much more respect for them after reading this book.

Parts of the book were a bit too detailed. I was hoping the author would move on and cover something else. The last chapter especially should have been broken up into a couple of chapters, or some of the umpires' stories should have been left out. For the most part though More...

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Mar 30, 2011

Joann rated it:

I loved this book. After getting to know a couple Umpires during our Spring training Trips, it was really interesting to see just what goes into becoming a MLB Ump. Weber's writing style is easy to read, at times laugh out loud funny. It was also nice that this was not a "tell all", sordid gossip had no place in this book. I was surprised at how quickly I got through it, and I was actually a little sad it ended.

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Aug 29, 2009

Ty rated it:

At first I thought this book was a waste of time, but Weber makes a good case that even the most rabid baseball fans know almost nothing about umpiring, despite the fact that umpires are at the heart of the game. As a baseball nerd I enjoyed the different perspectives on famous incidents (Robby Alomar spitting on an ump, George Brett rushing one in the Pine Tar game) but I doubt most folks will love this book.

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Sep 05, 2010

cheeseblab rated it:

An insightful, sympathetic account of what it is to be one of the men in blue, looked on as a necessary evil by fans, players, managers, and even the baseball administration. Weber went to umpiring school, then spent a chunk of a season with minor league umpires as well as interviewing many who made the long, arduous climb to the bigs (some only to be broken on the wheel of labor-management strife).

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Apr 19, 2010

David rated it:

Really engrossing... until it isn't. This is a nice look at a baseball subculture, frequently ignored even by the 'heads, but once Weber delves into the minutiae of the game itself... BORING. Interesting for the personalities, but learning the mechanics of what to do in the top-half of the seventh with runners on first and third and a left-handed hitter at the plate with two strikes and... you get it.

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Jul 29, 2011

Laura rated it:

I can't seeing a standard baseball fan not finding this book more than a bit tedious, but those of us who also have extensive umpiring experience can really appreciate what it takes to take that avocation to its ultimate level (and not have one regret about not going down the path ourselves).

I well written, in depth analysis of the work life of umpires at all professional levels that probably goes to deep for the average fan.

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Apr 16, 2011

Dale rated it:

Written for fans who know little or nothing about baseball umpiring, this book was longer than necessary, evidently because the author liked the people and events of his research. The repetition may be interesting for some. His time and impressions of umpire school were particularly interesting to anyone who has had that experience, and details of the 1999 umpire strike fiasco give new light to that episode.

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Jul 27, 2009

Anita rated it:

I love baseball books. This was incredibly interesting about what it takes to become an umpire, how important they are, and the behind the scenes anecdotes. I went to a major league game after reading this and found myself watching the umpires as much as any of the players looking for their mechanics, position, etc. I love it when a book changes your whole perspective.

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Jul 07, 2009

Kevin rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. The look at what it takes to work your way up the ladder of umpiring is impressive. Much more needs to be improved on in terms of racial and ethnic equality, but I love to umpire, and this was a joy to read. It also made me realize I would never want to try to make it as a pro...I wouldn't be able to handle the machismo of modern baseball.

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Mar 01, 2011

Brayden rated it:

Weber is a NY Times reporter who decided to enroll in umpire school, interview a bunch of current and former umpires, and spend some time with them in major league games in order to figure out what makes these men (and a few women) tick. It's a fun ride. This is the most enjoyable baseball writing I've read in a long time.

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Jun 22, 2011

Keith rated it:

Fascinating look at the world of the umpire from the low minor leagues up to the World Series from a reporter who "imbedded" himself in their world for a while, even attending umpire school and umpiring spring training games himself. Very enlightening to read and hear about and see life from the inside.

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Dec 19, 2010

Lew rated it:

I am a life long fan of baseball and while I have read many books about the players this is the first book that I have read about the umpires. Mr. Weber does a nice job getting as close as an "outsider" can get to the "inside baseball" clique. I found this book to be both enjoyable and informative.

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May 06, 2009

Greg rated it:

A terrific insight into the world of baseball umpiring. So good to see a talented professional writer tackle the subject as serious investigative journalism. Weber did a great job of seeing it both from the inside AND the outside. All baseball fans will enjoy this book. Umpires will love it.

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