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Originally Posted by Tim C
"I was 11 years old when I called my first game on the bases. It was a 9-10 year old game and I knew every single player and coach."
. . . and therein lies the "internet" problem with umpires:
At 11 years old you were not umpiring. It doesn't count on your resume and, in my personal opinion, shouldn't even be considered as "umpiring."
We get guys all the time that say they have "14 years experience" and we find that they are 21 years old. Something doesn't fly.
This is one of the reasons that I "hold in contempt" small diamond umpires.
Regards,
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What difference does age have to do with anything? He said he attended the association's rules and mechanics clinics for 3 years prior to working a game. That is different than a kid that just jumps right into a game situation from off the street as a "helper" (read "hinderer"). He actually studied how to be an umpire before working a game.
We had an umpire who's 13 year old son took an interest in becoming an umpire. I had the dubious "honor" of working the bases on his very first plate game. It was a Pony (13-14) game, and both his dad, and our assignor were in attendance. He actually did quite well, and continued working youth ball and then eventually HS ball when he was 16. At age 18, he went to Wendelstedts, and then UDP, and then to a job in minor league baseball.
I would rather work with a youngster who is eager to learn how to umpire the right way, who hasn't developed a lot of bad habits, than to umpire with some old Smitty who tells me to "just go along with me on checked swings," or hollers "safe" at the top of his lungs when a runner slides into a base when there is no play.
If an umpire is a dues paying, uniform wearing, gets-paid-to-umpire type umpire, than he or she is a real baseball umpire, IMO.
Steve
Defender of "real" real umpires.