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Originally Posted by BenedictArnold
You are not worth my words. but since you are so set to read something, try reading some of the players and managers words...I highlighted a few of my favorites.
June 1, 2006, 05:05:31 AM PDT
TODAY: Bakersfield at Modesto, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Samuel Deduno (2-1, 3.89) will start for Modesto against Blaze righty John Bannister (1-5, 5.53).
COMING UP: Tuesday's game opened a seven-game, six-day homestand for the Nuts. Bakersfield is here through Thursday, then Stockton comes to town for a 7:05 p.m. single game Friday, a 5:05 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a 1:05 p.m. single game Sunday.
RETURN OF THE MEN IN BLUE -- The regular minor-league umpires will be back on the field no later than June 12, and players and coaches alike are counting the innings.
The season-long strike ended Tuesday morning, when the Association of Minor League Umpires agreed to a six-year contract that included a $100 per month wage increase and an immediate $3 per diem bump. Under the previous contract, Single-A umpires made $10,000 for the five-month season plus $20 per diem, in addition to reimbursement for travel and lodging.
While the regular umpires have been on strike, their spots have been filled by umpires from the high school and college ranks.
"It's nice to know we'll have guys back who will know the rules," said Modesto Nuts manager Chad Kreuter. "They won't be calling the high school and college slide rules. We've seen that, and at those times the umps have been confused. You recite the big-league rule to them and they give you a deer in the headlights look."
Players were instructed in spring training to refrain from arguing with the replacement umps as much as possible. Still, looks of frustration on the field have been frequent, particularly on batters walking back to the dugout following a called third strike.
"These temporary guys started out OK, then they got really, really bad, then they got a little better," said Nuts outfielder Matt Miller. "But overall, they've been pretty bad.
"I've seen them catering to the home team and catering a little bit to the better pitchers, who get every call on the corner. I hope the real umpires come back and do a much better job."
Some pitchers have been able to take advantage of the strike zone of the replacement umps because of a strange consistency -- the zones have seemed to get wider late in games.
"You have to love that," said Nuts reliever Jarrett Grube. "We've seen late in close games where the umpires will open up the strike zones and give you the strikeout to end the game. But our hitters don't know what to look for. A pitch will be a ball the whole game and suddenly it will be called a strike.
"I do think these umps this season have been trying hard and have done a pretty good job filling in. And we're above .500 and not too far out of first place, so it hasn't ruined our season."
-- BRIAN VanderBEEK
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