I wish to thank my dad, who showed me umpiring, and my mom, who taught me a day’s pay for a day’s work. I am indebted to my brothers, Roy, Nolan, and Donnie, for always helping me, and I want to tell everyone else in my family, including my nieces and nephews, how much I love you all. I thank Fred Fleig, who not only gave me my opportunity to umpire in the big leagues but who did it when no one else believed in me. To Al Barlick: We fought for years, but you taught me. And to Shag Crawford: I thank you for being the man you were. I want to thank L.A. Dodger trainer Bill Buhler for keeping me in the game. I thank my friend Andy Strasberg, a baseball historian, as well as John B. B. Freeman and Richard Lister, for their hard work; my agent, Jeff Silberman, for his good work; Peter Golenbock, for his friendship as much as for his professionalism; and to editor Jeremie Ruby-Strauss at Simon & Schuster and copyeditor Richard Klin. You’ve all been great.
I wish to thank my friends Ray Arsenault, Burton Hersh, Mike Rees, Ra Eisenhower, George Philippides, brother Robert, sister Wendy, and Genady Litvin and all his associates at Litvin & Torrens Associates in Miami. You all came through for me when I needed you most. I am deeply grateful.