Of course everything is going OK, the season only started last night. What is going to happen when all these D1 guys are not available and the guy that cannot get a varsity game has to work their games? Then come to me and tell me how great everything is. It is too early to think anything has happened.

Peace

Tim:
 

Thank you for the informations. :)

Peace

Rich:

I was not being inflammatory. But that is just what the "replacement" umpires are: scabs.

MTD, Sr.

They are scabs just as much as the AMLU members are apprentice umpires.

how do you know?
 

Tim, I wonder if you can provide some more information. Are you saying:

A. You know all of the umpires working PDX, and none of them (so far?) is a D1 umpire.
B. You know all of the D1 umpires in Portland, and none of them is working PDX.
C. You know all of the D1 umpires in Oregon, and none of them is working PDX.
D. You know all of the D1 umpires in the Pacific Northwest, and none of them is working PDX.
E. You know all of the D1 umpires in the world, and none of them is working PDX.

I'm really not trying to bust your balls (well, maybe a little :D). I'm interested to see how far MiLB will go to get qualified umpires up there: will they fly in D1 umpires from CA, for example? From TX? From WI?

They might regard the expense of that as an investment in breaking the union, and as a preliminary to introducing a new system of umpiring. On the other hand, if they do not do that, then that would be good news for the union, I think: they're not willing to invest in breaking the union, and they plan to get the pro umpires back on the field ASAP.

I would think that this info would be valuable to observers and participants alike.

AMLU are not "apprentice" umpires. They are umpires that have proved that they are a cut above the vast majority of umpires in this country. Scabs could very well be qualified umpires, but they are showing disrepect to their fellow umpires who are members of the AMLU.

MTD, Sr.

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser
As far as I'm concerned, anyone who throws the word SCAB around is just trying to be inflammatory.


Peace,

Kinda like the correct terminology for the striking umpires is "unemployed" being used by many of the club owners.

Thanks, Tee.

I'm I college umpire, and no I'm not working minor league games. And I sympathize completely with the MiLB umpires plight.

I've been involved in two umpire strikes, one in high school (before I was college) that essentially ended my doing extensive HS ball and a three year strike against high-level college summer ball, during which time I worked no summer ball, period.

Characteristic to both were that they were able to find replacements. Quality varied but management put on happy face releases, gagged the field personnel and tolerated the goings on. Casual fans think we're all bad anyway.

Both strikes ended when the field people had had enough and complained. But that takes a long time. Sadly, I see a generation of MiLB guys lost.

Assuming this goes on for a while, Major LB has a vested interest here since their system of developing umpires is in jeopardy. Remember the current system was put in place to change the local guys doing games-getting promoted-political system that existed prior to the 60s. I'm not looking to start a college guy can-do-it-as-well debate. I'm saying that simply promoting a local guy doing AAA to a bigs schedule is an adjustment. If they start to do that how will the entire MLB system adjust?

It's all good...for now...
 

Contrary to popular belief, time is on the side of the AMLU. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you're not gonna fool anyone at some point!

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...325/1007/RSS02

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pb...91/1003/SPORTS

I thought everything was OK. :D

Peace

Really nice of 3 guys to make a committment and then back out at the last minute. Either work or don't, but be up front about it.

As for the other article, I guess none of the AMLU guys ever miss a call. They're perfect. Just another union sympathizer using his column. Who cares?

It does not matter if the union guys miss calls or not. Unfortunately for those that decide to work these games, that is going to be the knock on them. Also Minor League players are either going to be in the union and many of the managers were in the union. You think they are just going to give these guys a lot of slack?

Right or wrong is not the issue here. Every decision these guys make they are not going forget that these guys are not the “pros.” Life is not always fair. We get enough crap when we are perfectly qualified, why would you want everyone to know going in you are not. Perception is often reality in the real world.

Peace

From what I heard, though, the umpires aren't getting grief on the field. Just another columnist latching on to the controversy of the day.

Rich...
The players, coaches, and managers have been instructed not to give the replacements heat. They will remember for a few days, but in a week or so, it will become too much to hold in. There should be some real blow-ups by then.