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Originally Posted by gordon30307
I work a "fall ball" mens league. It's the only really bad baseball I'll do. The field is a few miles from my house they're DH's and the pay is good. A good number of the players only play in the fall. The quality of play well let me put it this way a good freshman team would beat most of them and a good sophmore team would dominate. The only good thing is that they're 7 innings with a time limit. Most of the players have an attitude that I would describe as: It's great to be out with my buddies and I'm just happy I can still play. If you have two teams like this the evening can be OK even though the quality of play leaves much to be desired. You have trouble when you run into a team or player that thinks they're good. When this happens I'll use all my tricks to keep them in the game. If that doesn't work enjoy the view from the parking lot.
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This describes most of the 28 and older men's teams I have done. Except, some of these teams in our area are quite good! Also, it seems that the 18 and over and the 38 and over leagues whine less. Something about those mid-30's guys that make them whine more.
Anyway, most of them just want to have a good time. I go out doing these games realizing that the quality of the playing is not going to be that great, and that there is not going to be any hustle between innings, and that they are going to complain a bit. What the hell, my strike zone gets a little bigger, I don't have to super hustle to next positions, and I see it as an opportunity to work on keeping guys in the game. I almost always walk away from adult league games feeling appreciated, and feeling like I had a pretty good time. If I handled the ejection(s) right, usually guys from that players teams are thanking me for "putting up with us today".
You can't be a control freak and do adult ball. It just don't work. If you approach umpiring these games like you would a high school game, you are not going to get along too well out there.
I look at it this way. Adult leagues are where I DIRECTLY service who pays me. I approach that with a certain amount of respect. In turn, I seem to get a good amount of respect in return. If I am not playing games out there, they don't play them with me.