You are not worth my words. but since you are so set to read something, try reading some of the players and managers words...I highlighted a few of my favorites.




June 1, 2006, 05:05:31 AM PDT

TODAY: Bakersfield at Modesto, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Samuel Deduno (2-1, 3.89) will start for Modesto against Blaze righty John Bannister (1-5, 5.53).

COMING UP: Tuesday's game opened a seven-game, six-day homestand for the Nuts. Bakersfield is here through Thursday, then Stockton comes to town for a 7:05 p.m. single game Friday, a 5:05 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a 1:05 p.m. single game Sunday.

RETURN OF THE MEN IN BLUE -- The regular minor-league umpires will be back on the field no later than June 12, and players and coaches alike are counting the innings.

The season-long strike ended Tuesday morning, when the Association of Minor League Umpires agreed to a six-year contract that included a $100 per month wage increase and an immediate $3 per diem bump. Under the previous contract, Single-A umpires made $10,000 for the five-month season plus $20 per diem, in addition to reimbursement for travel and lodging.

While the regular umpires have been on strike, their spots have been filled by umpires from the high school and college ranks.

"It's nice to know we'll have guys back who will know the rules," said Modesto Nuts manager Chad Kreuter. "They won't be calling the high school and college slide rules. We've seen that, and at those times the umps have been confused. You recite the big-league rule to them and they give you a deer in the headlights look."

Players were instructed in spring training to refrain from arguing with the replacement umps as much as possible. Still, looks of frustration on the field have been frequent, particularly on batters walking back to the dugout following a called third strike.

"These temporary guys started out OK, then they got really, really bad, then they got a little better," said Nuts outfielder Matt Miller. "But overall, they've been pretty bad.

"I've seen them catering to the home team and catering a little bit to the better pitchers, who get every call on the corner. I hope the real umpires come back and do a much better job."

Some pitchers have been able to take advantage of the strike zone of the replacement umps because of a strange consistency -- the zones have seemed to get wider late in games.

"You have to love that," said Nuts reliever Jarrett Grube. "We've seen late in close games where the umpires will open up the strike zones and give you the strikeout to end the game. But our hitters don't know what to look for. A pitch will be a ball the whole game and suddenly it will be called a strike.

"I do think these umps this season have been trying hard and have done a pretty good job filling in. And we're above .500 and not too far out of first place, so it hasn't ruined our season."

-- BRIAN VanderBEEK

Funny, I see comments like these about the regular umps too. LOL

That is Modesto. Find something about Portland umpires that doesn't come from a "fan site" or written by a striking umpire!

I am about 100% sure that the people complaining about the replacement umps in the press ALSO complain a bunch about their regular umps. You know why we don't hear about it? Because there is no story in that under normal circumstances. Everybody thinks umpires are horrible.

So, in reality, all these "horrid" stories about "bad" umpires are JUST par for the course. As somebody else pointed out earlier, he can wait to see all the perfect games called! LOL

I find it really hard to believe that the umpires working minor league games don't know the difference between pro rules and HS or NCAA rules. That's just a bunch of horsesh*t and you know it! Trying to enforce "slide rules?" Come on now! Show me this umpire so I can go kick him in the rear end!

Quit making it sound like anybody who's not an AMLU member can't umpire a tiddlywinks contest. Yeah, we're all a bunch of stupid hicks. Had to re-cite the "big-league" rule? It ain't even the big league, bubba! The deer in the headlights look? Oh, puleeeze. Yeah, must have been some T-Ball umpires working these games.

Everyone knows that the pro umpires have received more training and instruction than amateurs, but I've seen a boatload of pro umpires at every level who couldn't walk my mask out to home plate, and to think they are in some way superior because they work minor league baseball is simply ludicrous.

Any Minor League Umpire That Thinks The Game Was About To Crumble And Fall Apart Without Their Superior Presence Needs To Look Over The Deal They Just Signed, And When They Cash That First Paycheck It Should Be Very Obvious.... And Painfully Clear Just How Bad Milb Management Missed You And Needed You Back.

I Guess That Extra Dollar A Day Was The Threshold To "financial Freedom". I'll Have My Stock Broker Give Each Of You A Call.....

Hey B....arnold.....thank You For Sharing That Great Article....

I Know Once The Highly Paid, Superior Trained Machines Return There Will Be No More Arguments, No More Ejections, No Fights, No Kicked Calls, No Digruntled Managers Or Owners....everyone Will Be In Such A State Of "bliss" It Will Be So Nice.......

I Can Not Believe The Powers Of Milb Didn't Double The Pay From Day One, Seeing How There Was So Many Problems......

And If You Believe This......please Set The "crack Pipe" Down And Step Away For A Min Would Ya?????

SUBS still Tootin'
 

Roger Clemmons just signed another BASEBALL contract. Something about $100,000 US per innning, or per strikeout. He only appears for 6-7 innings, so that is about $600,000 to $700,000 per game average. That is leverage because few can replace HIM or his performance on the field.

