Complaints, Change And Resistance

[fitump56]

Pete Booth posted about the state of officiating, the lack of recruits, the whole situation is deteriorating. (Pete, I apologize if I overstate).

Thi Forum is full of complainers, about how we are mistreated, how much we are under paid, yada yada yada.

I come along and say "why not challenge what we assume to know, let's take a fresh look at things, maybe we are part of the problem, part of the disease". Which we are. Not a popular opinion.

Expected.

If things are going to change for umpires, we had best remove ourselves from the past. The past disservices us. We are not substantially progressed since I started in 1965. The same abuse issues, lack of proper pay, respect..nothing much has changed. In 40+ years, just think about that. I would imagine that historically umpires could go back 60 more.

I understand that you have to umpire for the money. I have. Never was ashamed to collect that hard earned paycheck especially when I was calling drunks at 1300 for $6 a game and having to call the police for escorts and arrests. With my family sitting in the parking lot.

Just a thought. FYI

[DonInKansas]

Originally Posted by fitump56

I understand that you have to umpire for the money.
Just a thought. FYI

I swear if I see you type that one more time I'm going to have a fit.

Gas Money, time off the normal job in some cases, not to mention buying equipment hardly makes umpiring a profitable venture. Some members here have outlined situations where they're paying out to umpire in the end with all their random fees. The money's helpful, but it's awful low on my personal list of why I do it.

Some umpire for the money. Don't generalize.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by DonInKansas

Some umpire for the money. Don't generalize.

If you take money for working a game, you umpire for the money. Now you might not only umpire for money and you are motivated by other factors. But if you do not umpire for the money, you do not take any cash or check that is given to you. Umpiring for money is not a bad thing.

Peace

[DonInKansas]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

If you take money for working a game, you umpire for the money. Now you might not only umpire for money and you are motivated by other factors. But if you do not umpire for the money, you do not take any cash or check that is given to you. Umpiring for money is not a bad thing.

Peace

Understood; I think it's more the context in which it's used that I disagree with. It sounded to me like he's saying we're just out there to collect a check, which can be disagreeable IMO.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by DonInKansas

Understood; I think it's more the context in which it's used that I disagree with. It sounded to me like he's saying we're just out there to collect a check, which can be disagreeable IMO.

Many are, you, hell if I know, if the plate shoe fits......

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

If you take money for working a game, you umpire for the money. Now you might not only umpire for money and you are motivated by other factors. But if you do not umpire for the money, you do not take any cash or check that is given to you.

Thats' pretty simple and well put.

Umpiring for money is not a bad thing.

Peace

Sure ain't.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by DonInKansas

I swear if I see you type that one more time I'm going to have a fit.

Gas Money, time off the normal job in some cases, not to mention buying equipment hardly makes umpiring a profitable venture. Some members here have outlined situations where they're paying out to umpire in the end with all their random fees. The money's helpful, but it's awful low on my personal list of why I do it.

Some umpire for the money. Don't generalize.

The ignore list is a wonderful thing. Give it a try and you'll never see this idiot's posts again.

[3appleshigh]

I don't know about you guys, But I UMPIRE FOR MONEY, I DO NOT UMPIRE FOR THE MONEY! that is a huge difference.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by 3appleshigh

I don't know about you guys, But I UMPIRE FOR MONEY, I DO NOT UMPIRE FOR THE MONEY! that is a huge difference.

I don't umpire for the money, but I sure as hell (with some exceptions) wouldn't do it for free.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

I don't umpire for the money

Then don't take any.

but I sure as hell (with some exceptions) wouldn't do it for free.

Then you umpire for the money.

[charliej47]

I would not work for free. If I have no value then I can not offer any.

[Forest Ump]

Are you kidding? Work for money! I just hand over the check to the Mrs..


She's buying a 46" LCD TV for herself later this week.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by charliej47

I would not work for free. If I have no value then I can not offer any.

Value is not always money bound.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by 3appleshigh

I don't know about you guys, But I UMPIRE FOR MONEY, I DO NOT UMPIRE FOR THE MONEY! that is a huge difference.

Then explain it to us.

[greymule]

I'm 58. In my life, I've had easy jobs and hard jobs, and invariably the easier a job is, the more it pays; the harder it is, the less it pays. I'm not talking necessarily about enjoyment, just difficulty.

This was true in my first job, the hardest one I ever had, teaching in a public high school (for peanuts). Far easier was training people at large companies—for vastly more $$. Even within the large companies, the easiest jobs paid the most. Easier still was sitting home and assigning other people to do the work, which paid even more.

You know that people working for minimum wage don't have easy jobs.

Umpiring is enjoyable, but it is hard work. But what's easier (and more fun), a game between two good college teams or a rec league walkfest that pays far less? See my point?