What made the umpire make a big gesture?

Hello! Here comes the new writing about baseball :) Do you think umpires of baseball games exaggerate thier move? One of our members explain to you why this happened. You can post your comments to express your thinkings on this article.

What made the umpire make a big gesture?

Ryu Hye-ran

Department of English Education

Kyungpook National University 

Have you ever watched a baseball game in the ball park? If so, you might realize that an umpire makes an exaggerated gesture compared to other kinds of sports. If not, why don’t you listen to the touching story behind the gesture like ‘Safe’, ‘Out’, and ‘Strike’?

There is a close relationship between the larger gesture and one baseball player.

About 100 years ago there was a baseball player named ‘William Ellsworth Hoy’, who was the first deaf major-leaguer. Though he, with hearing impairment, must have had a variety of troubles and limits, he was a sincerely proficient player as proven by the fact that he played in a dream major league. Especially he was good at stealing a base, setting a record as having the highest stolen bases over the season.

Even though there seems that he had no problem according to his notable record, it is true, needless to say, that he had difficulties in communicating with others and also understanding what the umpire said. One day, one of the umpires who struggled to keep up with a way to deal with the problem decided to make signs by moving his hand. Thanks to this small caring consideration, Hoy could perform better.

After that, it was applied to other team members as well with simple gesture, resulting in a positive way. Though it took a lot of time since Hoy played, it goes on still, which shows careful concern for the disabled. It is often described that the exaggerated gesture is a wonderful combination between one player’s passion to overcome his limit and one umpire’s caring for him. 

Actually some people assert that direct reason for the big gesture is for the audience. They say the gesture was made because the audience with cheer cannot recognize whether it is strike or ball. Anyway, there’s no one who thinks that the sign was not influenced by Hoy.

What about reminding of Hoy and his efforts when you watch the umpire’s exaggerated gesture during the baseball game next time? Also, remember wonderful the umpires’ thoughtful consideration and its effect.