Former MLB umpire entertains West Bend baseball community; voices opinion on robot umpires

Former Major League Baseball umpire Bruce Froemming gives the keynote speech during the West Bend Baseball Association's Wall of Fame induction ceremony March 9 at The Columbian. Photo by Nicholas Dettmann.

By Nicholas Dettmann

WEST BEND – Bruce Froemming spent more than 5,000 games in professional baseball as an umpire. On March 9, during the West Bend Baseball Association’s Wall of Fame induction banquet at The Columbian, he shared stories of some of the best players he ever watched, the life of an umpire and his quickest ejection.

But, he also wasn’t shy to give his thoughts on the direction baseball is headed, specifically with replay and a proposed robot umpiring system. Froemming was in attendance at the banquet as its keynote speaker.

“Baseball is making a big mistake,” Froemming said about the idea of a robot umpiring system.

He also mixed in humor. When he got to the podium, he encouraged the attendees to boo him, which the crowd did. Then, he “politely” told them to be quiet. From there, he shared stories of humor, but also amazement as to how difficult life was for an umpire.

“We’re the same as you,” Froemming said. “We get screamed at a lot. Now, as we look back at it, you realize how well I did my job because we didn’t have instant replay. Everything I called was right.”

Then he talked about a possible three-year test with robot umpires to call balls and strikes at a low level of professional baseball.

“This is incredible,” he said. “I’m going to tell you where this comes from. It comes from the people that go to school out at Yale, Harvard, Cornell and wherever. They’re reinventing the game. It’s really BS. It really is bad.

“How they’re going to do this is I’m going to have an earpiece, the umpire, and the pitch is going to come in and you wait for them to tell you, if you can believe this, that’s a strike. Strike one. They told me what to call. They’ve got these machines, they’re good. But there’s certain things they cannot do. For instance, if you bounce a pitch and it goes above the knees and goes through the strike zone, it’s a strike on the machine. … The games are three hours-plus now and you’re talking about balls and strikes. They’re not shortening the game. It’s a disgrace.”

During a question-and-answer session, Froemming, a Milwaukee native, fielded questions about the best players he ever watched, plus how many games he did during a given season. He is the longest-tenured umpire in major league history in terms of the number of full seasons umpired, finishing his 37th season in 2007. He also worked several postseasons – 111 games in all – including five World Series (1976, 1984, 1988, 1990 and 1995). He also umpired a record 11 no-hitters, including one perfect game (Dennis Martinez with the Montreal Expos against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 28, 1991).

Best hitters he ever saw included Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose and Tony Gwynn.

“He was a magician with the bat,” Froemming said about Gwynn.

Best pitchers he ever saw included Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton. But he labeled Bob Gibson as the best. One of the reasons he said those pitchers were among his favorites was because they threw strikes, forcing hitters to swing the bat.

As for how many games he did during a season, Froemming said up until about the late 1970s, life was difficult for umpires. From Opening Day until the end of the season, including postseason for some, umpires were on the field in different cities every day of the season. There were no off days, unless there was a cancelation or postponement. That was 162 games per year, plus, some possible playoff games. Very rarely did umpires make it home to see families, unless they lived in the city with an MLB team and they were in town to work those games.

Because of that, he said, divorces were quite frequent for umpires because they rarely saw their spouses or families from April through October. In the late 1970s, that changed when umpires were given vacations, about three or four weeks’ worth they could take during the season. Froemming called that “a lifesaver.”

The stories he shared filled the room with laughter.

His quickest ejection came in a game in St. Louis with Whitey Herzog as the manager of the Cardinals at the time. It was a 100-degree day in St. Louis and it was an early afternoon game. Froemming said he and Herzog got along very well.

But on that 100-degree day, just two pitches into the game, Herzog began screaming at Froemming from the dugout about a call on a pitch. The next pitch goes in, Herzog still yells at Froemming and he slightly gets irritated. After the fourth pitch, Herzog was still on Froemming and he ejected him – four pitches into a game.

Later on, Froemming met up with legendary broadcaster Jack Buck and they talked about the ejection. Buck clued in Froemming about why Herzog did what he did. Froemming said Buck told him that the Cardinals had an off-day the next day and he was to meet a friend to go fishing the next day.

