[WindyCityBlue]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JRutledge

Dude, what the heck are you talking about?

Are you the only one that can't follow along? EMD and the others seem to understand that I gave real advice and encouragement. I didn't think that was confusing.

You are missing the point as usual. There are many rural areas that have no umpires that even have the opportunity to advance to a certain level.

So what - he is interested in moving up and I gave him advice on how to do that.

Of course umpires have to be close, but I do not know if working the Mid-Con is considered a high level of ball.

Who works Mid-Con?

And the umpires that I know work at one of the local D1 School only work that one school. They do not travel to work all the other teams in that conference.

I work several major college conferences and do travel to multiple schools in each conference. I travel a lot and plan my business trips around my Spring schedule. I have three regular partners and all of them travel to multiple schools in each conference. So, I guess he can take the word of someone who knows or someone who guesses.


...you say you got an opportunity to work because a coach saw you. Well I do not know many D1 schools playing in the area that I started umpiring.

Again, we don't want to compare my talent with yours. My big break came after i finished three years in the Minors. I was working winter ball in Florida and a coach from the Midwest saw me and asked if I wanted some of his non-conference games. I agreed and made friends with the regular crews and assignor. I still work that school, even though the head coach has changed twice.

There is a very good reason you see all the Big Ten Football Officials from a certain area in Illinois. There is a reason I see only D1 Basketball Officials come from a certain area in our state as well.

When EMD wants to work college football or basketball, I'll tell him to move here. Until then, stay on the topic.


Opportunity is as much about geography as it is talent. You will never get picked if you live in an area where there is no "pipeline" coming from a particular area.

You are very wrong, Little Rut. I moved to the Chicago area long after I established myself. I grew up in another state and worked many ball games before I chose to go to Professional Umpiring School. I lived in several states and travel all over the country. My experience is what I speak from, not listening to other's stories and attending camps. My Rookie ball partner heralded from a town of 180 people in Kentucky. One of my AA partners was from a small town in Canada, not exactly Cooperstown.

My advice was solid, my opinion baseball based, positive and understood by the parties involved. The rest of this Board realizes that whenever you get flustered you mix up the facts and try to turn the dialogue to basketball and football. I prefer to stay on target and relate the facts. Good luck, but if I were you, I'd punt.