Scab Umpires

[BigUmp56]

I don't recall tugging on your chain, PWL. Why the insult against the union I still belong to? You must be thinking, hey, I can make another childish insulting post because it's Easter and it won't be deleted for a while. Will you just grow up already.


Tim.

[PWL]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

I don't recall tugging on your chain, PWL. Why the insult against the union I still belong to? You must be thinking, hey, I can make another childish insulting post because it's Easter and it won't be deleted for a while. Will you just grow up already.


Tim.

Is there anything you don't know everything about? Do like Lard Steve and put me on your IGNORE LIST. That's what's it there for. Take responsibility for once in your life for your obsessive complusive disorder.

Go spend some time with your family and stop being an "Internet Charlie".

Peace

[BigUmp56]

I've said it before, just recently. I would put you on my ignore list but then what fun would that be. I would miss you tripping all over youself as you give your nonsensical interpretations and outright wrong rulings. I don't know why it bothers you that someone else knows more than you do, as this has to be common place for you in your everyday life. That is, unless it's about your inate ability to copy song lyrics. I'd say you have that down to an art form.

Tim.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

That is, unless it's about your inate ability to copy song lyrics. I'd say you have that down to an art form.

No, Tim, he even gets those wrong. In "Oh, Well" it is "stick by me and I'll be your guiding hand." He missed that one too.

[PWL]

Mick, Brad.

Make Lard Steve and Haagy stop picking on me. I think I'm going to have a nervous breakdown if they don't stop it. There are big tears all over my keyboard as I type. I think I will have to start my own website where everybody treats me nice and I can tell them what to say and do. So there.

[ump911]

Gentleman, this is simply an exercise in the law of supply and demand. I wholeheartedly believe our MiLB umpire brothers are grossly under compensated for the service they provide. They don't have a contract and have decided to stand together and fight for better. Their problem, and what I think is the problem for umpires in general, is that there are too many people willing to provide the service for the lower wage. These people must realize they will be afforded no protection of a union and are simply "at-will" employees. Same as any employee not in a union. They may endure treatment even worse than the union members by baseball management because there is nothing or nobody to support them. I applaud the striking union members for standing up for a noble cause. My fear is that they are going to be defeated and any hopes for any of them to make it to the major leagues will end prematurely. My hope is that this brings an entire new structure to the system where being a minor league umpire is a career that is fairly compensated, not just an abused apprenticeship to a snow balls chance at the bigs.

Will

[Thatballzlow]

Brother umpires,

I've read the entire thread...wow...talk about fun. Would you like some perspective from someone who actually knows the contract, and knows the situation, and won't call names? Breath of fresh air, eh?

Ok...an umpire in AAA is bound to a MAXIMUM of 3 years at the AAA level before one of the following two things must happen:

1) MLB takes interest in the umpire, and decides that they would like to consider him (or her, since there is a female AA umpire) for a "fill-in" spot with MLB. If they are interested, these umpires generally are assigned to the Arizona Fall League, where they are watched by MLB supervisors over 6 weeks. These games feature some of the best prospects in baseball, and the level of competition is a good as it gets in the minors. They work four man crews and are critiqued after every game and get the dreaded Questec treatment if they work the plate. Questec is not every game, but they generally get it for 2-4 games in the AFL.

2) The umpires that reach a third year and have been shown know interest by MLB are then released from their contracts (and careers) based on the terms of the contract that just expired. It was agreed upon by the AMLU in 2001, so umpires would not be dragged along for the customary 4-6 years, thinking they had a shot, only to be dropped after 12-14 years in the minors.

OK...got that out of the way...NEXT!

As a former minor league crew chief and umpire for over a decade, I know how much I miss umpiring the games. I've heard stories about HS/NCAA umpires and the such that are getting the "chance of a lifetime" to work these games. I can't really blame them. I know how much it meant to me to work in different stadiums with screaming fans...what a thrill! However, consider my three points...and please consider them, since I haven't called anyone names:

1) My chance of a lifetime cost me $6000 to go to umpire school, since I was a two time student (not as good the first time ).

2) I spent over 9 years gone from Mid-March to Mid-September from my home, and in the course of that decade, I missed 10 4th of July's with my family, 10 of my brother's birthdays, and 10 of my own with my family. I'm not complaining...don't get me wrong...it was my choice to sacrifice for a chance to work in the Majors. I came home to my home state for a total of six days in the 10 summers I worked in the minors. SIX DAYS.

3) In the decade plus that I worked, if you take my total salary for that time, I made a little over $100,000 for that time frame. Now think about that...that was 10 years of umpiring for just a little more than 100G's. I also never had a true "full-time" job until I was in my 30's. It's hard to tell someone, "Hey, I'd love that 50K job, but can I leave for six months, then come back for six, then leave...etc." Once again, not complaining, just explaining.

So, the moral of the story is this. While I understand the "chance", I sacrificed a lot more time, blood, sweat, toil, and tears, to deserve that chance, and that is the major problem with the AMLU members who are fired up. I've seen some of them physically ill when they realize someone who just got out from behind their desk after work is making their sacrifices null.

