High school scabs

[Carbide Keyman]

Originally Posted by umpduck11

Can one earn $10,500 a year working high school ball?
Things that make you go hmmmm......

I believe he said he made $10,500 last year as a professional, not as a high school umpire.

But, I could be wrong, I am an umpire.



Doug

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Carbide Keyman

I believe he said he made $10,500 last year as a professional, not as a high school umpire.

But, I could be wrong, I am an umpire.



Doug

You are correct CK.

And what an insufferable egomaniac this Wilson character is to say more or less that the high school coaches think their regular umpires suck compared to him. Let's all bow down.

Now I know where my missing Navy dazzle shirt went. Hawkins stole it!

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

You are correct CK.

And what an insufferable egomaniac this Wilson character is to say more or less that the high school coaches think their regular umpires suck compared to him. Let's all bow down.

Now I know where my missing Navy dazzle shirt went. Hawkins stole it!

I have met Garrett, and he didn't come off as an insufferable egomaniac. But I could be wrong: I think that MiLB umps have to be a bit defensive about their skills and abilities. They have invested years of their lives and thousands of dollars to work for peanuts on the slim chance that they might get to do that work in the show. That chance is even slimmer at the moment, of course.

The schools tell them that they're the best of the best of the best. The contempt that some of them show amateur umpires is a defense mechanism against the possibility that they've made poor choices. But, as I say, I don't know that Garrett is like that.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

They have invested years of their lives and thousands of dollars to work for peanuts on the slim chance that they might get to do that work in the show.

I have invested many more years and thousands of dollars to work for less than peanuts with absolutely no chance of working in the show.

I have far more umpiring experience than any of these AMLU guys, and for them to think just because they attended umpire school that they are better umpires is just a freakin' joke. When they have worked 3,000 plus games, at any level, have them look me up then and talk. I have just about had it up to my a$$ with this "we are superior because of our training" bullsh*t.

I went to Basic Training when I joined the Army, which is "pro school" for soldiers, and I didn't become a 4-star General upon graduation. Years of experience count for something, if nothing more than we have seen nearly every situation known to baseball.

The schools tell them that they're the best of the best of the best.

They should quit lying to their students.

[orangeump]

so a 90 year old man that has officiated 100,000 games over 50 years in his life is better than a major league umpire who has only worked maybe....4,000 games?

just curious if your rationale applies to everyone or only you, sir.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by orangeump

so a 90 year old man that has officiated 100,000 games over 50 years in his life is better than a major league umpire who has only worked maybe....4,000 games?

just curious if your rationale applies to everyone or only you, sir.

I would expect a totally asinine statement from you, orangeump.

First off, for the first 16 years I umpired, I worked no less than 175, and as many as 228 games in a calendar year. That is many more games than any pro umpire works in any given year.

Secondly, I was referring to wet-behind-the-ears, fresh out of pro-school umpires, who barely have any game experience, i.e., less than 500 to 600 games, which is usually the case with minor league umpires.

Third, the example you listed is just plain stupid. The 90 year old man who started umpiring at age 40. Yeah, okay......put down the crack pipe before posting, please!

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I don't take issue with the Minor League striker umpiring lower level to fill his time and wallet. UNLESS...he is not part of that organization, didn't pay the required dues and isn't taking the best games from those who deserve to work them. Cherry picking those assignments is happening and the guy who has put in a decade or more in order to prove himself is now relegated to less visible games. That person is getting skunked by a guy who has no shot at being assigned playoff contests.

Now, we've had rain at the most inopportune times this Spring. A lot of games have been tossed around and schedule shifting has become the norm. If that MiLB guy wants some work, I know an assignor or two who can give him all the Freshman, Sophomore or JV contests he can handle. It's not like he's going to need to stay sharp - those replacements are handling the task very well.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I have invested many more years and thousands of dollars to work for less than peanuts with absolutely no chance of working in the show.

Right, so you're not doing it for the sake of working MLB. You're doing it for some other reason, possibly for the love of it. Which, in the old fashioned (and best) sense, would make you an amateur (remember, "amo, amas, amat?"). Of course, it's possible to umpire both for the love of it and for the $$...

Amateurs, working for the love of it, have a rather different psychology, since they have another career and other parts of their lives to define themselves.

[irefky]

I agree with your San Diego, this guy put me down just because I call high school baseball. Dang him, he made a few more thousand than I did last year but how much is he making this year?

I really dislike people who think they are much better than the other person because the call at a higher level, been calling longer, did they ever think they are making an @$$ out of themselves?

Once I am fortunate to make it to a higher level, if I act like that I hope someone smack the dog$ out of me! This is no way to treat a fellow official. I would hope if any of you do this, that you look at yourself and ask, why?

I really enjoy helping and working with new officials, to make sure they respect and appreciate our love for the game and not for the limelight!

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by Carbide Keyman

I believe he said he made $10,500 last year as a professional, not as a high school umpire.

But, I could be wrong, I am an umpire.



Doug

The only thing you might have missed was my sarcasm. The gentleman
said he made $10,500 last year in MiLB, I was wondering if he thought
he could match that figure doing high school ball.