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I'm I college umpire, and no I'm not working minor league games. And I sympathize completely with the MiLB umpires plight.
I've been involved in two umpire strikes, one in high school (before I was college) that essentially ended my doing extensive HS ball and a three year strike against high-level college summer ball, during which time I worked no summer ball, period.
Characteristic to both were that they were able to find replacements. Quality varied but management put on happy face releases, gagged the field personnel and tolerated the goings on. Casual fans think we're all bad anyway.
Both strikes ended when the field people had had enough and complained. But that takes a long time. Sadly, I see a generation of MiLB guys lost.
Assuming this goes on for a while, Major LB has a vested interest here since their system of developing umpires is in jeopardy. Remember the current system was put in place to change the local guys doing games-getting promoted-political system that existed prior to the 60s. I'm not looking to start a college guy can-do-it-as-well debate. I'm saying that simply promoting a local guy doing AAA to a bigs schedule is an adjustment. If they start to do that how will the entire MLB system adjust?
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