Are we having fun yet....
 

When I first posted on this board, I mentioned that my knees were the reason I had to get out of umpiring, but that was only a half-truth. I used my knees as the final excuse (they are in pretty bad shape).....but ultimately the real reason was that I simply was not having fun anymore. Now please believe me when I say it had nothing to do with the chirping, disagreements, or any other consequences of my calls -- that's an occupational hazard that I fully accepted, and relished. It came down to the fact that, almost without exception, the players (16-18 yrs old, summer ball) and coaches of virtually every team had very little, if any, respect for the game of baseball itself. Call me a purist, but I got tired of games where there were more errors than runs scored....more errors than hits....players laughing or yelling at each other over errors....players that could not have cared less if their team won or lost (it seemed like they didn't want to be there)....coaches that were basically babysitters, with no intention of teaching or coaching.....etc. And these occurances were the rule, not the exception.
It also didn't help that most of the umpires in the association that I was in were 'veterans' with 20+ years of experience, whose idea of a pre-game conference was to walk in the gate and, without breaking stride, walk onto the field while telling me "I've got both lines the whole way". And that pains me because I thoroughly enjoy umpiring, and I thoroughly enjoy doing it right (positioning, mechanics, appearance, etc). I just got to the point where I got tired of beating my head against the wall, and I didn't want to do it any more.

I apologize for the length of this post, and for my rant.........the real reason I started this thread was just to ask.....
Overall, do you have fun umpiring? Is the money you make an important factor? Based on some of the recent threads, some of you travel a long way to umpire......I was just curious what you get out of it.

Thanks for any responses.

Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you.

Sometimes I can't wait to get to the ballpark.

Somedays I can't wait to leave the ballpark.

I love it when I get a 1:25 1-0 shutout w/lots of K3 called.

I hate it when it's 3 hrs. + 26-14 w/lots of getting nailed by the ball.

Sometimes I dread the hours before an assignment I'm not thrilled with.

Sometimes I wonder why I'm even doing this.

Sometimes I wonder what I would have ever done without it.

I love umpiring baseball.

You've gotta love it 'cause it ain't the money we earn :)

However, I wouldn't be doing it for free.

Fun Yet
 

I found this on a fooball forum but many of the thought apply here also

Every day I'm on the top side of the grass and get to hug my kids is a good day even if the game was bad

Why am I a football official?
It’s standing on the field listening to the National Anthem with your eyes closed and your hat over your heart, thanking God for your life and your country.

It’s walking onto the field and seeing the relieved look on the face of a coach that knows he’s got a great crew tonight.

It’s the long drive to the game reviewing every detail of rules and mechanics and yet having time for a joke or two.

It’s walking around the school or stadium looking for your locker room because the AD forgot to have someone meet you.

It’s every story that begins with, "remember when..."

It’s the genuine look of concern on your crewmates faces when one of your brothers has fallen, and the round of laughter shortly thereafter when its obvious he’s alright.

It’s officiating a game shortly before and after your father dies because he taught you what honor is and to always do your duty.

It’s sitting silently at the an association meeting listening to others figure out a complicated ruling and then having them turn to you and ask, "is that right?"

It’s leaving your family for a 3-day clinic, and your wife supporting you in that decision and your dream, because she understands that if "it’s not good for me, then it’s not good for us."

It’s bringing an extra pair of socks along just in case somebody forgets theirs.

It’s meeting someone and finding out he’s an official and immediately becoming good friends because of that fact.

It’s working through the sore muscles, bad knees and the smell of "Ben-Gay." It’s lost job wages, small game fees, and that smile on your face when someone says, "you’re just doing this for the money."

It’s the feel of your heart pounding before the coin toss as you reach into your pocket for the coin that isn’t there.

It’s finishing a 3rd grade game and having a 9 year old run up to you and sincerely say, "Thank you Mr. Official"

It’s hearing that a coach was putting you down behind your back, and that another official defended you by saying "he’s the best official in the state."

It’s having to "buy the first round" because you’re the first one to get dirt on your knickers during the game.

It’s that "one play" that happened years ago that your crew keeps talking about. You all know the one.

It’s the 8 x 8 foot dressing room they give you with a showerhead that barely works.

It’s leading by the example of hard work, and sportsmanship, and hoping some of that will rub off on players, coaches, fans, and other officials.

It’s knowing that no matter what happens during the game, you’ll get it right.

It’s also knowing that the greatest sign of wisdom is realizing that you don’t know everything.

It’s Snickers bars, beef jerky and sodas made from fermented grains.

It’s rule books, discussion boards, countless e-mails and good friends whose faces you have yet to see.

It’s striving to be both a scholar of the rules, and a philosopher of the spirit of the game.

It’s being perfect the first day and working to improve everyday thereafter.

It’s knowing that you’re a part of a tradition of honorable men, names of whom are mostly forgotten or weren’t really known to begin with. But who still did their thankless jobs for the love of the game, and because it was the right thing to do.

It’s all these things, and many, many more I’m sure, that keep all of us coming back for more, year after year, and wondering why. But then you step on the field again, take a deep breath, and ask yourself, "Where would I rather be than right here right now?"

by Curt Johnson---"Doc"

Best seat in the house.

But you have to stand.

Your're right. Best view outside the house.

Coached my son from T-ball, coach pitch, LL, Junior High, to HS summerball before he decided to focus on football(good choice - full ride D-I). I loved the game so much and didnt want to leave the diamond, so I threw away my rat hat, and picked up the tools of ignorance. No regrets at all.....