Froemming also shared a story about how his pants were too tight for a game in the minor leagues in Little Rock, Arkansas, and when he squatted into his stance, his pants ripped. The next day, he sees a picture of his butt with a hole in his pants on the front page of the newspaper. The headline? “Official opening.”

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REVIEW: Latest ‘Phantom of the Opera’ is unlike you have ever seen it

"The Phantom of the Opera" returns to Milwaukee in grand and spectacular fashion at the Marcus Center for Performing Arts. Nicholas Dettmann photo.

By Nicholas Dettmann

MILWAUKEE – When you’re Broadway’s longest running show, you have to change things up a bit to maintain that titles. Well, with “The Phantom of the Opera,” mission accomplished in grand and spectacular fashion.

Through March 17, the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts is hosting the latest national tour for the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic love story. Based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux, the central plot for “The Phantom of the Opera” revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius living beneath the Paris Opera House. The Phantom haunts the Opera House while a cast prepares for an opera, professing his love for the beautiful voice of Christine. If that opera doesn’t showcase Christine, he promises penalties beyond their wildest imaginations. In the process he falls in love with more than Christine’s voice.

Produced by Cameron Mackintosh with The Really Useful Group and NETworks Presentations, “The Phantom of the Opera” steps up its proverbial game with enhanced staging, stage design, scene changes and costumes, as well as a collection pyrotechnics bring the story to fans better than ever before.

More than 50 people complete the cast as well as the orchestra to make it one of the largest productions on tour in North America, according to a media briefing packet.

“With ‘Phantom’ still the reigning champion as the longest-running production on Broadway after 30 phenomenal years, with no end in sight, I’m delighted that this spectacular new production of ‘Phantom’ has been well received in the U.S. as the brilliant original and has already been seen by over 3.7 million people across North America since it opened in November 2013,” Mackintosh said in a news release. “With an exciting new design and staging, retaining Maria Bjornson’s amazing costumes, the new ‘Phantom’ is thrilling audiences and critics alike all over again.”

Yes it is.

I last saw it in the early 2000s, also in Milwaukee. At that time, I was still playing string bass so I had a natural curiosity to hear the music. It was magnificent.

I saw it Friday night with my wife, who is an organist and has a degree in music. She had never seen the live version of “The Phantom of the Opera,” but saw the 2004 movie starring Gerard Butler as The Phantom and Emmy Rossum as Christine.

The story starts with an auction on the stage of the Paris Opera House, set in 1911. After bidding completes on a few items, the auctioneer draws the attention to a chandelier hanging over the Marcus Center crowd, covered with a tarp. Suddenly, the tarp is pulled away, lit and the mesmerizing first notes of “The Overture” blare through the speakers of the Marcus Center, rumbling off the walls and under your feet, making you and any music lover quiver.

For this run of “The Phantom of the Opera,” The Phantom is played by Quentin Oliver Lee. His credits include “Prince of Broadway” on Broadway, as well as touring with “Festival of The Lion King” starring as Scar. His performance was breathtaking.

The female lead for the run is by three women – Emma Grimsley (March 6-7), Kaitlyn Davis (March 8-10) and Eva Tavares (March 12-17). On Friday, it was Davis and, like her counterpart, her performance was nothing short of spectacular. Davis has played Christine previously. She’s also performed at Carnegie Hall, as well as on television with “Law & Order: SVU.” She has a solo extended play of original music called “You Got Me.”

Christine’s lover, Raoul, is played by Jordan Craig for the entire run. Craig’s credits include playing the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz” with the Alliance Theater and several shows at the Houston Grand Opera.

One of the pleasant surprises was the mixture of humor into the story. Combining that with seamless set transitions and top-notch special effects helps add to an unforgettable production of one of theater’s greatest productions ever.

And of course, the iconic score, featuring "The Overture" and "Music of the Night."

There are 10 shows remaining. Tickets can be purchased at marcuscenter.org or ticketmaster.com, or by calling 414-273-7206, or visiting the box office at 929 N. Water St., Milwaukee.

