mpire groups are comprised of a mixed bag of individuals, all of whom have character traits, more or less, suitable to or favorable for, doing the specialized job of umpiring. As these characteristics, or application of traits, are revealed, the individual umpires in a group fall into a natural pecking order. Beyond the natural order, generalized labels — league umpire, tournament umpire — have evolved that often unfairly categorize umpires and erroneously define what to expect of an umpire. The real harm of those labels comes when umpires accept them and umpire to their definition.

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