Would not have happened if properly trained

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Wouldn't these, and other ballpark personnel salaries already be paid from this incoming ticket revenue? As are the light, water and gas bills I'd assume? I think it is safe to assume that those people are payed by whatever revenues are generated by the ticket sales, ad sales, etc. However, just like the airline workers, if you start paying one group more, the others start asking for more. Do you really think that won't happen?

Ticket takers, program/beer vendors, cleaning crews and the kid parking cars probably do not need a whole lot of training (ump-school) to do this job and could be replaced at a minimal wage (which I would think is a typical wage for these jobs at any ballpark--MiLB or MLB).That is exactly the same thinking of PBUC - which side are you really on? The amateur umpires are doing the job without the necessity of benefits, evaluations and housing.

PA-I've done this before, good timing, pronounciation skills and speaking clearly are good traits to have, perhaps not that much training NEEDED for this role. Most parks have professional broadcasters and announcers - guys that work local radio usually. They are trained. Dismissing them is like saying all you need is good eyesight to be an umpire, not much more.

Grounds crew-Other than the head groundskeeper, a lot of kids I know do this and work hard, but really didn't have any training for it. The keeper should be rewarded for his skills, experience and training as his job can make a park beautiful or dangerous for players. I hope that his/her work is rewarded, and if he/she has to ask the boss for a raise, if he/she is good at what they do, they can put out a resume for a new ball club that IS willing to bump his/her salary if he/she continues to do a bang-up job at it. Again, this argument doesn't hold water. If those AMLU guys want to ask for more money and their boss doesn't want to pay it, they can quit. If the groundskeeper does it, he is in the same boat. Reality sets in when you realize that you get paid what they think you are worth, not what you expect.

The last MiLB game (Eastern League-AA) I went to had $6 beer, $5 sandwiches, $4 sodas and parking hit me for $5. Granted this ball park had an occasional "special" for the beer night, or ladies night, or funny-hat night at a discount, but that's business to bring in more fans--something MiLB has been successful at doing (according to the data on the thread) over the years. You got ripped off. The very reason it is so appealing is that it is cheap family entertainment. Visit the Appy league sometime - those guys dig holes in the ground all day and live for a 50 cent beer.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Texas HS football, don't some regions still pay their FB officials from a percentage of the gate revenues? Granted, I know Texas FB attendence is fanatic, but I'd venture to guess that the attendence figures are similar at least to MiLB. You aren't serious about this gate revenue thing are you? Fans don't care if Howdy Dowdy is umpiring the game - you should have learned that from the strike.

[DG]

Major league baseball should be interested in the quality of umpiring in the minors. After all, their prospects are impacted by the umpiring. The salaries of all minor league umpires could be doubled for about the same amount one major league club would happily pay for a new middle infielder. They choose not to become involved, so apparently it is not a big issue to the big clubs that their prospects are umpired by non-professionals.

[SAump]

"It's wheat from the chaff, you silly goose."
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chaff [ chaf ] noun Definition: 1. seed coverings removed by threshing: the dry coverings bracts of grains and other grass seeds that are separated by the process of threshing. When cereal crops are harvested mechanically, chaff is removed by the combine harvester and deposited with the straw in the field. ... 3. worthless thing: something that is worthless or irrelevant
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It was decided early on to seperate the wheat from the chaff on the field. CHAFF is no longer the main issue. The question now on the table is what to do with the wheat.

The FARMER (AMLU) must consider this product to be the BEST. It is the CREAM of the wheat CROP from which MORE value is derived (MONEY). When wheat prices FALL due to economic reasons, the FARMER must sell his wheat (UMPS) on the market at a LOW PRICE or hold onto the wheat (UMPs) in STORAGE for the LONG term (ala the STRIKE) until the market prices recover.

The original poster listed arguments FOR and AGAINST each side as if to sell some of the less quality wheat (Single A) at a low price and store the better quality wheat (AAA) until prices are better. The FARMER cannot seperate the A wheat from the AAA wheat once it is placed in storage (the SHAFT). He must SELL all for one low price (Poor farmer) or sell all for one high price (Rich farmer).

Getting the Wheat Shaft refers to waiting until the market can afford that additional 2 cents per ticket. Really, the market can already afford it because times are GOOD. But for the time being, it prefers to SAVE money on lower quality wheat (SCABS). A wise FARMER must predict the future prices and decide what course of actions to follow. This is a highly speculative market and there is LOTS of MONEY to be WON or LOSS. The FARMER must hedge against risking the WHEAT product by taking precautions during storage and using that time to develop OPTIONS to protect RISK, ala a backup plans. Eventually the market must decide if the short term cheaper investment on low quality of the wheat and the long term higher cost of restructuring the FARM AGENT NETWORKS is worth the entire HOLDOUT.

Simple SUPPLY and DEMAND, it is NOT. My money is on the farmer. It will cost baseball a hell of a lot more to restructure umpire networks through the NCAA than it will to deal directly with the AMLU. $90 for Rookie BAll or BUST!

[SanDiegoSteve]

I am glad you finally looked it up in the dictionary!