Don’t miss it. It’s “Phantom of the Opera” like you’ve never seen it before.

The chandelier hangs from the ceiling moments before the start of the March 8 showing of "The Phantom of the Opera." Nicholas Dettmann photo.

PHOTOS: Bradley Center demolition

Here are some progression photos of the demolition of the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee.

Shown is the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Feb. 22, 2019. Nicholas Dettmann photo.

Shown is the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Feb. 22, 2019. Nicholas Dettmann photo.

Shown is the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Feb. 22, 2019. Nicholas Dettmann photo.

Shown is the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Feb. 22, 2019. Nicholas Dettmann photo.

Shown is the BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 2, 2019. Nicholas Dettmann photo.

COLUMN: Behavior at youth sporting events need to cool it

Thankfully, former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy apologized for his verbal abuse toward a high school official at his stepson’s basketball game.

What McCarthy’s actions did was shed light on what has been a regular problem at youth sporting events at all levels in all sports. And sadly, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

You should be concerned by that.

Several weeks ago, an editorial was released about the state of youth sports officials and how it is becoming increasingly difficult to get people to sign up to be an official. The editorial spoke of many reasons, but one of the standout reasons was people being sick and tired of being verbally, even physically abused in some cases, at youth sporting events. It’s why I will never be a youth sports official. I’m even leery to be a youth coach.

Having played and growing up around youth sports, I’ve seen the progression. I remember being about 8 or 9 years old playing a Little League baseball game and dad of a friend of mine was asked to leave the premises after constant berating by him toward the umpire. The umpire had enough and asked the man to leave. I also remember a parent being ejected by an umpire at my sister’s softball game when she was about 11 or 12 years old (I’m two years older than her).

And this is in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

My belief is club sports had a role in it. I graduated from high school in 2000. That was about the time club sports and travel teams were becoming a thing. Today, it’s far more prevalent and often the preferred route for student-athletes, rather than competing for their respective school in any sport.

We won’t get into sports specialization because that’s not what this commentary is about.

But what club sports and travel teams have done is bring out the worst in people simply because those avenues aren’t cheap. Parents often dish out thousands of dollars in hopes of their children getting the coveted athletic scholarship. So what happens? Parents are less patient with a coach and/or an official and therefore get mean, rude and disrespectful.

In January, I visited my in-laws in Michigan where my father-in-law is an attorney. I went with him to watch a few court cases because I was curious of how the court system operates in Michigan and to see my father-in-law in action. But while I was in a courtroom waiting for the next case, I talked with a man who gloated about his son’s wrestling career. I understand he was a proud father. Don’t get me wrong. What I had a problem with was this boy was 12 years old, had been to more than 10 states to compete and was wrestling nearly year-round. When so much is invested in something, patience and reasoning takes a back seat to pressure.

I’ve been to several youth sporting events during my career where things got unruly between parents. One example was a few years ago while covering the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference’s wrestling tournament at Oconomowoc High School. A fight amongst parents broke out and cops had to be called.

A few weeks ago, a video went viral of a fight involving parents broke out at a wrestling tournament at Kimberly. I watched the video several times in massive disappointment, thinking, “What do the kids of those parents think? They must be embarrassed.”

I’ve seen parents go to a basketball scorer’s table to make sure their son or daughter got the points if it was announced differently over the PA system. I’ve seen parents lean over their son’s or daughter’s shoulders on the bench and talk to them. Unless you’re asked to intervene, parents need to keep their butts in the stands.

Voicing displeasure over a call by an official in a game is part of it. Always has and always will. Where it crosses the line is the constant bombardment, so much as to even making it personal, which I’ve also seen happen. I’ve yet to see one parent berate an official and then see that same parent pick up the referee uniform and whistle and do it themselves. If you can do it better, then prove it.

I know I will be supportive of my kids in whatever they do. But I’ve made a promise to myself and my wife that I won’t act like a fool.

Berating coaches and officials is hurting youth athletics. And this is what should be done.

Those people ejected from youth sporting events for unruly behavior should be cited for disorderly conduct and then barred from athletic events for one year.

