Minor League Heckler — Craig Faanes

No matter how determined they were the Sarasota Reds simply could not win. Their pitchers were among the best in the Paradise League and their fielders committed fewer errors than any other team. Despite all they had going for them, the Reds kept losing as they languished at the bottom of the League standings. Chris Ramsey, a retired ornithologist and former minor league catcher never missed a Reds game. From his perch behind home plate he began noticing something fishy with the umpiring. Obvious strikes thrown by Reds pitchers were being called balls and when the Reds were batting obvious balls were being called strikes. Reds players who were clearly safe sliding into bases were being called out and Jeremy Benjamin the Reds manager was ejected from games more often than usual. Ramsey didn't notice these inconsistencies while watching other Paradise League teams playing. It was only the Reds who had this bad luck. After analyzing pitches and swings and a mountain of other baseball statistics Ramsey discovered something disturbing - but why? Unraveling the mystery involved a chance encounter with an ex-wife who was now a professional scout for a rival baseball team, a frustrated 40 year old baseball groupie who was married to a man who still delivered pizza, an FBI agent named Brenda who was half Ramsey's age, and a statistician with whom Ramsey worked many years before in North Dakota. A Cuban named Castro entered the picture as did his disreputable cousin in Miami. Ultimately even an offshore bank in the Cayman Islands played a role. With his curiosity piqued Ramsey discovered something that nobody ever imagined could happen to a minor league baseball team and while doing so he reconfirmed a long-standing belief among baseball fans - it's always the umpire.