As They See 'Em

"A good umpire-and it is amazing how good most of them are-aspires to achieve unnoticed perfection. Bruce Weber's much-needed book will help fans notice the umpires' craftsmanship, which is as demanding in its way as the players'." -George F. Will. Millions of American baseball fans know, with absolute certainty, that umpires are simply overpaid galoots who are doing an easy job badly. Millions of American baseball fans are wrong. As They See 'Em is an insider's look at the largely unknown world of professional umpires, the small group of men (and the very occasional woman) who make sure America's favorite pastime is conducted in a manner that is clean, crisp, and true. Bruce Weber, a New York Times reporter, not only interviewed dozens of professional umpires but entered their world, trained to become an umpire, and then spent a season working games from Little League to big league spring training. As They See 'Em is Weber's entertaining account of this experience as well as a lively exploration of what amounts to an eccentric secret society, with its own customs, its own rituals, and its own colorful vocabulary. Packed with fascinating reportage that reveals the game as never before and answers the kinds of questions that fans pose to themselves around the television set, As They See 'Em is a towering grand slam.