[Thump]

If the market is going to set the price for an umpire, then how come it seems that ticket prices, gas prices, everything prices are going up and have for the past ten years, and so has attendance at Minor League parks, yet the salaries of Minor League Umpires has stayed the same. There is obviously something wrong here. Just because a MiLB umpire knew what the salary of a MiLB umpire was coming in, doesn't mean that it shouldn't change. Obviously if they are willing to not work because of their unfair wages, then something is wrong. I doubt we understand it as well because we aren't in their shoes. But if you use the argument "you know what you are getting into" as a reason not to get a raise, then nobody would ever get raises. To say that MiLB teams struggle to makes ends meet is a flat out lie. MiLB is making record profits. It's not about MiLB not having enough money to give the umpires more. From what I know, these guys are making about 2000 - 2500 a month, for five months. So that's around 11,000 a year for their services. Whereas Major League Umpires make 10 to 30 times that much. And how many minor league umpires get jobs in the MLB? There hasn't been one in the past couple years. It's very rare. Most of these guys are career MiLB umpires. And don't tell me that it's not a career, because spending 10 years of your life in a position IS a career these days. And then when these guys are fired, they are left with nothing. And these guys don't just advance for doing a perfect job and getting better. Most of them are awesome and do everything anybody could ever ask out of them. There just aren't any MLB jobs out there for them. I doubt these guys are asking for much. They SHOULD be making more than what I make doing D3 and D1 baseball. It's harder to get into, they are ALWAYS away from home, and frankly, watching them work and meeting some of them, they are MUCH BETTER umpires.

Umpiring for 25 years, I find it hard to believe that umpires of such a high quality could be easily replaced. Umpires are VERY important to the game. They aren't just a janitor or a kitchen worker. If they screw up, the game gets screwed up. Do you really think fans, management and players are going to like that screw ups are going to go WAY up because the new umpires won't be consistent at all? If I'm a player trying to make it to MLB, I'm going to want the best umpires possible. Same with a manager. And as a fan…I don't want to see the game destroyed by bad umpiring. I've destroyed a game or two in my day…and so have partners of mine, and so have a lot of high school and college umpires I know. But I have never been to a MiLB game, and seen it destroyed by the umpires. I am always amazed at how consistent they are. New guys come into town every week…and they look the same. They do everything the same. Most of us amateur umpires do a REALLY good job. But I'll admit it…I couldn't hold my own in a professional game. I don't have the time nor the ability to do what I see those minor league umpires do. I'm not that good. Most of the guys I work with aren't that good. And the ones that are close…they are working full D1 schedules and talking to them, they wouldn't even think about working minor league games. They wouldn’t want to take the huge pay cut, haha. Plus they love college baseball…as do I. I wouldn't be willing to give it up.

I've never worked a minor league baseball game…and I admit, working one would be cool. But it wouldn't be cool if I knew I was hurting other umpires by doing so. These guys work hard, have families, and I know that some of them are really just trying to put food on their family's table and clothe their kids. Plus I don't know how I'd feel walking out onto a Minor League field with everybody knowing I wasn't a Minor League Umpire. The cool thing about working upper level baseball is that you earned it. You worked hard to get there, and you've earned the respect that level brings. If I worked while the REAL minor league umpires were striking, then I wouldn't have earned that, I'd just be taking advantage of somebody else's misfortune. I don't know how I could invite my friends and family to come watch me, when they knew that. I'd be kind of embarrassed.

Maybe I'd feel different if I truly felt these guys were just being stupid, and should just work because they have an awesome job, which they do. But to me, it feels like they are REALLY being taken advantage of. I hope they continue to stand up for themselves. Nobody ever seems to think about us umpire or even care. I am sure a lot of fans and people won't care about these umpires. But not me. I AM AN UMPIRE. I am not going to turn my back on another umpire. That would just be wrong.

But that is just my opinion.