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Originally Posted by aceholleran
Tell me how officials of this poor quality have "earned" anything. Please.
These are rewards for the Old Uncle Bumpses of the world. Please don't tell me that these umps are handpicked by experts as the best of the best.
I wouldn't let half of these smitties near a 9-year-old game in my neck of the woods, nape of the way.
Harummpf.
Ace
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"Earn" is a pliable word in the world of LL, Ace.
Teams earn their way to the LLWS by their performance on the field, proving their talent, besting opponents and winning their way.
Some umpires earn their way by their record of volunteering, serving on BOD's, shmoozing regional directors and "getting along" with coaches.
In some enlighted areas, ability and quality of performance are figured in. Last year the overall quality of the umpires at LLWS had improved for the second year in a row. (Indeed, the criticisms on the internet boards that were prevalent years ago nearly disappeared.) That led many to believe that the organization had finally realized that the umpires needed to be as good as the teams.
Alas, the improvement was short-lived, and while there are a few trained excellent umpires in attendance this year, the over all quality level is back to where it was five years ago.