#fyp #fyppage #podcast #podcasting #journalism #newspapers #Missouri #RayCounty #sports #youthsports #softball #competitivesoftball #umpiring #umpires #officiating #sobriety #religion #Christianity #StJoseph #Benton

Co-host Shawn Roney talks with longtime umpire Mike Karl, softball player Ruby Stein and Ruby's mother Sara about Ruby's gesture of giving Mike a figurine of Jesus Christ and a coin during a club softball game in 2025 at a Midwestern tournament. Other topics they discuss include the treatment of umpires and the toughness of softball players.

Notes:

• Clarification: Shawn's work colleague at The Examiner in Jackson County, Mo., probably only used the length of an average softball game to measure the length of baseball games once or twice.
• To read Shawn's "Prep to Pro" column that mentions the figurine exchange, visit https://www.richmond-dailynews.com/sports/comp-softball-baseball-are-calling (subscription required)
• Mike graduated from Richmond two years after Shawn. He has umpired softball games for 37 years.

Credits:

• Hosts: Miranda Jamison, Shawn Roney
• Producers: Sharon Donat, Miranda Jamison, Shawn Roney
• Sales director: Sharon Donat
• Editing: Shawn Roney
• Music: "God Bless Hardin," composed by Shawn Roney, performed by Sacred & Secular (solo incarnation; used with permission from Mo-Mutt Music
• Edited, mixed and mastered using Audacity, Auphonic and LANDR