Quote:
Originally Posted by RichMSN
It's a lot more complicated than that. I am a Little League volunteer who also happens to work games at other levels (HS, college, etc.). I teach at a LL junior umpire clinic every season and do what I can to make our umpiring better during the tournament season.
I do have the feeling that there are a significant number of umpires and others within Little League that think that anyone who takes money for umpiring should fall lower on the ladder than those selfless volunteers who do nothing but umpire LL baseball. And that, IMO, is a complete crock of crap.
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I've have travelled the exact same road in LLBB as Rich (my last year was '06) including teaching at a yearly junior umpire clinic; and I work HS baseball and college softball. He is 100% on target with his comments. I've seen it from the inside having attended one of LL's week long regional umpiring schools, and having umpired one of their LLBB regionals...complete with the whole televised by ESPN deal.
The LL regional umpire staff on site micro manages the umpires (including, as an example, having a staff member handle the HP meeting and ground rules), replay will just allow them to exert more control over the game and provide them with something else to wave over the umpire's heads to make a good many of them more nervous than they already will be when they step on the field.
Let me add to what mybyron said, yes they're "overkilling the overkill." Add reply to the 200 ft. fences, 6 umpires, and 60 ft. base paths...heaven help the umpire's who'll be working the various regionals.