When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes.

When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes.

I had a great shoe contract and glove contract with a company who paid me a lot of money never to be seen using their stuff.

I didn't get a lot of awards as a player. But they did have a Bob Uecker Day Off for me once in Philly.

The highlight of my career? In '67 with St. Louis, I walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in an inter-squad game in spring training.

Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist.