The Umpire Is Out

Calling the Game and Living My True Self

By: Dale Scott, Rob Neyer - contributor, Billy Bean - foreword

Narrated by: Dale Scott

Dale Scott's career as a professional baseball umpire spanned nearly forty years, including thirty-three in the Major Leagues, from 1985 to 2017. He worked exactly a thousand games behind the plate, calling balls and strikes at the pinnacle of his profession, working in every Major League Baseball stadium, and interacting with dozens of other top-flight umpires, colorful managers, and hundreds of players.

What makes Scott's book truly different is his unique perspective as the only umpire in the history of professional baseball to come out as gay during his career. Granted, that was after decades of remaining in the closet, and Scott writes vividly and movingly about having to "play the game": maintaining a façade of straightness while privately becoming his true self and building a lasting relationship with his future husband. He navigated this obstacle course at a time when his MLB career was just taking off—and when North America was consumed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Scott's story is also a baseball story, filled with insights and memorable anecdotes that come so naturally from someone who spent decades among the world's greatest baseball players, managers, and games. Scott's story is fascinating both for his umpiring career and for his being a pioneer for LGBTQ people within baseball and across sports.

©2022 Dale Scott and Rob Neyer; Foreword 2022 by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (P)2023 Tantor

Stuff I never Knew!

Do you think you know baseball? Hear it from an umpires perspective! Great book Dale!

Amazing person, amazing story

This book is absolutely fantastic. I'm not a huge baseball person in general and read this on a friend's recommendation, but I simply couldn't stop listening. The narration by the author made this whole book feel incredibly authentic and vibrant. The stories were enlightening, engaging, and artfully told. I had no idea about the inner workings of baseball umpires, but have a whole new appreciation for them that I will carry for the rest of my life!
What a fascinating career, and hearing about it through such a thoughtful and unique perspective made it even better. Reading about Mr. Scott's path to self-acceptance, love, family, friends, and decades-long dedication to his craft was a gift.
I won't be over this book for a long time, and I look forward to recommending it to others. 10/10, a worthwhile read for anyone and everyone!