Interesting game...

[tiger49]

Originally posted by David B
This time of year we hear this story repeated 100's of times.

Its a shame.

But this is what baseball has become. Thank goodness I live in an area where all of our league require umpires to be certified in which ever league and most all of the tournaments are called by guys who I know have years of experience etc.,

But as long as we have coaches and parents running umpires off and then we have too many leagues who don't want to pay their umpires what they are worth, it will continue to spiral downward.

I know in our local leagues we have a hard time finding young umpires to train - they simply won't stick with it due to too many problems (ie parents/coaches)

It's going to be sad in a few years to see what umpiring has become since most of the veterans in our areas are looking at giving it up in the next few years. (I'm sure this is the same all over the different regions)

Thanks
David

In our association we only have 3 umpires under the age of 40. and out of those 3, one is saving to go to the pro school, the other is in the NHL referee development program and the other has only been working for 3 months and is trying to get into the PGA or CPGA.

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by JRutledge
One of the reasons I do not work summer baseball, is because umpires are not treated with the same respect. We work the same amount of time, but we do not get paid for it. Why would I want to make $20 less than I do working during the HS season? Many times I am asked to travel just the same distance as well. I do not do this for the money, but it cost money for me to take time away from my job and gas it takes to drive to a site. Why would I want to do that and not be compensated for it? Then in many cases around here, you want me to work by myself, but not at the very least pay for all that work. More and more umpires are expected to work alone as well. That is just not right and not worth my time.

Peace

Doesn't most of this also apply to summer basketball? (The exception being the "working alone" statement -- but in summer basketball I'm working a lot more 2-paerson than during the HS season.)

[His High Holiness]

Originally posted by JRutledge
One of the reasons I do not work summer baseball, is because umpires are not treated with the same respect. We work the same amount of time, but we do not get paid for it. Why would I want to make $20 less than I do working during the HS season? Many times I am asked to travel just the same distance as well. I do not do this for the money, but it cost money for me to take time away from my job and gas it takes to drive to a site. Why would I want to do that and not be compensated for it? Then in many cases around here, you want me to work by myself, but not at the very least pay for all that work. More and more umpires are expected to work alone as well. That is just not right and not worth my time.

Peace

This is extremely painful to write:

I agree with Rut. That's assuming that I understood what he wrote, which is a huge assumption since English is my primary language.

[His High Holiness]

All;

I was a Babe Ruth certified umpire for years. It doesn't mean squat. Big deal, you take a 100 question true/false test open book, and send them a check for, I believe, $30. That's the first year requirements. After that, all they want is the $30. Three years ago, I decided that I would rather keep the money, so I am no longer certified.

Instead of working Babe Ruth tournaments for $48 per game, I work big boy baseball for $66-110 per game. All of our Babe Ruth certified umpires work the tournaments, leaving no one but the uncertified umpires to work for more money.

This is a no-brainer for me. Save $30 and make more money. I have told my assignor that I have no problem working Babe Ruth tournaments if he needs help. I will give something back to the community and take the lower fees but I will not send the bloodsuckers $30. I have one Babe Ruth tournament game on my schedule this year. Last year I did two. The assignor always runs out of crew chiefs so he generally drafts a few NCAA umpires to help out.

If Babe Ruth wants decent umpires, we have dozens of NCAA umpires with no Babe Ruth certification who would do one or two games. They would do a better job than their so called certified umpires anyway. NCAA rules are 99% in accordance with Babe Ruth (Babe Ruth plays with OBR which is very close to NCAA.) Almost all NCAA umpires that I know are familiar with OBR. The ones that aren't don't know NCAA either. They just fake it and count on their partner to bail them out.

Peter

[bigwes68]

Originally posted by His High Holiness
All;

If Babe Ruth wants decent umpires, we have dozens of NCAA umpires with no Babe Ruth certification who would do one or two games. They would do a better job than their so called certified umpires anyway. NCAA rules are 99% in accordance with Babe Ruth (Babe Ruth plays with OBR which is very close to NCAA.) Almost all NCAA umpires that I know are familiar with OBR. The ones that aren't don't know NCAA either. They just fake it and count on their partner to bail them out.

