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Originally Posted by DG
If it is customary ("For this league, we are supposed to split, with the Base Umpire suiting up and working the JV game.") then he needs to understand and comply with the custom. Or, he can just work his college games.
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Well there is no such custom that I am aware of where I live. In my state it is about the contract and what that contract says. If someone wants to request you to do something else, that is between you and the school. And it is your right as an umpire to not comply with something outside of that contract. This comes back to what I always say on these boards about what you do in your area might not apply somewhere else.
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Originally Posted by DG
I was assigned bases for a game yesterday, but my partner called and said he injured his arm in a game earlier in the day when a catcher missed an inside pitch (he was on the way to get an XRAY to see if it was broken). He was trying to get up with our assignor to get replaced but had not gotten up with him yet. I asked him could he work bases and he said he thought he could. I told him no sweat, I will work the plate.
This guy was afraid of getting beat up in a JV game the day before a college game. I broke a finger in the first inning of the first game of a Sunday college DH two years ago and managed to complete both games and go for my XRAY on Tuesday. This guy is a chicken sh*t and I wouldn't accept any more games with him either. Why he is working college games is a big question in my mind.
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Whether he was afraid or not is not the issue. I love the "manly" talk that everyone likes to display as if that proves anything. The bottom line he does not have to work a game he was not scheduled. I know I only accept certain levels of games mainly because that is what I enjoy to do. I also do not like to take certain level of games because if and when I get an opportunity at a higher level I will bail on the first game or want to give it back. I do not like to give it back or to ask, so I will not accept games lower than the levels I am used to.
Two years ago I was scheduled to work a varsity basketball game with 3 Person mechanics. I showed up early and was the first varsity official to be on site. When I walked in the door I was immediately approached by someone to work the sophomore game (prelim or JV in other areas) before my varsity game. Without much hesitation I agreed to do the game. When I showed up the game was at half time. So I run to the locker room and hurry up and get dressed to help out an official who was working by himself. I get dressed and the game is about 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. I thought they were waiting on me but I was wrong. I then run onto the court at the first opportunity and work the remainder of the game. I was also not in tune to the game or what had been called and it was clearly frustrating to the players, coaches and even me. I finish the game without much of a hitch and continued to work the varsity game that followed. Several weeks later I get the check in the mail from the school thinking I will get both checks or a significant bump in pay. They paid me only $8.50 more than what I worked for the varsity game. I called the school and I was asked them about what I was paid and why? They told me they prorated the amount because I only worked a quarter and a half of the Soph game. Well to make a long story short they sent me about $10 because I was not happy with that result.
Now this was not a baseball game where I can get hit by a ball or a bat. But it made me think how if I did pull a hamstring or turn a knee or got hurt any number of ways trying to run harder to work a 2 man game as compared to working 3 officials, who was going to pay me for my injury? If I would have lost the season or a significant part of the season would that have been worth it? I say no and I will not do that again if that is the appreciation I will be shown. Now my situation is not exactly like this case here, but it is similar in the fact I do not work many lower level games because I want to stay fresh for my varsity and college basketball games. So I think he may have had a legitimate concern because no one here was going to pay any medical bills or suffer the consequences for anything wrong that may take place. He was assigned a varsity game and if he no one showed up to work the JV game, it is not the obligation of the umpires to make it up if they do not want to.
Peace