Kewaskum’s Zardas reflect on once-in-a-lifetime trip to Super Bowl

Kewaskum’s Courtney Zarda stands outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Feb. 3 in Atlanta, site of Super Bowl LIII. 

Shown is a view of the field from the Zardas’ seats at Super Bowl LIII.

By Nicholas Dettmann

For Kewaskum’s Rick Zarda, his earliest Super Bowl memory is from Super Bowl XXVII. Recently, he got a Super Bowl experience that allowed him to see the hoopla revolving around the game in a new way.

Zarda and his daughter, Courtney, were guests of the NFL at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta because of Courtney’s involvement in the league’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program. In December, with the help of Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Travis Frederick via online video, Courtney was congratulated for her contributions to the program, which promotes an active lifestyle, coupled with proper nutrition. Her most recent project was leading the way to get healthy food options sold at Kewaskum sporting events.

The prize was a pair of tickets plus accommodations and travel to Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII.

“Experience of a lifetime,” Courtney said about the opportunity to be in Atlanta for the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams, which the Patriots won 13-3. “It was super loud and a great experience.”

Courtney and Rick arrived in Atlanta on the Friday before the game, which was Feb. 3. Once in Atlanta, there was no shortage of activities for fans to partake in.

“Courtney was given passes to the NFL Super Bowl Experience so we spent Friday night and most of Saturday there,” Rick said. “There was a ton of activities that you could participate in such as the NFL Combine, kicking a field goal, the NFL Draft, etc. There were also lots of players signing autographs and doing interviews.”

Among the players she met was Mohammed Sanu, wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons.

Kickoff on game day was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. eastern time. The Zardas got to Mercedes Benz Stadium at about noon. They were impressed with the fluid process of security and getting fans into the stadium.

“Security was quick actually,” Rick said. “The presence of law enforcement was definitely noticeable. We felt very safe. We got to the stadium around noon and attended lots of pregame festivities, which included local high school bands, NFL Network live shows and a tailgate party.”

Inside the stadium, it was breathtaking to see the end zones painted the participating teams’ colors and then the Super Bowl logo prevalent on the field.

Rick’s earliest Super Bowl memory was Super Bowl XXVII between the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys, a game the Cowboys won 52-17. But the standout moment from the lopsided affair was the Bills’ Don Beebe running down the Cowboys’ Leon Lett after he recovered a fumble and was destined to score a touchdown. That was until Beebe swatted the ball away from Lett just before crossing the goal line. It was an iconic play in an otherwise forgettable Super Bowl, especially for Bills fans.

Being at a Super Bowl, rather than watching it on television was far different than the Zardas imagined. Rick called it “overwhelming and exciting.” One of those examples was the setup and tear down of the stage for the halftime performance featuring Maroon 5.

“It was amazing to see how fast they got everything set up and taken down,” Rick said. “You don't get to see all of that when you are at home watching it on TV.”

Courtney said, “It was really cool with all of the things they had organized with the drones; definitely something I had never seen before.”

They were also surprised at the crowd makeup.

“It was bigger than I expected,” Courtney said. “There were a lot of Patriots fans.”

Rick said the game felt like a Patriots home game. “There were so many Patriots fans,” he said.

The matchup intrigued Courtney, an avid football fan.

“I wanted the Rams to win and was excited to see if both teams could handle the other’s defense,” she said.

And speaking of the crowd, the people you’ll run into at a Super Bowl forces you to make sure you have a camera at the ready. The Zardas rode an Uber with Anthony Dorsett Jr., the son of former Cowboys great Tony Dorsett. And that was special because the Zardas are Cowboys fans.

The lone downside for the game was not having the Cowboys in it. But for the Zardas, it was once-in-a-lifetime experience they’ll never forget.

“Soak it all in because it’s such an amazing experience that you won’t be able to get back,” Courtney said when asked about advice for someone who is lucky enough to go to a Super Bowl.

“Wear good walking shoes and plan extra days to get the full experience,” Rick said.

Super Bowl LIV will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

To learn more about the NFL’s Fuel Up To Play 60 Program, visit www.fueluptoplay60.com.