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Originally Posted by Justme
Dispite what you and others may think being a MiLB umpire does not rank up there with things like teachers, doctors, nurses, police, military and other positions that really count and make a difference in peoples lives. They can and will be easily replaced...what they do is not rocket science.
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Since you didn't ask me what I think, I'll explain it to you.
No, being an umpire does not rank up there with the professions you listed (the only one of which, by the way, that I can tell gets paid what is worth is a doctor).
Your statement that it is "not rocket science" is true but incomplete. I am amazed that anyone who officiates baseball would make that kind of statment. It's not turning burgers, either. Have you ever umpired a baseball game before? That is not meant to be flip- if anybody could do it, anybody would. Tell me you have never been on the field with some jackass fan behind you yelling about your strike zone or your lack of rules knowledge and you thought to yourself, "If it's so easy, smart guy, get out here and do it."
This is my opinion and it is worth what you are about to pay for it. I have umpired baseball and refereed basketball. Basketball is naturally more physically demanding, but in terms of judgment, rules knowledge and situations, there is nothing harder to officiate than baseball. You are expected to get the routine right 100% of the time, react to the arcane and weird correctly, and at the same time listen to grown men behave like little boys and little boys sometimes try to behave like grown men- while all the time avoiding throwing them out until there is no other option.
It amazes me constantly that we send guys who make $15k a year out to the ballpark to "control" minor league guys (who by the way, all want the same thing the umpires want- to get to the Majors), some of whom are 20-year-old millionares.
There is some justification in the idea that they knew what they were getting into. Does that mean that once they are in, they have no right to try to make things better? There is more justification in the idea that it is time to make it something close to right for themselves and future umpires.
Strikes and outs!