Originally Posted by IceGator8

While I can't speak for the umpires in the Little League Association I can speak highly of my fellow umpires who handled the Pacific Southwest Regionals for Cal Ripkin. (Affiliated with Babe Ruth League competitor with Little League). With one exception all the umpires were very good. Most had high school, legion, or higher experience. Also most of them worked babe ruth or higher level games during the regular season with a few Cal Ripkin games thrown in so they could tune up for the tourney's. Only the best in my association work the regionals and getting chosen is a considered a big honor.

In most cases the decision to work youth ball for my peers in the state and regional C.R. tourney is that high school and legion ball no longer fits in their work schedule. Not everyone can get off at two or three to get to a high school game. I quit doing high school because of job conflicts.

I think that the quality of an official who chooses to work small ball tourney's probably varies by region. In my assoc. the newer umps work the small ball during the regular season and gradually work their way up to Babe Ruth/Pony. As an umpire starts to advance he usually will work upper level games with an older, more experienced umpire who can give them pointers and help them work on their mechanics. We also have a great preseason training program that consists of six weekly meetings and one on the field session. A lot of our younger umpires use our association as a springboard to get started in high school and legion ball. A decent percentage of our veteran umpires still umpire at the high school level. A majority of those that aren't currently working high school ball did in the past and for whatever reason (mostly work related) choose not to work it anymore. All umpires in our association are required to wear a proper uniform or they do not get games.


Eric

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Why the hell do so many people spell Ripken's name wrong?

Originally Posted by LMan

I dunno, but I've seen that mistake at least 2,131 straight times :D

Originally Posted by ctblu40

In 4 years , I was contacted exactly 1 time to work a game in the district tournament. The call came around 3:00 for a 5:00 game. I already had a game scheduled that night, and graciously declined. His response was, "You said you were available, and now all of a sudden you're not?" It was obvious that he was calling me as a last ditch effort to have the game covered.

Originally Posted by aceholleran

Unfortunately:
1. Many lousy umpires I know are serious about their gigs, which they accomplish in mediocre style.
2. Their idea of "professional" is finding a pair of black shoes.
3. Why bother; they know it all--like "you can't bunt with two strikes."
4. This "best job" is often a poor one... and no one can tell them otherwise.

Ace

Originally Posted by IceGator8

I spelled Ripkin wrong? Sorry about that, I should know better.

My assoc. pays $35 per game for Cal Ripkin games. Most of the time the games are double headers and have a time limit between 1:30 and 1:45. I think they pay is a pretty good deal. As I stated before most sof the small ball is worked by first and second year umpires who have gone through the preseason training. The playoffs are worked by more experienced umpires who come down from the Babe Ruth and high school level.

Originally Posted by CJN

And you continue to spell RIPKEN wrong.

Originally Posted by IceGator8

I blame it on a long day at work. RIPKEN derrrrrr:D

fixed

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Hey, at least you got Cal right.:)

Originally Posted by aceholleran

I take it that you're from Connecticut. I probably know the LL assignor. Basically, I'm guessing he knows you have "up the ladder" experience ... ergo, he is afraid. He'll keep putting his same old guys in the same old slots.

Please contact me directly, and we'll do a District 2 game together ... with plenty of notice.

Ace

Originally Posted by LMan

On ESPN Classic the other night, they had the 2003 semifinal game on (a Texas team vs. a New England team). I stopped surfing and watched a few innings.

The PU was something else. He called strikes by sticking his upraised fist as high as he could get it, a la softball style. He looked like he was trying to hang himself....made a biiiiig show of every little thing.

The killer, though, was when a batter (1-2 count) fouled a pitch off right onto the plate, ball then hit F2, went b/w his legs, and rolled to the backstop - PU called a foul tip and a strike (brush-off FT mechanic, then the 'hang yourself' strike motion), and then left the kid at bat. :rolleyes:

Even my wife shook her head and said, 'where do these guys come from?'

Are all LL umpires like this? Of course not! But how does one like this get within spitting distance of national television?

Originally Posted by Dave Hensley

I may not be able to capture the essence of the Little League umpire, but in the immortal words of the late Justice Potter Stewart, "I know it when I see it."

The serious comment I wanted to make about the LL umpire program, and what I see as its greatest failing, is its orientation towards pushing the select few up through the ranks to make it to state, regionals and the holy grail, the LLWS. LL has done a great thing in establishing regional umpire schools in each of its 8 US regions, but the schools have largely turned into inbred good-ol-boy fraternities of instructors and their small cliques of repeat students, geared primarily towards organizing the postseason assignment career ladders of those chosen few. What the schools SHOULD be turning out are certified Little League umpire clinicians - guys who are trained and qualified and equipped to go back to their local leagues and lead the development of a REAL umpire program at their local and district level.

The schools are turning out better and better tournament umpires, as confirmed by what most observers would agree is a gradual improvement in the quality of the umpires working the TV games in each of the last several years. But that's where it ends - the LL TV umpires are the window dressing of a program that still, at the local level, is dominated by guys with backward caps and shinguards on the outside of their jeans.

It's sad that such a great opportunity has been largely squandered.