Tue Feb 28, 2006, 04:18pm
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Get away from me, Steve.
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 15,785
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Quote:
Originally posted by Carl Childress
Quote:
Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
Quote:
Originally posted by Carl Childress
Quote:
Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
Quote:
Originally posted by Carl Childress
Officiating.com has published today a free article written by Jason Millsap, a minor league umpire.
We ask that you read it and give it the consideration and calm deliberation it deserves.
Thanks.
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I received the same "article" from another minor league umpire today in an email from one of my college assignors. Appears to be a form email.
I am happy to give the AMLU all the consideration it deserves.
However, I have to ask one question that, answered, would seriously impact my feelings toward the AMLU -- if these umpires DO strike will they promise to not take any high school or college dates from the umpires that normally work THOSE games?
Best regards,
Rich
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I don't know about other minor league umpires, but Jason is a member of TASO and a D1 college official. Generally, he's had four to five weeks of amateur baseball before he reports to his minor league.
When the hockey officials were locked out, they did not drop down to minor league hockey though many did work in Europe.
The test, though, should not be whether minor league umpires accept amateur games. During a strike, moving down, taking other jobs, has always been sanctioned.
It's when an umpire moves up that the union is weakened. In 1984, 12 college umpires walked into a play-off situation. If the AMLU strikes, far more than a dozen would be needed.
BTW: There's no doubt that your article is different from the one I published.
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I have no problem with umpires working the games they normally work, Carl. But I can't wait to see if long season minor league umpires start competing with established HS and college umpires for assignments. We shouldn't take their games, but I will bet that many will take ours.
BTW, here's the email I received this morning. Another umpire has received FOUR copies from different umpires:
My name is Andy Russell and I am a professional baseball umpire .I would like to ask you for a few minutes of your time to update or inform you on the Association of Minor League Umpires (AMLU) and our current negotiations with Minor League Baseball (MiLB) and Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC). [large section snipped][Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Feb 28th, 2006 at 03:12 PM]
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It is very like the one Jason sent me. No doubtr someone provided the general form and text; each umpire could make changes if he chose.
I'm certain that some amateur umpires will decide to fill in. There's a whole slew of unaffiliated minor league umpires, some of who were in PBUC and let go. I would expect many of them would cross the line, having already had a taste of the "little" Show.
They're not going to offer games to an old fat man like me, but I certainly would turn them down.
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I have little desire to work them myself as, frankly, they won't pay enough for someone to travel and put up with a lot of crap. My reasons for not working them are not noble ones, though. I don't feel a "brotherhood" with these guys or anything like that.
I think there will be more than enough school grads and PBUC-released umpires who won't even think twice about taking the assignments. And if that happens, all the strikers will lose. It'll be like Reagan and the air traffic controllers all over again.
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