Editors Note:

Perhaps the most clichéd heckle of all time, “Kill the Ump!” was first recorded in Ernest L. Thayer’s 1888 poem “Casey at the Bat.” Today, perhaps because of the legal repercussions of screaming a threat on a man’s life, the term is seldom used. The majority of Umpire heckles revolve around two common themes:

1. The Ump is blind
2. The Ump is partial

Although umpires are seldom within audible range of the bleacher loudmouths, they are within earshot of the box seats behind home plate. For optimum results, umpire heckles are best kept short enough to bellow and should seldom exceed one line. Umpires who hear everything and everybody – from Dad in the stands, coaches mumbling under their breath, and the players fussing in the dugout are referred to as having “Rabbit Ears”.