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Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck
Whatever your own definition of "scab" is, rest assured, that is what you will be if you take an assigment and work a minor league game in the event of a strike. Whatever the reasoning or motivation that drives you to that decision and gets you on the field is, it will have driven you to be labeled for life as someone who crossed a picket line and worked somewhere that you did not earn the right to be.
If you have accepted an assignment and plan to work on opening day, be prepared to be face to face with the men you are crossing. The minor league umpires, their family, and other supporters (including myself) will be there at the games. They will be holding signs, and they will be distributing informational flyers. There won't be a soul on the field or in the stands that doesn't know who you are and what you are doing. With that said, enjoy your game, and maybe I'll see you there!
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I'm convinced that the system is broken, right down to the (essentially) monopoly system in place with the umpire schools and PBUC. No other sport requires officials to follow such a narrow path into the professional ranks. The current system benefits organized baseball and mostly benefits the owners of the umpire schools who are able to fill classes because the turnover is intentionally built into the process. And the process is designed to keep the pay terribly low for the existing bodies that work the leagues.
I hope the umpires do go on strike. And I hope then that the minor leagues blow up the current system and decide to hire their own umpires permanently. The umpiring would suffer initially, sure, but it's how every other sport hires officials and the officiating would eventually improve as good umpires are identified and retained. And eventually the pay would have to increase to retain those people.
Enjoy your picketing. And hopefully someday maybe you'll see how the process and its implicit turnover is the reason why you get paid so little.