Fun, fun, fun
 

The most fun I have is when I can stick it to a rat who is getting on my nerves and then send him to the port-a-potty when he doesn't like it. The only problem this causes is with the report I have to write. I have found a way to avoid this. I have saved a Word document on my computer that says: "Coach didn't like my obviously correct call, so I sent put him out of MY misery." The people at the state office don't always like it, but I don't really like them either.:cool:

Imitation may be the greatest form of flattery, but it's still immitation

Lance has nothing to worry about.

Man, you must be cracking yourself up.

Hey, where is Lance? He ought to be just about finishing his 1500-game season around now...

He's gearing up for the Fall-Ball 10U World Series.


Tim.

I too have experienced similar.

IMO, there is simply too much baseball. Baseball for me runs from the last week in March to the end of October , First week in November.

here's what happens. A kid plays HS ball until the end of May, First week in June if his his team makes the sectionals.

In my area, Legion ball starts June 2nd and goes to the end of July. Legion plays approx a 45-50 games season plus the state Tournaments.

For those that do not make the legion teams there is still plenty of other leagues in which to join.

IMO, these kids are simply Burnt out come the last 2 weeks of July. You are right, they really do not want to be there.

During my era, we played all the sports not just focusing on one. Also, even if a kid wants to play the other sports etc. it becomes political for him making the HS team. In addition to coaching HS ball, some HS coaches also have a summer travel team and "Encourage' their HS players to join.

In Summary: There is simply too much baseball and kids become burnt out. Also, as the "heat" rises so do the tempors. In addition, we live in a world in which the motto is "Blame it on the officials" no matter what sport.

Let's take the OU Oregon fiasco. Yes both the on field and replay officials made a bad call but the bottom line was this: Where was the OU defense during the last 3-4 minutes of the game? Oregon scored "at will".

If memory serves (before the on side kick) Oregon trailed by 13 points and proceeded to march right down the field in a short period of time. Did the officials let them do this or was it a bad job by the defense?

We could go on and on. The point is eventually you do get tired of bad play, bad coaching, partners who don't give a rats you know what. Also, even though it comes with the territory eventually one gets tired of the whining etc.

Pete Booth

I personally think the "blame officials" has always been there....its just that with the media outlets 24/7, fans( really all of us) are fed the "look at the bad thing that happened" story. Ratings, you know.
I also switch to slow pitch softball in mid summer/fall, only because its a change of sport (to a degree) and I'd rather be cool than wear "the gear". Others gripe about SP players but if one keeps control, and tosses those who dont understand, the word gets out, and I enjoy the exercise, fresh air, and the power (the $ aint bad either)....

Working SP softball is "exercise?"

I used to look forward to every game and would even keep an eye on the weather forecasts in hopes it wouldn't rain.

But I admit that now there are games I don't really want to do, and I wouldn't do them except that the assigners need me and I need the money. There are so many just plain lousy games. And whether it's true or not, it seems that more and more contests simply drag and never get going.

But overall I like umpiring and plan to keep doing it.

For even a less than moderately fit person, no.

I helped my sports therapist and my doctor with an experiment back when I decide to knock off some pounds. I wore a heart monitor while umpiring, officiating football,officiating basketball, bicycling and during my walks.

My sitting heart rate is 58. During baseball games the highest attained was only 78 and then for very brief periods of time, seconds, really. The rest of the game, on the bases it stayed in a range of high 60's to low 70's. Behind the plate it was normally in the low to high 70's.

During football, it rose to the mid 80's and on occassion hit 92. Again, the amount of time spent in the higher ranges was brief. During the rest of the game it stayed in a range of 74-80.

Basketball was better in that my heart rate stayed elelvated in the 80's to mid 90's throughout most of the game with a high of 99.

Bicycling, I can control the rate by selecting a route and speeds. I usually keep the rate between 120 and 132.

I discovered that to make my walks "exercise" I had to pick up the pace to at least 3.5 mph and wear 3 pound weights on my wrists. That raised my heart rate to a range of 112 to 120, again depending on route.

For my level of fitness, my doctor suggests that anything that does not raise my heart rate to at least 110 is more casual entertainment than exercise.

I guess there are umps who stay behind the plate, or take a step or 2 to make a call.
I happen to believe (after playing many years of SP), that if I hustle out to get a good angle of 1st, and anticipate throws to 2nd/3rd, --that I dramatically lower the *****ing on calls (cause I'm right there).
Working 3 or 4 games (1 hr per game) as a single ump means that I've left the field after 4hrs of exercise, heart rate up, perspiring, ect, generally feeling good, and the teams appreciate the hustle (big deal lol).
The downside are for those umps working the same diamonds who stay behind the dish--but thats their prob, and trust me, boy do I hear complaints on calls from their games...

Why anyone does Baseball for the money amazes me !

We are the lowest paid officials on the planet, when you take equipment costs, equipment maintenance time/cost, length of games, and all the dust we get in our eyes.

If you need money, work Basketball, Soccer, or Volleyball (best ratio). My son, in college, is going to make about $500 per week just doing HS Basketball this winter.

In many areas there is no vollyball or basketball played during baseball season. And, soccer? Please.

I've made up to $8,000 doing baseball in a four season locale. It isn't my living, but it's a nice addition.

It would not be possible to make $500 a week doing just HS basketball here. But if one also worked youth leagues on the weekend, it would be do-able.

How interesting !
Thanks, GarthB !