Amateur vs. Pro

[Rich]

Originally posted by SanDiegoSteve

My mistake, Engel was not a scab. I didn't care for his appearance as I remember, nor his plate mechanics, but he was a fine official.

Let's try Blake Cullen, or Steve Fields, or John Shulock then. Pallone even.

LOOK GUYS, I'm not trying to say that I could go right out there, with no pro ball experience, and take their place on a permanent basis. I am saying that in a pinch, I could fill in in case of an emergency, and the quality of the game would not suffer noticeably.

As for the HS/OBR differences, I work so many different levels besides HS, and none of those use Fed rules. I work top level games in the 17-18U and Adult Ball. These adult leagues have been 9 inning, wood bat, and include former major league players. I have umpired Mark Prior, Barry Zito, Troy Glaus, and over 20 other current players, plus many former players, so I have the basic skills.

Yes, I should have worded it differently so here goes, and let's just drop it after that, OK?

If I would have gone to umpire school, gotten a pro job, made it through the BS years, I might have had a chance of being a Major League umpire.

Damn, I guess that describes just about anyone. I guess my opinion of myself is overinflated. Well, at least I have confidence, huh?

P.S. At the time in 1986 when I contemplated Harry's, I had just enough saved for the school tuition, and even had sent the money in. After I let people talk me out of going (big mistake), I got my money back because my family really needed it at the time, and the prospect of getting the pro job seemed unlikely, so economics won out over the dream. Now I sound just like the "coulda been a contender" people. Great.


[Edited by SanDiegoSteve on Oct 17th, 2005 at 11:50 AM]

There was nothing, NOTHING wrong with Pallone's umpiring. They just didn't like that he was gay.

And what was wrong with Shulock? He stayed in the majors for over 20 years and always seemed to do a good job.

Both were minor league umpires -- it's not like they were pulled off the street to umpire MLB.