Judge Roberts: Play Ball!

In his confirmation hearings for SCOTUS Chief Justice, Judge Roberts compared the role of a judge to that of an umpire.

"Judges are like umpires," he said.

"Umpires don't make the rules. They apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ball game to see the umpire." Then Judge Roberts promised: "I will remember it is my job to call balls and strikes and not to pitch or bat."

For more on this comparison, see Manuel Miranda's "The Umpire Strikes Back: In praise of baseball, apple pie, motherhood and judicial restraint."