[emaxos]

It sounds to me like no matter how bad an umpire may be, he stays in the system. Isn't there some method whereby umpires are evaluated and if necessary, de-certified.
I know the percentages are miniscule but someone that can't perform shouldn't be allowed to continue. It's a disservice to your profession and to the players.
Good umpires are hardly noticed during games. The ones that get talked about among coaches and fans are the ones that stand out for negative reasons.
I think I would rather be hassled with a shortness of qualified umpires then have to deal with a constant stream of complaints about one bad apple.