An Umpire’s Perspective: Should I Be Concerned about Liability?

Every year players are hurt on the ball field. Sometimes the injury is unavoidable. In 1976 Steve Yeager of the Los Angeles Dodgers was standing on deck when a shattered bat hit him in the neck and pierced his esophagus. Sometimes the player assumes the risk of injury. A player crashing into an outfield wall chasing a fly ball comes to mind. Sometimes the injury is avoidable and results from another’s negligence.   It is this third category that we worry about as umpires. The court system