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Very Interesting . . .
Pete:
Over the last 36 season I have traversed many levels of umpiring.
Your question drills into me each spring. "Why am I doing this again?"
So we need to take a short tour to understand how I come to this question:
1- I am still a pretty good high school playoff level umpire.
2- I am very involved in the training of umpires. I teach FED rules to our mandatory advanced umpire class (includes all 3 and 4 year umpires and many vets (smitties)) that are required to attend. I have also just been named to the State Mechanics Training Committee and will be establishing trainng programs for all FED umpires in my state.
3- Contrary to some I umpire for power and money. I have made that clear several times over the past eight season I have been cyber-umpiring.
4- I have already worked D1 baseball (for 25 years) and retired first from that type ball.
5- I don't find umpiring "fun" and I don't do it "for the kids".
I have found that I start thinking each spring, "gees, this just isn't worth it any more!"
This thought is inflamed by two specific items:
a) Living in the Nothwest we have many, many, many (did I say many) rainouts. This means that I plan all day to umpire, force my work schedule so I can leave early then have the game snatched from me by mother nature.
b) It is a true bear to get through traffic to get to games that start at 4:30 pm. My area is listed as the 7th worst trafffic situation in America during PM Drive Time. It puts additional pressure on me as I head to an already hightened pressure situation.
I used to make it through the school season and THEN DREADED summer ball (where play is vastly infoerior and there is NO discipline).
Now like some I am motivated by getting the "Big Game." I want the toughtest, meanest, most meaniful game each time I work. The money is secondary (but I do have a newly decorated deck off my flat with this years earnings).
Now in answer to the question:
I retired 3 of the past four years (even selling the lion's portion of my gear this year) only to be drawn back in.
Why do I retire?
Becasue I am afraid of being a "Smitty" and just not noticing it.
I am a member of a private e-mail group of umpires. As I have explained to them in two threads I have selected to call two rules "my own way" rather than as they are intended.
I was called stubborn by one but the real comment came from Dave Hensley (who often posts on this site) who said,
"Tee has selected to become a Smitty -- there is no other explaination of his disregard for rules" (That is a parphrase of his point).
So maybe, just maybe I am already a Smitty and just not noticing.
Oh yeah, I have the two biggest games (most prestigious) in my area tomorrow.
Maybe I'll take my ball bags and plate brush onto the field and dust some bases and pitcher's plates.
Just call me Smitty!
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