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Originally Posted by GarthB
This axiom belongs right next to "the hands are part of the bat."
There is a reason we don't start amateurs at the D-1 level and let them work their way "up" to little league.
There is a reason pros don't start at the MLB championship level and work their way up to short season A.
And that reason is that that so called axiom is bullsh!t.
Our association was so short of umpire this year the we had first year rookies assigned to varsity ball. Their record was disasterous. AD after AD called to beg us not to re-assign rookie and one and two year umpires to varsity again.
Upper level games may be easier for upper level umpires to work, but they are not easier games for everyone to work.
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You hit the nail right on the head, friend.
A good, wise friend of mine said recently that there is not a lot of difference in strikes/balls safes/outs and mechanics and rules knowledge between the top high school umpire and the D1 crew chief. The difference is in "little things" and in how the D1 ump handles situations. That differece makes all the difference in the world to college skippers.
Take this sitch- you are working a 13 year old BR game- around here, the first level of 90' bases. Those poor kids can't find the strike zone with a flashlight from two feet away- let alone 90. The defense is not so good and the catcher is practiced in the art of ole. In short, the baseball sucks, as far as baseball goes. Yes, it's hard to umpire, mecahnically. Yes, you will get creative with finding strikes where there aren't any to be found.
On the other hand, there aren't a whole lot of expectations of you as an umpire, either.
And I think the idea that "better baseball is easier to umpire" simplifies a complex idea too much. If you put a rookie umpire behind the plate while Greg Maddux is on the mound, one of two things is going to happen: (1) rookie is going to call none of Maddux' legitimate "paint-the-black" pitches strikes or (2) rookie is going to let Maddux expand the zone by six inches. Either way, the rookie is going to find himself in a world of crap in very short order.
Experienced umpires work big games. I think that's one convention that is as it should be.
Strikes and outs!