As far as the protest situation in Columbus: How would an AMLU umpire react? A "true" (pardon the generalization) AAA umpire has most likely had that play happen at least twice in his/her career since they most likely have 7-10 years of experience. I know for a fact that I had that same play three times, once with a slightly confused Carlos Delgado down on rehab in the minors. We also run that drill at umpire school over and over, and it is also drilled in our heads with the rules test and other teaching. The thing that should confuse you is not that there was no protest, it was that any umpire, no matter what level, should have known who to call out on that play. Think about it, everyone of you who is posting on here...How did you know that was the rule? Dumb question...because you know your job. What a lot of you may not be aware of is this: If a minor league umpire crew loses a protest, they will be removed from their position by the end of the season. A protest is considered the "death mark;" as an umpire in pro ball, you are expected to know the rules and apply them correctly, since this is your vocation, not hobby.

Last comment for now: It's not a lack of umpiring ability that makes the situations in the minors tough...it's the lack of experience at the levels they're working. I could blow a call, trust me, I have, and get away with it since I knew half the players over my 11 years. When you establish an attitude, repore, and people know who you are, they respect you. They don't respect the replacement umpires because they (players) know we've sacrificed as much as they have.

I appreciate you all for taking the time to read this post, and if you'd like to know more, please respond to my post and I can help everyone understand the feelings of both sides.

Thatballzlow!

[Thatballzlow]

For those of you who were wondering about whether the umpires are a union or not...I can fill you in since I was a member when it started.

In 2001, the National Labor Relations Board formally recognized the Association of Minor League Umpires as the collective bargaining agent of the minor league umpires.

The first contract was approved in spring training of the 2001 season. The original contract, if can believe this, was worse than the first one negotiated by the AMLU in their official capacity in 2001. The first contract I signed in the 90's was one page...ONE PAGE, front and back, that basically gave you a salary, some legal mumbo-jumbo, and a clause that said, "We can fire you for anything...bad mustache, chronic halitosis..." (OK, maybe not that wording, but you get the idea )

The contract was for five seasons, expiring at the end of the 2005 season. They negotiated for six months, and have not come up with a solution yet. Can you imagine why? Therefore, they are a legally established union, recognized by the federal government, and they can legally strike since they are still bound as employer/bargaining group.

I know I'm probably screwing up the legaleze of my statements, but the umpires did not give up they're jobs...that was in 99. LOL

thatballzlow, boys

[PWL]

I wonder how some of these so called "replacement" umpires would feel if their regular 9 to 5 jobs were outsourced to, say India for example. I can see them walk in the job interview and say, "I have 20 years experience doing such and such and when I left I was making over $75,000.00 a year". The interviewer's reply would probably go like this, "Sorry, we don't have any openings for you and your salary expectations. We are going to hire someone much younger who is willing to work for much less. It's basically the same job you were doing, but we're going to go with the less qualified person to cut costs. I would like more than anything to hire you, but I would lose my job and you would be making more than me. Now if you are willing to do the job for half of what the person I'm wanting to hire, we might have a deal. Call me, we'll do the lunch thing".

So what's the call? Fair? Foul?

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by Thatballzlow

I appreciate you all for taking the time to read this post, and if you'd like to know more, please respond to my post and I can help everyone understand the feelings of both sides.

Huh? How can you tell us about BOTH sides? When you say "both sides" do you mean the "side" of a former AMLU guy and the side of a current AMLU guy?

Why has the AMLU has decided it is perfectly OK to take College and HS games that "brother umpires" would like to work?

Joe

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by ump911

Gentleman, this is simply an exercise in the law of supply and demand. I wholeheartedly believe our MiLB umpire brothers are grossly under compensated for the service they provide. They don't have a contract and have decided to stand together and fight for better. Their problem, and what I think is the problem for umpires in general, is that there are too many people willing to provide the service for the lower wage. These people must realize they will be afforded no protection of a union and are simply "at-will" employees. Same as any employee not in a union. They may endure treatment even worse than the union members by baseball management because there is nothing or nobody to support them. I applaud the striking union members for standing up for a noble cause. My fear is that they are going to be defeated and any hopes for any of them to make it to the major leagues will end prematurely. My hope is that this brings an entire new structure to the system where being a minor league umpire is a career that is fairly compensated, not just an abused apprenticeship to a snow balls chance at the bigs.

Will

Where have you been? What he said!

[LMan]

Ballzlow:

Thanks for such an informative post. That cleared up a lot of misconceptions for me, seriously. It is truly a longshot to make the MLBs as an umpire, and obviously many good umps will never make it for one reason or another. I respect those who have sacrificed so much for what is almost a lottery's chance of getting to the 'bigs.'

But you have to wonder..why did the AMLU knowlingly sign up for a system structured like this? Is this really the best way to put the best umpires on the field? This arrangement not only specifies poor pay and terrible odds against advancement, it gives the umps almost no leverage.

....shouldn't AMLUs goal for this 'action' be, as others have said, to dismantle this entire system of umpire development and build a better one? I dont see why qualified umpires cannot stay in the minors.....since the turnover at the MLB level is so small, there's always a logjam somewhere.