Devil Rays prospect throws bat at plate umpire

[Kaliix]

All you did was show that the union cares about the union by only going with union shops. You proved my point! They don't care about anyone but themselves, the union.

You still haven't answered how you or the union have any right to tell anyone where or how they should work? Why the heck should anyone support your union when you would have nothing to do with anyone who is non-union? (you proved that point yourself with the we only try to use union work when we can AFL-CIO tangent)

You have no way of knowing what would have happened if they couldn't find enough umpires. Even if they shut down some or all of the games, those people are now out of work because of the union! Maybe a labor agreement is reached quickly and maybe it takes weeks or months. So how exactly do you care about them not getting paid when all that works itself out?

If unions have a right to work/strike/negotiate then so does everyone else. Yet you want to usurp the right of any worker who is not a "union" member to earn a paycheck doing whatever job he can doget in what still is a free country. Explain how your degradation of the replacement umpires by calling them scabs works then? They don't have the right to work if you won't?

For the record, I am not totally against unions either. Unions have their place and I have benefited from them being in the work place.

Originally Posted by PWL

You asked how a union cares about other people and I told you. Bring up some valid points that would amount to anything remotely to what is being discussed, and I will gladly read and give them some thought. However, everything you have brought to light so far could be said of the same thing of PBUC toward their employees.

I am not being brainwashed. I have just witnessed the way it works for many years from both sides.

It's not like any strike that ever taken place hasn't affected some one who wasn't directly involved.

So my advice to you is, you can either support the cause or you cannot support the cause. However, if you support the cause these little people who say are getting the shaft would be working with or without the "SCABS".

No "scabs" PBUC caves in and the people work. With "scabs" the games go on and the people work.

As long as we're on the subject, can you tell me why as me myself as one of the little people are having to now pay these outrageous gas prices? I don't think that's fair either. Hey, but what ya' gonna do?

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I believe the Wheaton Warbler mentioned being shot in the back in his initial post. He loves to twist the facts to justify his errors.

I alluded to Naperville, since it is the largest city in your area. While any police shooting is cause for alarm (good guy or bad), you made it seem like some police are rogue vigilantes. This on the heels of your statement that in real life, people don't argue, cuss and act like Young did. Which way is it? Check the wind and let me know which way you will think.

Young acted like a spoiled punk. His act was not one of negligence, it was of intimidation. He didn't care if the umpire was part of the union or not and his history proves that. He is a coward who would be fined up the *** if he was in the Show.

Speaking of cowards, the AMLU decision to say that this umpire won't be represented in this case are proving that they are clueless and contemptible. The league has multiple videos of the incident and he is a high profile player. It will administer the punishment according to league policy (even though they have never had a case of a bat being thrown in this manner). If the DA chooses to get involved, the umpire will be represented by the county. Young should be more concerned about a civil lawsuit, since this official has not waived his rights to compensation.

[Kaliix]

Au contrare, I don't think it was stupid for them to go on strike. I don't mind that they struck to improve their pay/benefits. I think they could have been smarter about it but who's to say I know when a better time would be. I hope they get more pay and better benefits when all is said and done.

My point all along was that the union is only out for themselves and don't care about anyone else's right to work. Strike if you want, particularly if you think it will be effective and improve your bargaining position. Just don't expect that others, who you would care nothing about otherwise, to not take the jobs you aren't going to do to put money in their pocket. You have no right to tell anyone not involved in your union when or where they can work and you shouldn't degrade them just because they see a job opportunity differently then you do.

And I'll never wear Nike shoes.

Originally Posted by PWL

I'm going to drop it because all you are trying to accomplish is that is okay for some one to do the same job, but not under the same job conditions. You've become one of the many that say they were stupid to go on strike, but I hope they get what they want redundancy. Anyway, the next time you go to the shoe store and buy those over priced pair of Nikes, try and think about the child labor that probably went into making them and how little those kids were paid to make them.

[Clint Lawson]

That was a good pitch! I think they get that pitch all the time in Triple A! Maybe he should call the union president. Never mind....he is not in the union. I dont feel bad for the guy at all.

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by Clint Lawson

That was a good pitch! I think they get that pitch all the time in Triple A! Maybe he should call the union president. Never mind....he is not in the union. I dont feel bad for the guy at all.

I don't know. The catcher sets up outside, and the glove goes to the outside shinguard. Watch the catchers reaction too. He knows it wasn't a strike. It was bad for all concerned.

Has anyone heard from the PU yet?

[DIV2ump]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...extra.mustard/

Pretty good write up.

[Kaliix]

The minute you start posting with your real first and last name, maybe you could have an opinion on the issue that would be taken seriously.

Why would he want to publish his name? So you union boys could call and harass him in his home, stalk him and make his life miserable. Yeah right, sign me up for that.

How about the union members start acting like responsible adult human beings instead of degrading and harassing those whose opinion is different from yours. It's a freaking job for goodness sake. You guys act like it's a religion.

Originally Posted by PWL

He's too busy hiding his name in shame. Why would he want to draw more attention to himself? That's why he is not a replacement, he is a SCAB.

A replacement would have the courage to have their name listed in the box scores or at least to have their name mentioned in nationwide newscasts that they had been hit by a player with a bat. I'm sure PBUC has his back, just like they had their regular employees backs.

