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Umpires are slightly better than slaves at every level but the big leagues. There can't be games without us, yet there is no full appreciation of our contribution in the form of a suitable fee.
In Southern California, I frequently travel 60-to-80 miles round trip to do a high school game in my gas-guzzling V-8 SUV, only to be given a check for $75.00, which, after gas and a meal, is enough to barely buy another meal.
And I work for two different H.S. units, because there's a shortage of good umpires and the L.A. unit has to borrow guys so more games aren't canceled. And we can't get more good umpires, because that self-sacrificing sprit isn't present in this or the coming generation.
I can't understand why A) the training of quality umpires is so weak; and B) why so little emphasis is placed on raising the fee scale for those that are properly trained.
MLB umpires give a little back, but they should give back drastically more in the area of training umpires.
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