[Justme]

Replacements blend in well taking over for striking umpires

Friday, April 07, 2006
By Steve Vedder
The Grand Rapids Press

COMSTOCK PARK -- If the ultimate compliment for an umpire is that nobody notices their work, it was a successful night for two replacement umpires who worked Thursday's West Michigan Whitecaps opener at Fifth Third Ballpark.
The two umpires, Bob Higgins and Pat Moore, escaped with nothing but praise for their work in Fort Wayne's 5-3 win over the Whitecaps.

The two were working because of a strike by the 220-member Association of Minor League Umpires. Minor league baseball's governing body, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, has directed teams to hire replacement umpires until a settlement is reached.

Whitecaps vice president of operations Jim Jarecki said the Midwest League won't allow teams to release the names of replacement umpires.
Higgins, a native of Greenville who worked the bases without incident Thursday, said his reason for accepting the job was simple.
"Somebody's got to do it. You have to make a living," he said. "I have no problem with doing it."

Whitecaps manager Matt Walbeck and Fort Wayne's Randy Ready both said Higgins and Moore did well under the circumstances. The Whitecaps were unable to hire any local amateur umpires who work Division I college games as well as Midwest League fill-ins because those umpires backed the umpires association.

"They did fine. Any time you have to cross a picket line, you're in a tough situation," Walbeck said. "Everyone here understands the situation. They're part-timers who don't have (professional) experience. We need to be understanding of that and the ballplayers are."

Ready said the focus should have been more on a well-played opener.
"They're doing the best they can, but we've still got a schedule to play," he said.

Jarecki said the Whitecaps looked everywhere for credible umpires. The pair will work at least the team's next two homestands or until the strike is settled, he said.

"You just aren't going to bring in some 14-year Little League guy," he said. "You've got to have some experience and we looked at that."