[Clint Lawson]

Justme,
If that guy was hit by a college player in a college game i would have been on his side. It very well could have been me or one of my friends that work in that league. But I have tried and i can not make myself look at the guys working these game as my umpire friends. Just can't do it. I have a lot of friends that umpire high school and college baseball. They got me started so I will do anything to help other umpires. But I can't feel bad about what happened to this guy. Sorry.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Clint Lawson

Justme,
If that guy was hit by a college player in a college game i would have been on his side. It very well could have been me or one of my friends that work in that league. But I have tried and i can not make myself look at the guys working these game as my umpire friends. Just can't do it. I have a lot of friends that umpire high school and college baseball. They got me started so I will do anything to help other umpires. But I can't feel bad about what happened to this guy. Sorry.

Clint:

It's these types of statements that are killing us as union members. The prevailing attitude that you purport here does no union a service, rather it tends to make others turn a deaf ear to the unions plight. It makes no difference whether this was a union member or a replacement worker. No one, I repeat no one, deserves to be treated like this man was without receiving some compassion from his fellow human beings. I believe you're letting your emotions over the union issue cloud your judgment on what should now be a humanitarian issue.



Tim.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Originally Posted by Clint Lawson

Justme,
If that guy was hit by a college player in a college game i would have been on his side. It very well could have been me or one of my friends that work in that league. But I have tried and i can not make myself look at the guys working these game as my umpire friends. Just can't do it. I have a lot of friends that umpire high school and college baseball. They got me started so I will do anything to help other umpires. But I can't feel bad about what happened to this guy. Sorry.

Okay Clint, you've proved that you enjoy opening Pandora's Box, so here goes. Prior to the walk out, you and many others sent emails to encourage amateur umpires to join your cause. These messages spoke of the concern for all umpires and the need to stand as one against those who give little value to our work. Then Andy's Kids walked out and threatened those that accepted games as replacement umpires. The sense of camraderie and espirit de corp went out the window. "How dare they take those games!" All along, your blinders and ear plugs prevented you from understanding what we all said. Some of those guys need the money just as badly as you do. You can't begrudge them for taking the assignment. Others who accepted those games realized that the first rule of umpiring is 'The umpire is not bigger than the game.' They did the job, under more intense scrutiny than you ever did. Your cactcalls and photo gallery were the height of hypocrisy.

No one forced you to begin this journey. When you undertook the training you were aware that the salary and benefits were truly sad. The AMLU brethren took a gamble that they may have the mettle to make it. Most of you were aware that no promises were made and that in eight to ten years you would be in the Show or finding another job. Yet, some of you still hang stubbornly to the premise that your avocation is a career. It is not and has never been considered so.

I did your job, without the benefits of a union and at a lot less money. Some of us know far more about the roach filled locker rooms without hot water, eating meals out of a bag and sleeping in a car because the game went extra innings and our next stop is four hundred miles away. Stop pretending that every umpire that replaced you was a sandlot buffoon.

The umpire who worked the Young game was a seasoned NCAA umpire. From what I've read, he had worked all divisions and was rated very well. Delmon Young was the reason that this incident occured, not the umpire. History shows that this punk enjoys intimidating umpires and opponents. By your logic, if a MLB umpire had been working the Southern League game two years ago, Young would never have bmped him in the chest. It's a good tale but one without logic.

You stepped up onto the stump and fearlessly told us that you don't respect the umpires who worked in your stead. I hope you appreciate the sentiment in return. I can't respect men who claim to be professional, yet cast apsersions about amateur umpires. How many incidents of ill behavior occured during the last three weeks? According to Yund, when the AMLU boys were working there were more. Hmmmm?

Respect is a double edged sword. You should learn that while your talent may give you a place atop the heap right now, some day you will begin sliding and that is when you will truly be judged. How many friends will you have when your hobby is in decline? From the statements you made, it seems that not many will be there to support you.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Clint Lawson

That was a good pitch! I think they get that pitch all the time in Triple A! Maybe he should call the union president. Never mind....he is not in the union. I dont feel bad for the guy at all.

Funny. I was involved in a teacher's strike twenty=eight years ago. A substitute teacher's car was trashed by a group of otherwise educated people who allowed the emotionalism of the strike and union group-think rule their behavior instead of using their intellect.

I felt very sorry for the substitute, as did most of the rational teachers on strike. We took up a collection and paid for the damage to her car.

No one, union or non union, deserves to be treated like that bat throwing punk treated that umpire. I am disappointed that anyone would approve of what happened.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by GarthB

No one, union or non union, deserves to be treated like that bat throwing punk treated that umpire. I am disappointed that anyone would approve of what happened.

Garth,

Well said. I am also disappointed--but not surprised. Many union members would literally drink the Kool-Aid in Jonestown, if asked.

Joe

[LakeErieUmp]

Any "union member" who would drink Jonestown kool-aid IS a cult member. FAMILY comes first. Followed by true friends. THEN some damn job.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by Clint Lawson

That was a good pitch! I think they get that pitch all the time in Triple A! Maybe he should call the union president. Never mind....he is not in the union. I dont feel bad for the guy at all.

Then you are not a member of a union, you are a cult member.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

Then you are not a member of a union, you are a cult member.

Now we are comparing union members to cult members where thousands have died. I guess those kind of comments are OK, but calling someone a scab is not.

Peace