Customer Reviews

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE BALLS TO MAKE IT IN THIS LEAGUE: MY LIFE AS AN UMPIRE

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is Pam Postema's own story about how she tried to break the glass ceiling in umpiring professional baseball. She is quite candid about her ups and downs, her mistakes and what she learned from them. She also very openly discusses the anti-female bias that still exists in professional umpiring and her umpiring relationship with people who made it to the bigs because the management passed her over.

I'm an amateur umpire, so this book really spoke to me. Pam busted her hump to make it to the big leagues, fighting obstacles all the way, and at the end was washed out because of a senseless guideline. Baseball lost a good umpire and gained a black eye.

A very funny book about the perhaps still rampant sexism in professional baseball. Postema recounts her experiences in trying to become a major league umpire--a goal she nearly reached. Umpires tell stories and Postema has some great ones--unedited and vulgar--but very funny.

The book also has its serious side. Postema career as a professional umpire reveals the deeply sedimented anti-female biases in the great American game. A must read for baseball fans!!!

I can only imagine the difficulties Pam must have faced.I got to admire anyone who wants to break into a gender biased occupation. I personally feel there is room in Umpiring,Refereeing(is that a word?)for women.They can be as blind as the men doing it now(just joking)Irregardles this is a very interesting book and not just on the baseball end of it but also on the struggles of womens equality.

Written by the very first women to ever do this and i admire her for it and I remember her calling games. Great reading for any umpire. No 1 in my book

Somewhat of an interesting book, but only if you are a huge baseball fan like myself. I remember reading and hearing about Pam during umpiring years, which is why I got the book from the library when I saw it.

Pam must have enjoyed her years in the minors as she spent 13 years umpiring professionally, or maybe she just couldn't face life and the reality of getting on with her life. It would be a good book for those in HS or college thinking of becoming an umpire in the pro leagues. It sets you straight as the realities of life in the minors.

Pam also tells how she found out how Elvis really died.

MISS POSTEMA WAS AN UMPIRE FOR MANY YEARS IN THE MINOR LEAGUE AREA FOR MANY YEARS. THIS IS HER STORY AND MANY ARE VERY INTERESTING. THE BOOK ITSELF IS VERY EASY TO READ AND IS HUMOROUS, HONEST, WELL TOLD, AND OPINIONATED. PAM WAS A WOMAN TRYING TO CRACK THE SHOW IN A MAN'S WORLD. I GIVE HER ALOT OF CREDIT FOR STAYING WITH IT FOR SO LONG. I RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL BASEBALL FANS WHO WANT A LOOK AT WHAT IS LIKE TO ATTEND UMPIRE SCHOOL, LIFE ON THE ROAD, GAME CONDITIONS AND ALL THE ABUSE AN UMPIRE ENDURES. A LINE DRIVE BASE HIT.

My parents had Pam, as well as her then supervisor, Dick Nelson, over to the house for dinner during spring training in Arizona. She seemed like a nice person. However, I think her claiming Dick Nelson was a bad supervisor was unfounded. My dad was in the Air Force with Dick and we have known him for many many years as well as his being a frequent guest in our home during his umpire years. He was always extremely nice and very fair and although he wanted Pam to succeed sometimes people don't make it and it isn't always because of a bias.