No Support For MiLB's From Other UNIONS - They are DOOMED !

[nickrego]

I worked a HS Varsity game today with one of the Senior Board Members of our association. Just before the game, he was approached by the visiting team's coach, while we were standing near the backstop, just before the game.

He was asked by the coach, whom he obviously knew very well, if he could umpire two AAA baseball games this weekend ? One on Saturday, and one on Sunday. We have two local teams.

He immediately said yes !

I didn't say anything, but I thought to myself...HOLD ON THERE ! You are a HS Teacher, a member of the Teacher's Union, and you are going to cross a picket line to umpire a baseball game.

So, it looks like the MiLB's aren't going to get any support from brother union members. It sure looks like this is going to be the end of the MiLB system as we've known it.

Good Luck Guys...

[Durham]

Come on Nick! The Grizzlies and the River Cats are out of town this weekend, so which local AAA team is near Manteca that he was asked to work for?

[ToGreySt]

Originally Posted by Durham

Come on Nick! The Grizzlies and the River Cats are out of town this weekend, so which local AAA team is near Manteca that he was asked to work for?

Score one for durham

[socalblue1]

Originally Posted by nickrego

I worked a HS Varsity game today with one of the Senior Board Members of our association. Just before the game, he was approached by the visiting team's coach, while we were standing near the backstop, just before the game.

He was asked by the coach, whom he obviously knew very well, if he could umpire two AAA baseball games this weekend ? One on Saturday, and one on Sunday. We have two local teams.

He immediately said yes !

I didn't say anything, but I thought to myself...HOLD ON THERE ! You are a HS Teacher, a member of the Teacher's Union, and you are going to cross a picket line to umpire a baseball game.

So, it looks like the MiLB's aren't going to get any support from brother union members. It sure looks like this is going to be the end of the MiLB system as we've known it.

Good Luck Guys...

Hmmm,

I think I would drop a note or call to the union rep ....

Spoke to several of the AMLU guys today. The fill-in's were by & large great humor (There is a great picture on Yahoo Sports). Players, coaching staff & most team staff support the union & hope MiLB settles soon.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Drop a note to the local union rep??? That is the true sign of a frustrated man. Even grade schoolers know that tattling gets you punked.

I know plenty of union guys who do side jobs and screw their union brothers. I guess you've never met a union firefighter who didn't moonlight as a plumber, carpenter or electrician.

Here's some interesting fodder to deal with over your morning cup of joe.

Originally Posted by MSNBC.com

Minor league baseball's season began across the country Thursday with regular umps striking over wages and working conditions, and fill-in umps taking their place.

At a Southern League opener in suburban Jackson, secrecy shrouded the three-man crew calling the night game between Mississippi and the Huntsville Stars.

"The replacement guys, I'm confident they're going to umpire to the best of their abilities," first-year Mississippi manager and former big leaguer Jeff Blauser said. "They have a lot of pride, obviously, in what they are doing. And they have a lot of passion for the game, or they wouldn't be here."

Each league was responsible for assembling its umpiring pool, with many believed to have come from the junior-college and college ranks.

Major League Baseball sent a memo to its teams on March 29 requesting that franchises and staff be patient with and respectful of the replacements, and Blauser agreed.

"We all know the situation _ those umpires, regardless of whether they're in the big leagues or in A-ball, they have good days and bad days," Blauser said.

The replacements filled in for the regular minor league umps, whose contract expired after last season. The union voted last month to authorize the strike and boycotted spring training.

The union was formed in 2000 and has about 220 members in 16 leagues. The umpires say their salaries average $15,000 at Triple-A, $12,000 at Double-A, $10,000 in full-season A-ball and $5,500 in rookie leagues.

George Yund, a lawyer representing the Professional Baseball Umpire Corp., has compared minor league umpiring to an educational program rather than a lifetime career and has said umps receive annual raises because of increased service time even though the scale itself hasn't increased.

Yund has said umps refused to work rather than accept a 42 percent increase in spring training compensation, arranged by the PBUC with major league baseball. But Andy Roberts, president of the Association of Minor League Umpires, has said any management-offered increases in the contract would be wiped out by rises in health care payments.

The union has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. The association alleges management threatened to fire employees who went on strike and asked several of the unionized umps to work as replacements.

The union claims it was told two months ago by management that talks had reached an impasse.

[JRutledge]

Nick,

People cross picket lines all the time. It really happens in officiating circles. People crossed the line when the NFL went on strike a few years ago, they will do it in this situation. The thing those that make that choice will have to face guys like you and it might hurt their career. Do not think there are not people watching them and making decisions about them because of these decisions. I can tell you based on the NFL situation, there were assignors at the NCAA level that had kids that were locked out NFL officials. Some of the officials that crossed the picket line and took a chance to work NFL games during the lockout did not have jobs to come back to.

This does not prove anything. The minute a big call is missed, the excuse is going to be that some inexperienced umpire made the call. That will get people on their side that was not there at the beginning. You see how the pros react to professional umpires. Just think how they are going to react to guys they know are not trained? And some of the players are either current union members or future union members as well. Good luck to all those that have to try and will find out.

BTW, it is just starting. I got an IM while making this post about who worked a game in the area. This has ramifications that no one yet is going to realize at this early stage. All I will say that there might be some lineup changes at certain events.

Peace

[nickrego]

Originally Posted by Durham

Come on Nick! The Grizzlies and the River Cats are out of town this weekend, so which local AAA team is near Manteca that he was asked to work for?

Should have said Single A.

Stockton Ports is the game, and we also have the Modesto Nuts (named by idiots).

[Durham]

Originally Posted by nickrego

I don't think the River Cats are AAA, I thought they were A.

You forgot the Stockton Ports.

Score -1 for Durham

Nick,

As a Former AMLU guy, I recieved, one of the first calls to work in the Pacific Coast League, AAA, Sacramento and Fresno, and the CAL league, A, Stockton, Modesto, and San Jose. I am pretty sure that your friend would not be considered a scab for working a AAA game in stockton, since there is no such team in the minor leagues.

I'll let you add up my score.

[nickrego]

Originally Posted by Durham

Nick,

I am pretty sure that your friend would not be considered a scab for working a AAA game in stockton, since there is no such team in the minor leagues.

I don't understand.

You're saying the Stockton Ports are not part of the Minor League system ? Nor are their games worked by MiLB umpires ?

I was not aware of that.

[Durham]

Originally Posted by nickrego

I don't understand.

You're saying the Stockton Ports are not part of the Minor League system ? Nor are their games worked by MiLB umpires ?

I was not aware of that.

No they are part of the MiLB system, but they are not AAA, the are single A. There games are usually worked by the guys that are striking.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Let's clear this up before I am further annoyed.

Nick meant to say that Stockton was Single A, not AAA, and the two games the guy was offerered to work were for Single A.

Durham has missed the original point, in that MiLB is having no problem finding replacement umpires, regardless of level.

[Durham]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Let's clear this up before I am further annoyed.

Nick meant to say that Stockton was Single A, not AAA, and the two games the guy was offerered to work were for Single A.

Durham has missed the original point, in that MiLB is having no problem finding replacement umpires, regardless of level.

I don't think I missed a thing Steve, but thanks for clearing things up for me in case I missed it. I was simply letting Nick know that it makes for a better story when you have all the facts straight.

I know that MiLB isn't having a problem finding replacement umpires, I know almost every guy that is filling in in my area. I think that most of the people on here have said for a while that finding enough guys to get by wasn't going to be a problem. I have and will do my part for the AMLU, and everyone else will do what is best for them.

Thanks again, Steve. For the help.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Glad I could help, as you guys were getting pretty dang boring.