Looking For Leaders!

The Wyoming Black Hills Leadership Institute will be starting their 2010-2011 training session beginning in September with the Introductory/Team Building Retreat. Read more

Award Winning!

Everyone at KASL is proud of our Sports Director, David Burrall!  David won the 2nd place plaque from his peers across Wyoming for his outstanding play-by-play coverage of our Newcastle Dogies! Read more

VFW Honors Flag Flyers

On Monday, June 14, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary held a ceremony at the VFW Hall at 2:00 p.m. to honor area residents and businesses that fly their flag every day of the year. Read more

The Burrall Blog – A Big Problem For Baseball

6/4/10 – 1:37 PM

I’ve followed Major League Baseball basically my entire life, and I cannot remember a time where the umpiring was so generally poor.  Yes, these guys still do get most calls right, but more and more often these days, close plays are just plain called wrong.

The most egregious example came on June 2nd, when the Detroit Tigers’ Armando Galarraga was an out away from throwing, unbelievably, the second perfect game in four days in the majors and the third this season.  Jason Donald of the Cleveland Indians hit a sharp ground ball that Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera fielded after moving to his right.  Galarraga raced to cover first and took the throw, which beat Donald to the bag by a full step.

But that isn’t how first base umpire Jim Joyce saw the play.  He hesitated, then called Donald safe.  Television replays immediately showed – with no doubt – that Donald should have been out.

Joyce, to his credit, admitted his mistake.  And, to be fair, Joyce is regarded as a very good umpire and is well-respected – correctly, I’ll say.  He’s worked two World Series.  But this time,  Joyce blew the call and he eventually knew it.

This is an instance of a good umpire making a bad error.  But the problem remains that bad umpires keep making themselves look foolish.

Example: White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle was called recently for two balks in one game by umpire Joe West.  He didn’t balk in either instance, and Buehrle and his manager, Ozzie Guillen, were both ejected.  They both were fined for remarks made about West to the essence that West seems to be more concerned about his music career than being a competent umpire.  West even has a publicist, a singular trait among big league umpires.  But, neither were suspended by Major League Baseball.  And, West was fined.  In other words, MLB admitted without saying so what Buehrle and Guillen basically said – that Joe West has become an embarrassment to his profession.

Example: In a recent game, Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt, one of the few bright spots on an otherwise awful team, didn’t feel like correct ball-strike calls were being made by umpire Bill Hohn.  Then, after one pitch which Oswalt missed outside, and knew he’d missed, he shouted something to himself.  Hohn heard it, and ejected Oswalt, even as the pitcher was saying, “I wasn’t talking to you!”  MLB said it would have a “stern” discussion with Hohn, whose repuation as an umpire may be even worse than that of West.

Example: On the same night as the blunder in Detroit, Seattle’s Josh Wilson was ruled safe at second base by umpire Dale Scott, negating a force play and allowing the Mariners to score the winning run against Minnesota.  Just as in the Galarraga play, the replay clearly showed that the umpire missed the call.

So, is the answer an expanded use of replay, like in the NFL and NHL?  Well, maybe.  Here’s a novel idea for Bud Selig and his minions: How about training umpires better so better umpires, ones that aren’t so arrogant and prone to thoughts of infallibility, can be hired?  Just a thought.

Newcastle Area Chamber of Commerce Calendar of Events

JUNE, 2010       
1 Weston County Commissioners, Court House, 9am      
1 Weston County Travel Commission, Newcastle City Hall, 7pm      
2 Newcastle Lion’s Club, Senior Center, Noon      
3 VFW Post 2516 & Auxiliary, VFW Hall, 7pm      
3 Weston County Museum District, TBA, 7pm      
3 YMCA Meeting, Newcastle Country Club, Noon      
3 Weston County Gymkhana Series, Fairgrounds, 6:30pm, Contact 746-3338      
4 Weston County Library Board, Library, 11:30am      
5 Wyoming Free Fishing Day      
6 Osage Ambulance Service, Minnow Races, Sagebrush Bar, 2pm      
7 Weston County Friends of Fair, Fair Office, 7pm      
7 Chamber Board Meeting, Newcastle Country Club, Noon      
8 Weston County Fair Board, Fair Office, 6:30pm
8 City Council, Council Chambers, 7pm
8 Artful Gals, Weston County Senior Housing, Hostess Lucia Yeager,  1pm
8 General Membership Meeting, CJ’s Restaurant, Noon
     Program -
9 Flowering Fingers & Dirt Daubers Garden Clubs, TBA, Joint Luncheon/Installation, Noon
9 Weston County Natural Resource District, USDA Building, 5pm
9 Newcastle Lion’s Club, Senior Center, Noon
10 4-H Teen Leader Picnic, Larry Price Memorial Park, 5pm
11-12 Horse Sale, Weston County Fairgrounds
   Fri – Preview 1pm, Sat. – Horse Competition & Preview 8am, Sale 1pm
14 Flag Day – Awards will be given at VFW Hall, 2:00pm to those who fly flags every day
14 4-H Council, Newcastle, 6pm
15 Weston County CowBelles, West End, Noon
15 Weston County Commissioners, Court House, 9am
15 Wyoming Black Hills Leadership Institute Steering Committee, USDA, 10am
15 Wyoming Black Hills Leadership Institute Board Meeting, USDA, 11am
16 Newcastle Lion’s Club, Senior Center, Noon
16 Weston County Weed & Pest, Weed & Pest Office, 1:30pm
16 Weston County Humane Society Meeting, Shelter, 6pm
16-18 7th Biennial Wyoming Philanthropy Days, Cheyenne, www.wycf.org or 721-8300
17 Chamber Sign Committee, Old Mill Restaurant, Noon
17 Weston County Health Services, Board Room, 7pm
17 Weston County Gymkhana Series, Fairgrounds, 6:30pm, Contact 746-3338
17-18 2010 Governor’s Summit on Workforce Solutions, Ramkota, Casper
    visit wyowdc.org/summit/2010
18 2010 Wyoming Health Fair, Visiting Building, Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp, 7-10am
18-19 Outdoor MotorSports Open House – Bikes, Blues, BBQ, Father’s Day,
   Demo Rides All Day, Fri. 9am-6pm, Sat. 9am-5pm
19 Weston County Health Services Foundation Golf Tournament, Upton Country Club, 10am
20 Cambria Bowhunters 3D Shoot, Outdoor Range, Registration 8am, Shoot Begins 10am
21 City Council, Council Chambers, 7pm
21 AARP Panel Discussion, Weston County Senior Services, 1pm
23 Newcastle Lion’s Club, Senior Center, Noon
23 Weston County School District #1 Board Meeting, Board Room, 7pm
24 Weston County Health Services Foundation, Board Room, 11:45am
25 Chamber Coffee, Weston County Health Services,
        Celebrating Weston County Health Services Week, 10am
25-26 Cambria Coal Mine Days
26 Weston County Humane Society Annual Chip n Dip, Shelter, 9am-12:00noon
26 Osage Annual Fireman’s Ball, Osage Fire Hall, 9pm
30 Newcastle Lion’s Club, Senior Center, Noon