[dudeinblue]

"Definition: professional- One who earns money for a skill or craft that they speacialize in.

Translation- If you get paid for umpiring games, you are a professional.

I agree with Tim C though i umpire a summer rec leauge that my son is in for just the fun of baseball, I know it is not real baseball. And although it is not weird baseball i see things like some umpires will never see in there life, such as the other night when a pitcher did a 360 on the pitching plate and balked about 10 times. My point is that its not realy games but they still can be fun if you arn't just in it for the monney. And as far as any leauge goes if your just in it for the money, just quit now cause you will never be great. ( not to say im great or anything)"

Just because it is rec-ball does not mean that it is not "real" baseball. It's baseball no matter how you look at it, the level and competitiveness is just not as good. Do I have fun doing it? You dang right, I love umpiring. Do I also do it for the money, you dang right. Factoring the prices out, it equals out to being around $20 an hour that I make, to a junior in college, that kind of money is gold. Maybe not to you or the big-dogs on here, but to me it sure beats flippin hamburgers or lifting boxes for $7 an hour.