it's over

[pdxblue]

Originally Posted by BenedictArnold

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

[SanDiegoSteve]

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.

[SCUMP]

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.....

[SCUMP]

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?????