Few Can Know Ump’s Pain

On the recent Sunday during which Seattle’s Salomon Torres held Paul Molitor hitless, thereby temporarily freezing him at 2,998 for his career, 9-year-old Michael Hirschbeck had another seizure. The youngster was taken to the umpire’s room in the Metrodome and placed on a bed of towels on the floor. He slept there the entire game, an autographed Molitor cap by his side.

The terrible seizures come and go, leaving Michael exhausted. His dad, John, was on the field umpiring the Twins-Mariners contest. He’d check on his son between innings. Peg Imhoff, a longtime press-box attendant at the Dome, checked on him, too.

“My heart just bled for him,” said Peg. “He’s such a great boy.”

This is what John Hirschbeck, who already has lost one son, must live with every day. And this is why the incident with Baltimore’s Roberto Alomar was so sad. The man doesn’t need any more grief.

Michael Hirschbeck doesn’t get to spend a lot of time with his dad during the baseball season. But the weekend of Sept. 13-15 was going to be special. Michael arrived here from the Hirschbecks’ home in Ohio.

The trip served two purposes. First, he came to receive treatment at Children’s Hospital. Michael has adrenoleukodystrophy a rare and often fatal disease. His brother, who also suffered from the illness, passed away three years ago.

Hirschbeck and son also got to spend three games together, a real treat. They shared a moment at home plate before the first game. The youngster even got to spend some time in p.a. announcer Bob Casey’s booth, which is situated behind the batter’s box, right on the field.

Hirschbeck asked Imhoff to keep an eye on Michael during the second game of the series. So he stayed with her in the press box, asking dozens of questions about how the pop machine worked.

“I enjoyed having Michael with me,” she said. “He’s a typical inquisitive 9-year-old.”

But the last day of the visit was a bad one. Those seizures are rough. Not just on the child, but also on the father. Few can understand what Hirschbeck is going through. It must be horrible for a parent to feel so helpless.

“I think he’s one of the nicest guys in baseball,” said Casey, who knows him pretty well. “In a situation like this, he’s hurting all the time. The poor guy is just suffering all the time.”

It was Casey who, during a spring-training game three years ago, had the unenviable task of informing Hirschbeck of the death of his oldest son and namesake, John.

The Twins were playing the Red Sox in downtown Fort Myers, Fla. Hirschbeck was umpiring. He knew the boy didn’t have much time left. Late in the game, word arrived in the press box. Casey was dispatched with the news.

“I just said that I have some bad news,” Casey recalled. “I didn’t have to say anymore. (Crew chief) Jim McKean asked him if he needed to go. Hirschbeck said he’d finish the game first.”

Baseball people think a lot of Hirschbeck. At the time of his elder son’s illness, there was a benefit in Chicago. Kirby Puckett and Tom Kelly were among those who made it a point to participate.

Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards, Orioles fans got to their feet to greet their hero, Alomar, during the player introductions before the playoff game against Cleveland. They also jeered the umpires who, upset with Alomar’s light penalty, nearly boycotted the playoffs.

It was odd. Baltimore fans have a reputation for being both knowledgeable and sophisticated. I guess we have to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that, in this case at least, they didn’t really know what was going on.