[PeteBooth]

IMO, you are spot on in your assessment and I will add one more comment to that. IMO, baseball officials unlike other major sports officials are not held accountable.

Ed Hochule a well respected football official blew a call BIG time in a game played between the Broncos and the Chargers years past. It was an inadvertant whistle and at that time (before the NFL changed the rule) the ball was declared dead regardless of what actually happaned.

Replay clearly showed that the runner was not down by contact etc. and the Chargers recovered the fumble but because of the inadvertant whistle the Broncos retained possession and won the game on the next play. If memory serves Hochule did not get any post season assignments that year.

MLB umpires are there for life. I'm pretty certain there are some young very good officials in the Minor leagues waiting for their shot but most will never get that chance.

Yes as baseball officials we are "viewed" as a team but we do work as individuals. That's the way it has been taught for years. MAKE YOUR OWN CALLS. I was a proponent of that philosophy 1000 percent but perhaps (im getting older now) that philosophy needs to change.

One major problem is that for the vast majority of us we work 2 person until we get to playoffs / sectionals / state finals etc. In other words out of a total sason there are only a handful of games where you actually work 3 or 4 person.

Working 2 person, it's very difficult to work as a team because you simply do not have the coverage you need. Each umpire in a way has to stick "with their own island' so to speak because as mentioned there is only 2 of you.

In summary, for MLB I do agree, they should work more as a team and with IR coming perhaps the umpiring schools will change their philosophy, but in 2 person it is more difficult.

Pete Booth