Quote:
Originally posted by JJ
I was asked this question by another umpire. What would you say?
A High School A.D. called a veteran umpire - not a very good one by umpiring standards, but a "buddy" of his - and said, "Here's my varsity schedule for next Spring - take what you want." The umpire TOOK THEM ALL. The A.D. either didn't care or was too timid to say "You can't have them all".
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You state that the umpire was a "buddy" of the AD. This method of selecting umpires was common in years past. It even took place at the college level.
I am too much of a cynic to believe that the AD did not know EXACTLY what he was doing. He expects a favor in return. That favor is that all close calls go in favor of his school. Before you castigate the AD, consider what he is up against. If he has to hire his umpires directly, so does every other school. What do you think that those ADs are doing. They are hiring homers, that's what.
Only when all the ADs get together and agree that this method of selecting umpires is not in the sports programs' best interest, will the system change. The person with the most at risk is the umpire. A favor was done for him. A favor is expected in return. He doesn't have to be a good umpire to be a homer. Once labeled a homer, no one will trust him in the future when the school district goes to centralized hiring, as is inevitable. That umpire's career will be history.
Peter