Scab Umpires

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by mattmets

OK, you shall be corrected. At AAA guys usually spend a few years before getting fill-in work, then a couple more as fill-ins before possibly getting hired by MLB. Until they get to AAA, umpires are generally let go after not moving up after 2 years.

Ok, I should have said exactly what I meant by "moving up". I consider becoming a fill-in guy "moving up". Now, if you do not become a fill-in guy within a few years, you will not stay at AAA for years and years, right?

[mattmets]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

Ok, I should have said exactly what I meant by "moving up". I consider becoming a fill-in guy "moving up". Now, if you do not become a fill-in guy within a few years, you will not stay at AAA for years and years, right?

I think you're right on this one....

[cowbyfan1]

I know a number of the guys calling in this area for the TL AA team. They are all HS and above blues and I believe some do have D1 experience. A number of them are doing it because they have been calling for years and are not worried about repercussions as some of them are the assignors themselves. While they feel for the MiBL umps they are also taking advantage to say that they called at the Pro level. I cannot say I blame them really. If I was in the same position I cannot say I would refuse it either. In listening to some of the games on the radio, I have not heard the announcers say anything about bad or blown calls. Closest was a strike 3 call that the batter thought was outside and the announcer said he might have a case. I know the blue that was working the plate in that game and I would not doubt he got it right.

[Buckeye12]

Originally Posted by cowbyfan1

While they feel for the MiBL umps they are also taking advantage to say that they called at the Pro level. I cannot say I blame them really. If I was in the same position I cannot say I would refuse it either.

Here's a crazy idea...if you want to work professional baseball, how about going to umpire school!! Or, if you don't want to go to umpire school, call the local MiLB parks, send them a resume, and explain that you would like to be placed on their reserve list to fill-in for injured MiLB umpires during the season.

Check out what happened at the Columbus Clippers game last night with the "fill-ins":

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/clip...411-E1-00.html

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Buckeye12

Here's a crazy idea...if you want to work professional baseball, how about going to umpire school!! Or, if you don't want to go to umpire school, call the local MiLB parks, send them a resume, and explain that you would like to be placed on their reserve list to fill-in for injured MiLB umpires during the season.

Check out what happened at the Columbus Clippers game last night with the "fill-ins":

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/clip...411-E1-00.html

Here's a crazy idea. Why wasn't a protest filed?

The same crap could just as easily happen with AMLU umpires. The assumption that AMLU umpires are perfect is a bad one. Weird crap like this doesn't happen often at the AAA level and who knows how IL umpires would've handled it.

[JRutledge]

Whatever side of the isle you sit on, the point that many of us are trying to make here is that no matter what these umpires do they are going to be second guessed and challenged based on their "known" inexperience. Maybe the union guys would have made the same mistake, but that is not going to be perceived the same by the players, coaches, fans or media. I know we would all hope that would not be the case, but it obviously is. I know how guys get treated when they are known to have worked their first varsity game. I can only imagine what it is like for guys to now work with people who are trying to make a living playing a game.

Peace

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Whatever side of the isle you sit on...

I like the leeward side. Better weather.

[JIGGY]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Here's a crazy idea. Why wasn't a protest filed?

The same crap could just as easily happen with AMLU umpires. The assumption that AMLU umpires are perfect is a bad one. Weird crap like this doesn't happen often at the AAA level and who knows how IL umpires would've handled it.

Throw the "we all make mistakes" and "an umpire is an umpire" crap out of the window. Any AMLU guy wouldn't have made that mistake because that is not that unusual of a situation and one that is covered very extensively in their professional training. It is not considered a difficult play by any stretch of the imagination at that level. That is a very very amateur mistake. Take whatever side of this situation you wish, but lets not pretend for even a second that the AMLU guys as a whole aren't leaps and bounds better than the scabs who have come to fill in for them.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JIGGY

Throw the "we all make mistakes" and "an umpire is an umpire" crap out of the window. Any AMLU guy wouldn't have made that mistake because that is not that unusual of a situation and one that is covered very extensively in their professional training. It is not considered a difficult play by any stretch of the imagination at that level. That is a very very amateur mistake. Take whatever side of this situation you wish, but lets not pretend for even a second that the AMLU guys as a whole aren't leaps and bounds better than the scabs who have come to fill in for them.

I agree that the AMLU apprentice umpires are ahead of the replacements at the AAA level. (I love how one can play games with labels like scab and apprentice umpire -- it's like my local paper using anti-choice instead of pro-life which shows their biases and transparency just like anyone using the word SCAB in these posts.)

But don't tell me that this mistake couldn't get made, at least originally. Frankly, I'm surprised that this wasn't sorted out in the discussion afterwards. But again, where's the protest?

[jwwashburn]

Mr. Jiggy,

You may be right here. I, for one, find it very difficult to take an adult seriously who insists on calling people names who disagree with him. Name-calling is silly.

One who disagrees with you could call them-The guys replacing the crybabies-that would also be silly.

Try making your point without resorting to juvenile name-calling.

Joe In Michigan

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by JIGGY

Throw the "we all make mistakes" and "an umpire is an umpire" crap out of the window. Any AMLU guy wouldn't have made that mistake because that is not that unusual of a situation and one that is covered very extensively in their professional training. It is not considered a difficult play by any stretch of the imagination at that level. That is a very very amateur mistake. Take whatever side of this situation you wish, but lets not pretend for even a second that the AMLU guys as a whole aren't leaps and bounds better than the scabs who have come to fill in for them.

Jiggy,

Your argument is illogical in nature. You claim that the reason this call was blown is because the umpires were amateurs. You claim that any AMLU guy would never make that mistake. That is illogical and is a "sweeping generalisation" or "accident" fallacy. The fact is that most amateur umpires would have gotten that call right, as well as most professionals.

Using words such as "any" or "all" or "every" results in illogical statements, and diminish the quality of one's arguments.

I have seen professional umpires kick the crap out of calls at every level, especially at the MLB level, which is supposed to be the highest level, the "cream of the crop." You are not saying that you have never blown an easy call in your entire career, are you?

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Here's a crazy idea. Why wasn't a protest filed?

Rich:

I believe the protest may have been lodged, but proved moot as the team the call went against won the game.


Tim.