MiLB jobs

[lawump]

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

It would be interesting to hear about the lifestyle from anyone who actually umpired MiLB. Do you have to take bus rides to the destinations, do you ever get to eat decent food, etc.

(1) No. In the low minors, partners are paired such that one has (or can provide) a vehicle for the crew to travel around the league in, and the other does not have a vehicle.

(2) Only on the nights when Dennis Cregg (MiLB evaluator) takes you out to eat after your game. (He knows the best place in every town...and he pays)...otherwise, no.

[Ump18]

The typical progression is: Rookie League, Short Season A, Long Season A, Advanced A, Double A and Triple A.

Most of the umpires in my son's year group are between 20 and 25 Years old. There is an 18 year old that has received an assignment to the AZL this year.

1st and 2nd year guys are paid $1,900 to $2,000 per month plus a per diem and the driver for the crew is paid mileage.

[lawump]

Originally Posted by lawump

(1) No. In the low minors, partners are paired such that one has (or can provide) a vehicle for the crew to travel around the league in, and the other does not have a vehicle.

(2) Only on the nights when Dennis Cregg (MiLB evaluator) takes you out to eat after your game. (He knows the best place in every town...and he pays)...otherwise, no.

I take that back...one night in S/WB Greg Gibson's crew took my partner and I out for a great meal. Two years later, all 3 became MLBers. Not too many crews in the history of AAA that had all three become MLBers...kind of due to the "unique" circumstances of '99.

[NFump]

Garth,

Congrats to you and Matt as well. I'm very happy to hear he got the call. All the guys who attended the clinic with him were pulling for him to make it. Again, congratulations to Matt.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

do you ever get to eat decent food, etc.

The clubs are supposed to provide a meal on game day. Often it is a hot dog, chips and cold coke delivered to the umpire's dressing room in the fifth inning so that by the end of the game it is a cold dog, chips and hot coke.

My bride and I have provided meals for some crews and the local association has taken crews out to dinner after games.

We've discovered that in early season they like to be taken out, but as the season wears on they prefer the home cooking.

[DTQ_Blue]

Thanks Garth,

If your son ever gets to the Carolina League have him contact me when he works a Potamac Nationals game and my wife will cook him his best meal of the season.

Some guys marry into money, I married into food.

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by GarthB

According to some on PBUC's staff, Evans had 11 out of the first 16. I've spoken with two Evans grads who were picked up after that and they tell me there's at least one or two others.

Whatever. I have no axe to grind. Both Hunter and Jim have graciously agreed to work with me on my project about the history of proschools for officiatin.com. I'm sure the final real numbers will come out sometime during our talks.

Congrats Garth

Also, is it still true that once you get to triple A you have one maybe 2 yrs. to make it and if you are not chosen you are let go?

The reason I ask, is that my assignor had a friend that made it to Triple A. He worked there 1-2 yrs (can't remember the exact time but it wasn't long) and simply received a letter in the mail that stated

"major league baseball no longer requires your services"

Therefore, in your article perhaps you can also cronicle what happens to umpires after triple A who do not make it. Do they have to start all over again?

Pete Booth

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

Congrats Garth

Also, is it still true that once you get to triple A you have one maybe 2 yrs. to make it and if you are not chosen you are let go?

The reason I ask, is that my assignor had a friend that made it to Triple A. He worked there 1-2 yrs (can't remember the exact time but it wasn't long) and simply received a letter in the mail that stated



Therefore, in your article perhaps you can also cronicle what happens to umpires after triple A who do not make it. Do they have to start all over again?

Pete Booth

Pete:

I don't believe there is a set number of years one can work in AAA ball. There are many factors, their rating (performance), age (don't tell anybody) and the timing of opennings and projected opennings among others.

I know of umpires who have spent five years in AAA and were released.

Timing becomes as critical an issue as talent. If you've spent 13 years in the minors and are approaching 40 years old and there are no projected oppening in MLB for four or five years, chances are you're done. There are a lot of younger guys below you who have developed and deserve to be moved up.

It isn't a particularly gentle or kind business. Matt has his eyes wide open. When he first decided this was what he wanted in live, he read Rick Roder's, "The Narrowest Door in Baseball." He then went to several pro clinics and camps and talked endlessly with A, AA and AAA umpires about their experiences and lifestyle. Some of the friends he made were later released and some self-released, so he knows about that reality.

He wants to give it his best shot. I'm proud just that he was willing to go for it and not settle for having a regret later in life for not trying. We've had some talks while he was growing up and he knows that his dad had a couple of opportunities (not in umpiring) that he didn't pursue because he was comfortable where he was and wasn't willing to take the risk necessary to reach for the gold ring. I've always been honest about the few regrets I have about that and have encouraged him to be braver than his dad was.

Thankfully, he is.

[mattmets]

Originally Posted by GarthB

It isn't a particularly gentle or kind business. Matt has his eyes wide open. When he first decided this was what he wanted in live, he read Rick Roder's, "The Narrowest Door in Baseball." He then went to several pro clinics and camps and talked endlessly with A, AA and AAA umpires about their experiences and lifestyle. Some of the friends he made were later released and some self-released, so he knows about that reality.

He wants to give it his best shot. I'm proud just that he was willing to go for it and settle for having a regret later in life for not trying. We've had some talks while he was growing up and he knows that his dad had a couple of opportunities (not in umpiring) that he didn't pursue because he was comfortable where he was and wasn't willing to take the risk necessary to reach for the gold ring. I've always been honest about the few regrets I have about that and have encouraged him to be braver than his dad was.

Thankfully, he is.

Garth- Did he find that Rick's book helped him? I've read it because I'm looking to follow in those footsteps in the next 2-3 years, so I'm trying to get a handle on people I assume are around my age and see what they've done to get themselves where they are.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by mattmets

Garth- Did he find that Rick's book helped him? I've read it because I'm looking to follow in those footsteps in the next 2-3 years, so I'm trying to get a handle on people I assume are around my age and see what they've done to get themselves where they are.

I believe what it did for him was let him know that the odds were stacked against him and to be realistic and accept whatever happens. As far as being any help to succeed....no.

[johnnyg08]

Be prepared to be asked to come back to umpire school again...for the low, low price of another $3,500.00

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

Be prepared to be asked to come back to umpire school again...for the low, low price of another $3,500.00

That's if you don't make it to PBUC or get a contract. I don't believe released umpires are encouraged to start over.

I know Balkin' Bob went back to proschool after resigning from MLB and deciding he wanted his job back...but that's a little different.

[johnnyg08]

That is good that they don't encourage people to come back...that could become a business ethics situation. But I say...huge props to anybody who goes...I've heard it's live changing. (assuming you love baseball and umpiring)

[GarthB]

Let me say this about the cost of proschool. When you consider the time of training, the number of instructors, meals, lodging....I think it's a bargain.

[johnnyg08]

It's a bargain if you have $3,500 as a 19 yr old kid...not many kids have that amt of cash...please understand, I'm not ripping ump school at all...but where I come from, no matter how you look at it...paying $3,500+ for 5 weeks of school, plus whatever anybody makes as income for 5 weeks makes for an expensive school...whether the person working doesn't work and takes an unpaid leave from his/her job or takes 5 weeks paid vacation w/ no vacation left the entire year...All I'm saying is the tuition is probably the least expensive part of umpire school...