Peter

Yes, and I assume you live in a more populated area that has more umpires. I don't think we have any guys that are NCAA certified around here. We barely have enough to cover high school games. And most of the guys that call Babe Ruth, etc., around here are just local, off-the-street guys that want a little drug money or drinking money. They don't know the rules, they don't care, they just want their $20 so they can go buy some booze.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by bob jenkins


Doesn't most of this also apply to summer basketball? (The exception being the "working alone" statement -- but in summer basketball I'm working a lot more 2-paerson than during the HS season.)

It does to an extent.

The difference is I can work two games in less than two hours in basketball and make more money than working a baseball game in the same time. I might work a 2 hour baseball game in the summer (no time limit) and see half of that money. There is a reason we have more basketball officials as compared to baseball umpires. Pay is not everything, but I know I will play a game, rather than look at the sky and hope I get paid at all.

Peace

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by His High Holiness

This is extremely painful to write:

I agree with Rut. That's assuming that I understood what he wrote, which is a huge assumption since English is my primary language.

Name one sentence where English was not written in this post? Or is just running your mouth the only thing you can do?

Peace

[Rich]

Originally posted by bob jenkins

Doesn't most of this also apply to summer basketball? (The exception being the "working alone" statement -- but in summer basketball I'm working a lot more 2-paerson than during the HS season.)

And I don't work a single basketball game from March to October.

[Rich]

Originally posted by bigwes68

Yes, and I assume you live in a more populated area that has more umpires. I don't think we have any guys that are NCAA certified around here. We barely have enough to cover high school games. And most of the guys that call Babe Ruth, etc., around here are just local, off-the-street guys that want a little drug money or drinking money. They don't know the rules, they don't care, they just want their $20 so they can go buy some booze.

My point was that "certification" means squat. I work in 2 small NCAA conferences and nonconference for a bunch of smaller colleges. They don't certify anything -- if you can work and get hired, you're in.

I've worked plenty of Babe Ruth tournaments, but always under the same rule as HHH. I'll work whatever you want me to work, but I ain't PAYING to work summer baseball. I'm happy to work Babe Ruth, Legion, etc., but paying a national organization to send me a patch I won't wear anyway is idiotic.

--Rich

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by JRutledge

The difference is I can work two games in less than two hours in basketball and make more money than working a baseball game in the same time.

Either I'm working the wrong basketball games or you're working the wrong baseball games.

I find the pay to be about equal.

You are correct that there are more weather cancellations in baseball.

[greymule]

When I did Fed, half the questions on the tests involved safety rules and half the time in meetings was spent on the same subject. Inspect the bats, check the field. When you go over the ground rules, be sure to read the legal disclaimer. What if the runner slides past the base on a force play and contacts the fielder? What official seal has to be on the helmet, the bat, the ball? What if the runner is standing on a base and removes his helmet to adjust it on his head? What if the runner appears to be using a tobacco-like substance? What if there's lightning? What if the 3B coach is holding a clip board or sitting in a wheel chair?

The rationale for all this was that if we don't review these items every year, the trial lawyers will have a field day with us when somebody gets hurt or offended. OK. Fair enough. That's the U.S. today.

However, stories such as the one that started this thread are not uncommon, and it is clear that organizations that I would think should be concerned about liability are putting demonstrable idiots on the field as officials. (Umpiring for drug money doesn't really seem so implausible.) After all, there's no stronger proof that an umpire doesn't know what he's doing than several purely officious ejections early in a game over trivialities.

Trial lawyer: And what is your experience umpiring?
Umpire: I umpire a summer league.
Trial lawyer: How did you learn the rules? Did you take a test?
Umpire: No, I'm an assistant coach for a high school team. I also played Little League. Plus I watch games on TV.
Trial lawyer: Do you have a copy of the rule book used by the tournament in which you threw six people out of the game before the kid broke his neck?
Umpire: Uh, no.
Did you ever read the rule book for that organization?:
Umpire: Uh . . .

How can these organizations risk using these people as officials?