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