Even MiLB players with six years and no shot at the bigs are compensated well above $20,000 per year thanks to the MLB PA support. I guess the AMLU umps were wrong to demand a small pay increase after six years in the business. If an UMPIRE cannot demand $100 bucks a game, then how can he begin to believe he is the BEST?

The AMLU has federal status. It would be DUMB not to join it and work as an independent contractor for PRO ball. I liken it to working on your knees. MiLB will no longer attract the best possible umpires. Anybody may consider himself to be a fine replacement. But until Bubba's paid the some dough as a TOP DOG, he is just another SUBSTITUTE, or second fiddler.

ncump 7.....you didn't help put together the new deal did ya????

in the words of the montgomery/gentry band......

that something to be proud of......

thats a deal you can hang your hat on.......

nc ump7

you dont need to make a million.....

just be thankful to be working.......

if your doing what your able......

the extra 30 bucks will put a "HAPPY MEAL" ON THE TABLE.......

8 more games. Enjoy being a scab while it lasts. And by the way, when you are done self fornicating, I would bet my life that a 1st year umpire in pro ball is better than you SCUMP. You are a joke to everyone. But just keep believing all of the complements from the players and managers that have been ordered not to argue with you. Like I said, 8 more days!

And don't worry boys, I will be sitting and waiting for another game being forfeited because an umpire loses control. AMLU guys lookout...overall you have some pretty tough shoes to fill 9 days from now. (SCUMP, since you obviously have a hard time telling when someone is being truthful, I am being sarcastic. So please don't come back on here and quote me like you do the players and managers that say they respect you and then laugh at you in the dugout)

Truth hurts boys!

Hey Arnold The Pig The Strike Is Over......hello Earth To Arnie....

Anybody That Works A Minor League Game After The Strike Was Settled Is Not A Scab.....

Some Body Fill In Ole Arnie On The Rules Concerning Unions, Strikes
Etc Etc......

Man I Can Not Wait For Perfection To Return To The Yards All Across America......

The Integrity Of The Game Has "really....really" Suffered....

Time To Get Those "well Trained" Highly Paid Umpiring Machines Back On The Field.......

Ummmm......this is not an example of sarcasm. It is an example of a very egotistical, bitter person, who thinks way too highly of himself. Please stop referring to people blowing themselves, it is really tacky.

My Thoughts As Well Steve.....angry, Bitter And Very Shallow...

For A Guy That Knows Nothing About Me What So Ever You Are Throwing Lots Of Stones There B....arnold!!!!

I know what I need to know, you are a scab. I blieve that this qualifies as something about you. And the blowing comment (which has now been changed to something more appropriate) was in reference to the comment that an A ball guy can't even carry his mask out to the plate for him.

You call me shallow for pointing out that people are laughing at the replacement umpires. But you defend a guy who thinks that his time in the PCL is similar to an umpire who worked their way to get there. I was in the PCL years ago, and it wasn't easy to get there. This strike was unfortunate, but I am not going to sit back and let guys that never earned a right to work in pro ball bash the guys that have. If it hurts when I point out that they are laughing at you, then too bad. Like I said, the truth hurts!

And if you guys want to throw around that you made some extra money during this strike while the AMLU boys were at home, this too is a joke. You are only trying to get back the money you lost when you went to umpire school and were told you weren't good enough for pro ball. You call me bitter and shallow...Keep cutting down the umpires that have made it to AA and AAA. That is bitter and shallow. You guys are a joke, and you just can't see it. I am sure you will have some great stories to tell about your time in pro ball. Just be careful who you say them to, you no doubt will be called out for the loser you are by anyone that ever earned the right to walk on that field.


One last thing, I almost forgot. 7 more days!

Well, that was my comment, not his. I never worked as a replacement umpire, so I don't see the need for such a comment.

I have worked with minor league umpires on amateur games over the years, and in fact have given advice and tips to some of them. I stand by my comment, as I have rarely been overly impressed by them. I worked with one guy who had such a chip on his shoulder that he couldn't make it out of any high school games without running someone. He had the shortest fuse I'd ever seen. He brought his "us against the rats" philosophy with him to the amateur level, and it just doesn't work well.

You can stay upset at the replacement umpires, and work yourself an ulcer over it, or you can move past it, quit the childish countdown, and chalk it up to life's experiences. You guys screwed up by striking, blamed people for doing the job you wouldn't do even though you agreed to the terms at one time, and now you don't want to admit you screwed up. It is time to just take your lumps and get on with your "umpiring career.":rolleyes:

I Want To Add I Never Made Any Reference To Anyone Carrying Or Not Carrying My Mask On This Web Site Or Any Other.

I Never Said I Worked In The Pcl Either......i Didn't Work There.

So B.....arnold Making Remarks About Me When You Are Refering To Someone Else Is Childish.

Like Steve Said The Amlu Is The One That Went On Strike Not Me.....after You Knew What The Pay Plan Was And The Odds Of Making It To The Bigs.....what Did You Expect, The Game To Stop While You Held Them Hostage For More Money...