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Originally Posted by His High Holiness
Ok, let us take your argument to its logical conclusion. Umpires are athletes. We do not compete against another team, but we are part of the athletic process. So why not:
1. Fine batters for striking out with the winning run on base?
2. Fine shortstops for letting the ball go through their legs?
3. Fine coaches who give the steal size to the slowest runner on the team and he is thrown out but 10 feet?
4. Fine pitchers for throw meatballs on a 0-2 count?
5. Fine catchers for past balls?
etc. etc. etc.
Umpires no more deserve a fine for missing a call than an outfielder desrves a fine for dropping a can of corn. Stuff happens. The coach benches him. Likewise our assignors bench us for missing calls. It happens all the time. Believe me.
Peter
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Players DO get fined and reprimanded for this- in what they lovingly call KANGAROO COURT...and to that end, our umpire's association has implemented it as well.
Miss a rotation? Face a penalty.
Exceedingly poor calls? Penalty.
Over-calling games? Penalty.
Showing up late? Penalty.
And so on.
Penalties are, for the most part, mild enough to still be humorous, but 'stiff' enough to get attention. Most of them are just for kicks- forcing them to show up early, or teach the association the positioning that they missed, or shine theirs AND their partner's shoes.
The point is not to punish, but to point out areas where people need work,and draw attention to it in a fun way, rather than have people talk about it behind people's backs.
The umpires don't work for the league, they work for the umpires association, which is contracted by the league- so any evaluation or disciplining that needs to be done will be done by the employer- the umpire's association.
Bainer.