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This is a note from Shawn Francis that was posted on the AMLU website.
"Recently I have been made aware that umpire school graduates who were sent to the PBUC evaluation course in Cocoa, FL, and who did not receive placement in Minor League Baseball for the 2008 season, are being offered placement in the Coastal Plain League for the summer. In exchange for taking the assignment, the umpire school graduates are being offered a return trip to the PBUC evaluation course in 2009 without having to go through the expense and uncertainty of umpire school another time.
The collegiate umpires who normally work this college wood bat league each summer are now expressing their dissapointment with Minor League Umpires, who in their eyes are taking their games away from them.
First, please let me make myself and the AMLU clear, we share the umpires dissapointment that their games were taken away from them by the agreement the Coastal Plains League sought out with PBUC. Most importantly, the umpires in this area were some of the most supportive umpires of the AMLU during our work stoppage two years ago. This has not gone unnoticed by the AMLU and is why we are working on finding a solution to this situation.
Understand that the umpires that are working these games this summer are NOT Minor League Umpires.
They are NOT members of the AMLU.
The AMLU has NO jurisdiction over those umpires.
The AMLU and/or actual Minor League Umpires cannot prevent the Coastal Plains League Presdient from seeking umpires anywhere he sees fit.
If the Coastal Plains League was seeking to use actual Minor League Umpires, the AMLU would certainly not allow that to happen.
The AMLU is continuing to look into any possible scenerio that we can take part in that will help the collegiate umpires in getting their games back.
If anyone has any thoughts on what the AMLU can do to help out in any way please post your thoughts here so they can be considered and discussed.
Thank You.
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Shaun Francis
AMLU President "
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