Cooperstown Umpire Needed 7/28/07
 

I'm coaching a team of 11 & 12 year old little leaguers and taking the group to Cooperstown All Star Village in late July.
(http://www.cooperstownallstarvillage...ction=umpires). We will be traveling to Cooperstown on Saturday morning, July 28th. Games begin on Sunday morning and continue through Thursday evening. We will be returning home on Friday morning Aug. 3rd.

Part of the requirements for each team is to provide an umpire for the week. So, I'm in search of an umpire that would be willing to donate a week in Cooperstown. The web link attached provides details for prospective umpires including:

Included in your package:
5 days and 6 nights stay, three meals a day, Cooperstown All-Star Village duo Umpire ball cap, Two special Cooperstown All-Star Village polo shirts for Umpires only, A wind breaker, a ticket to visit The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and our Cooperstown Hall Of Fame ring. Umpires receive all this free for your Umpiring Services during your stay.
Also, July 28, 29, and 30th is induction weekend at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Can you help me connect with prospective umpires or point me to another source?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours in baseball,
Scott T. Wilson
610-964-8467 Home
610-676-4124 Work
610-547-9247 Cell
484-676-4124 Fax
[email protected]

I live 30 minutes from Cooperstown. I still can't believe that teams need to bring their own umpires. I don't know exactly how much this organization charges each team... but I believe it isn't cheap. Why can't this organization provide paid umpires? My organization used to do games there. Why would umpires do games for free when the owners of this facility are making a fortune each year? Maybe I'm way off base but until someone tells me differently I think this whole situation just isn't right. Why doesn't this place just sign a contract with our association and we could provide all the umpires they need. Many of us live within driving distance of Cooperstown. We wouldn't need rooms, meals, "FREE" shirts, ect. All we would need is the fee payment for the games. Doesn't this make more sense than the way things are done now?

I agree completely, however when I asked them about local umpires, they indicated that they had no established relationships. It falls on every team coming to Cooperstown All Star Village to supply an umpire.

That being said, do you know of any local umpires that I could contact?

Regards,
Scott T. Wilson
610-964-8467 Home
610-676-4124 Work
610-547-9247 Cell
484-676-4124 Fax
[email protected]

This is a money making operation. If they can get umpires for free, why wouldn't the keep doing it?

Scott,

I would suggest you check with your local area umpire association or league officials. You might be able to find someone that would be willing to volunteer to go with you.
You will have your best luck with someone who is likely new and young and has a flexible schedule.
If there is a college or university nearby they may have an officiating class that will have a likely candidate.

If you check many of the older posts on this board the general feeling is that Cooperstown should pay umpires and would be able to find a group locally if they did. That being said I know many teams that have made the trip and had a great time. Only suggestion is not to plan on being there for induction week. The price of everything goes up double.

Good Luck

Having never been part of the equipment a team carries, I'm curious. When a team takes an umpire to this Cooperstown tourny, does that umpire work their games? Do the two teams in any game provide the two man crew for that game?

If that's the case, it could make for a strange ride home.

Of course they don't have any established relationships. They did until they refused to pay us the going rate of pay for games. Our association was not going to umpire games for free. These people are greedy. Why don't they let the teams play for free? Why do they ask teams for $ in order to play? Our association is one of the largest and most respected in NY State. Just call our assignor with a schedule of games, and we can provide all the umpires they need. For a fee of course.

Eggggggggszactamundo