roth@ut-sally.UUCP (Mark Roth) (06/28/85)
Here is a rather humorous article which our campus paper picked up. CLEARWATER, Fla. -- When a dispute broke out Wednesday night at a minor-league game between the Clearwater Phillies and the Osceola Astros, Wilbur Snapp was the only person ejected by umpire Kevin O'Connor. Snapp is the Phillies' 64-year-old organist. O'Connor, in no mood for musical commentary, tossed out Snapp for a spirited rendition of "Three Blind Mice," on his $10,000 Kawai DX900 organ. The St. Petersburg, Fla., resident said the song wrote itself as the play unfolded. "I just couldn't resist," said Snapp, who's been playing organ for 30 years. "Everyone was raising so much cain and the call was really bad." The Phillies, who eventually won the Class A game 8-2, had a runner on first in the third inning when a batter lofted a fly to right field. "The man was safely back at first after the catch, but the ump called him out for a double play," Snapp said. "There was a big roar from the crowd and I started playing 'Three Blind Mice.' That's the first time I've played that tune during a Phillies' game, although I often play it when the umps come out on the field for the first time. "My organ sits up in the middle of the stands and this ump walked over toward me and threw his arm up in the air--like he was throwing out a manager or a player. "Our general manager (Dave Rowan) came down and the ump said if I didn't leave he would order the game forfeited. But I didn't leave Jack Russell Stadium. Instead, I spent the rest of the game making balloons in the shape of mice and giving them out to the crowd. Then everyone started singing the song in the stands...people loved it." Rowan spent the rest of the evening trying to drum up publicity about the incident, even attempting to reach television talk-show host David Letterman. "I think it's totally ridiculous," Rowan said. "I think it's just the umpire getting mad because someone's telling them they made a mistake. He (O'Connor) said it was detrimental to the game. I feel anyone who's any type of person would find it amusing." The crowd of 396 howled as Snapp closed his musical booth and began sculpting balloons into animal shapes.