by Mj Ferruzza

Created on: January 08, 2008

4 Balls and You're Out!

Suspects:
Ed Tavish Rattlers Pitcher
Lou Merin Rattlers Catcher
Fred Carlin Rattlers Manager
Toby Lathin Starlings Manager
Ron Clark Starlings 1st Baseman

Nobody loves the Ump. This phrase has been passed down through generations
of baseball fans. But on the night of September the 6th someone took it a step
further. The Tempe Rattlers and the New Orleans Starlings baseball clubs

were meeting for the conference final game of the Farm League championship.
They both shared the same season record of wins and losses, their team
batting averages were close, and their top pitchers had identical ERAs.

The whole baseball tournament had come under scrutiny from managers, players
and fans alike due to some shady officiating. This was especially the case
from some calls behind home plate. It seems that whenever Harry Sparks was the
home plate umpire, he would play favorites. This was part of a foul reputation
he had carried for years. If he liked your team, he would keep your game close.
If he didn't like your team, attitude or even if you tried to argue with the
aging official, he would most likely call every pitch the other way.
This was all becoming more and more obvious in recent years as Harry Sparks
started to reach the age of seventy.

The league had tried to get Harry to retire for years, but he kept on finding
ways to show up at spring training. They had a retirement party for him at age
65, even gave him a gold watch, but the following season he was rehired after
a block of ten umpires were caught in a gambling sting. Losing so many umpires had
guaranteed Harry work for at least a few more years until they hired and trained more
officials. In the past year, Harry had to use the services of a lawyer and friend to
grant him work status in the league. He got to work again another season as the league
shied away from being sued.

But on September the 6th Harry Sparks laid motionless on the field of play after
calling a walk to the fourth consecutive batter and giving the Rattlers a freak
championship win. A win in which they never even had to swing the bat on in the
bottom of the ninth. It seemed a strange half an inning, but not a rare one
for Harry. He had called the same thing from behind the plate in the past three
tournament games he had umpired. This type of one sided officiating was very much
made aware to all the managers including Toby Carling and Fred Lathin. They were
the managers in the final championship game.

Toby Carling had know Harry Sparks for years as a player

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