Quote:
Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve
To me, that is the bigger issue. There is a huge difference between scheduling someone 6 in a row and using "base only" umpires if you are doing it by choice when you have other options available, and doing both of those because they are the only people willing/able to work the games.
I have too often been the person trying to find the appropriate staff to do perfect rotations, but, when you only have limited availability, you have to do the best you can with what you have. There is no point in deriding the UIC if he has no other options; it isn't any real option to simply refuse to deal with the schedule.
On the contrary, I have umpires looking for a paycheck, needing the money, but unwilling to do the job. Someone needs to step up and be willing to work, so that UIC has realistic options. Blame him if he refuses the rotations; blame others if he is doing the best he can with what he has.
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If it gets to that point, the UIC needs to inform the appropriate commissioner that s/he will have to authorize bringing in umpires and assume the necessary costs. But then you run into another problem of availability when that doesn't happen until a couple days prior to the tournament.
I was lucky enough to always have umpires who would step up and help when necessary. It may have involved some serious patchworking of the schedule, but the games would get covered without any emergencies. Same group would also jump in when they would see someone struggling, often without even being asked.