UNMASKED: THE HONORABLE AND DISHONORABLE TRUTHS OF A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL UMPIRE by Zach Rebackoff

FINALLY, A BOOK THAT UNMASKS THE “BLUE BROTHERHOOD”

Whenever somebody learns that Zach Rebackoff (The Flying Birdman)was a professional baseball umpire, their reaction is a bare-all-teeth smile and a most frequently asked double-barreled question: “Really? Did you ever throw anyone out?” Ha! Wanna ssk the players and managers? UNMASKED-The Honorable and Dishonorable Truths of a Professional Baseball Umpire will undoubtedly convey that they know he did!

Bronx-born into an emigre Russian Jewish family in April 1951, Zach would be first a baseball Maverick and then a Pirate. For example, there was the evening in the Dominican Republic when he called a forfeit against the home team, putting himself under the siege of 18,000 garbage-hurling fanáticos. Or the day in 1980 when future HOF’er Wade Boggs hung blame on him for losing the league batting title—by one percentage point.

UNMASKED, Rebackoff’s in-depth memoir, is for baseball enthusiasts and their insatiable desire to understand our national pastime’s enforcement squads; the highs, the lows, the trials and tribulations, politics, backstabbing, and most especially, what goes on inside those quirky minds behind the mask, in particular, Zach’s mask; the one he wore on the field, and the one he wore, and still wears, off the field. In Zach’s opinion, many baseball fans visualize what it’s like being a professional umpire, embedded in the game’s speed, living up to the challenge, in real-time, with all of its attendant notoriety and cheers. They suspect umpiring is challenging, but they don’t surely know.

In a myriad of voices, Zach captures baseball’s culture from, shall we dare say, a sagacious angle. Truly knowing umpires (those you know by name) is to know there are MLB umpires that have purposely unleashed indefensible acts of defamation, betrayal, and deceit—Zach’s memoir tells you the who, what, and where. Baseball umpires, by the way, are a trendy subject. With the implementation of instant replay and ultra-slow-mo, the TV’s cameras dissect each revolution of every pitch, and numerous blogs focus solely on umpires’ statistics, ejections, tendencies, quotes, and habits—the public’s peeking into one of the most intricate jobs on the planet have never been greater!

Besides being a professional baseball umpire, Zach tripped, tap-danced, bull-rode, and sailed his way through a career that has encompassed published authorship (TOUGH CALLS C. Avon Books), TV talk show hosting, newspaper and magazine journalistic endeavors, and entrepreneurship. But, unfortunately, he never did love the “brotherhood.” Still, Zach eventually found himself surrounded by, usually in an animated debate with, baseball legends such as Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken, Wade Boggs, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, Ron Darling, Felipe Alou, Tony Peña, Mookie Wilson… and so on. For those who accepted the Maverick, he offers praise. For those who attempted to sabotage his career, Zach’s words come down with the weight of a sledgehammer. What autobiography would be worth reading without thrashing those who deserve it?