[PeteBooth]

You cannot have it both ways.

LL is supposed to be about Volunteering. If you were ever a UIC or a scheduler of umpires for a given LL season, you have your guys / gals that you can count on. They might not necessarily be the best but they are willing and able.

Then you get to the districts / sates etc. etc. and then the Distric administrator gets involved and brings in their "heavy-weights"

The "other group" who busts their buts all year round gets nothing or at the very least maybe a couple of first / second round All Star games at best.

Then we wonder why ABC LL organization can't get umpires. Hey it's ok for me to work games all week maybe 3-4 games on Saturday but when the "big" games come I am not good enough.

You said it best "we had a guy from our college group"

This guy should be polished.

I am not saying this college umpire did not donate games for free to LL but if he was doing college ball he was not there each and every night.

Also, LLWS umpire bashing has been going on for quite some time now. In a Forum I used to visit quite frequently (eteamz) it was a yearly event.

The problem: LL "sold their sole" to the network

Instead of LL doing the right thing and pay for umpires, they want to "hide" behind the notion that it's all Volunteer but when the "show" starts they want the cream of the crop umpires. I too knew some college guys that umpired at the districts etc. Yeah they were good but they should have been.

In a nutshell you "cannot have your cake and eat it to" If it's truly volunteer then allow the guys / gals who bust their butts all year to officiate, otherwise simply pay for the officials.

Pete Booth