Greetings and salutations, true, blue believers,
The local DC baseball community continues to mourn the loss of a legend…Rob Hahne. Services are as follows:
- Wednesday, May 27th
- 10:30 am funeral service at Grace Redeemer Church, 5200 Ox Road, Fairfax, VA 22030
- 2:00 pm Celebration of Life at Cap One Ballpark, 1600 Capital One Drive North, Tysons, VA 22102
- The Hahne family has requested that all attendees wear colors other than black.
- In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Kyle’s Kamp here on the INOVA
- Healthcare website: https://join.inova.org/dq24c1c20120
Association president Dave Maher’s busy spring continues on both the administrative side of things and working his usual schedule of games. We’re giving Dave the month off here at Blue Crew News to bring you the association vice president and my fellow editor to address you. Gentlemen, I give you…Michael Chmar!
Association rules interpreter Bob Nasser has been spanning countless text threads and side conversations from Foul Tip Fridays at Glory Days to bring you some unusual and irregular plays. Speaking of rules…just a friendly reminder that the associated case book for the rules you are studying and learning is not simply a resource. In several instances, the case book can provide vital, critical information relative to making adjudications on certain plays that are NOT found in the rule book! Case books, brothers…read them, know them, and use them. And now…Bob Nasser!
In the March issue early this year, we ran a piece introducing you to Norm Gordon’s role in the association. If you missed it, I highly recommend reading it before reading this month’s article from Norm and Steve Levine. Like two well-trained umpires on the field, Norm and Steve work together off the field, managing the situations that require their expertise and experience. What are we going to tolerate in terms of on-field decisions and conduct? Not just plays and calls, but the game management and verbal judo we use. Did we purposefully defuse a situation, or did we unwillingly escalate it? We can’t control what others do, but we can control our responses to others. Don’t miss Norm and Steve’s article and stay tuned for more from this dynamic duo as I’m sure they will have more for us in future editions!
Finally, it is my pleasure to bring you a very special edition of The Gary Reals Profile. This month, Gary and special guest Craig Hughes team up to ironically put the spotlight on one of our members who has never sought the spotlight. A man who simply understands the value of hard work and dedication as building blocks to officiating excellence…Don Wu. I have never worked with Don, but I asked Ron Adamczyk about Don, and Ron deadpanned, “Yup, I have an upcoming match with Wu. I am off to get my rules and mechanics colonoscopy.” And please understand that when Ron says that, it’s paying Don the highest compliment. Don really understands and executes rules and mechanics at an extremely granular and nuanced level. He doesn’t miss anything and gives you a thorough post-game debriefing. Never critical, never personal…just thorough and detailed. Don’s story is here.
…and another edition has come to a close. Thank you for checking with us this month, and we will see you again in June.
Excelsior,
~Robert Fobian
Editor, Blue Crew News