Umpire School, Anyone?

[JJ]

For any of you considering attending an umpire school in January, here are a few things you can expect and a few suggestions you may find helpful. Granted, I attended Wendelstedt's school in 1985 and undoubtedly some things have changed, but this post will give some of MY insight that may help YOU.
If anyone else can add thoughts from a more recent time, please do so. Also, anyone who attended Evan's school can input valuable information to potential attendees.
Have at it, boys!

I went - in 1985. I suspect a few things have changed, but for the most part the routines are the same.
You can expect to have rule book sessions every morning from about 8-11 or 11:30. You'll cover the book a few pages at a time and then have a short (10 or 15 question) quiz on what you covered the day before. You'll end up with 200+ questions for the whole time you're there. They aren't hard, but you'll need to pay attention in class AND read the book. It wouldn't hurt for you to start anytime now and read the OBR book a little each day.

Then you get a lunch break - could be a half hour, could be an hour. We had to drive 15 minutes to the field, but I think now everything is in one place.

After lunch you can expect to do some warmup exercises and light running as a large, single group. After that you'll break up into smaller groups and head for different fields. Depending on what's being covered, you'll have some volunteers go out and act as "teams", and the instructors will set up game situations. The instructors will demonstrate what they want you to learn. Those not on "teams" will umpire - usually only an inning or so - and then get a short critique from the instructors.

You'll have some cage work every day - pitching machine, one guy catching and one guy calling pitches while an instructor watches and evaluates.

You will also have drills - they'll set up a line of base umpires at first base and another group of runners from home plate and using a first baseman they'll do "whackers". Or they'll set up rundowns. Or they'll set up obstruction plays. Or balks. You get the idea.

Best advice I can give is pay attention. In class. On the field. When you're working and when you're watching. You can learn as much by watching what other people do right - and wrong - as you can by doing it yourself.

Also, volunteer for everything - they'll need guys to set stuff up, and be "team" members, and be runners and batters. If you continually volunteer you'll become a "squeaky wheel" - someone who will get noticed. With 200 guys out there you'll NEED to get noticed!

Don't go out and party every night. When I went I never saw my roomie. He'd leave the field at 5 or 6 and head right for the bars. He wasn't there to learn to umpire. If you get drunk and make ANY kind of scene you may as well just pack up and go home. Show up early and stay late.

It's a long 5 weeks, but you'll learn to umpire. Don't get discouraged if you get yelled at by the instructors - it's their job, and as an umpire it's part of YOUR job to get yelled at. They're watching how you react to everything, so try to remember it's a school and the best reaction is to stay calm.

Your voice will be GONE by the 4th or 5th day, so practice yelling every day for a week or two before you go. If you have a game video, pop it in and call along with it.

You'll spend every day wearing gear - sometimes just the gray slacks and a plain t-shirt and hat, and sometimes all of the plate gear. If you have extra gray slacks take them along. Sunday is the only day we had off and that was laundry day. Yes, take a jacket. One morning when we got up it was 15 degrees! We stayed inside all day that day, but it will be chilly some mornings.

Put your name on your gear (just like camp). Stuff gets left behind at the field and in the classroom everyday, and having your name on it means you'll probably get it back.

You're competing for a very few jobs in pro ball, but don't be a dick about it. You'll see some VERY good umpires and some guys who have no business being there, but they all have the goal of being a pro umpire. Most guys slit their own throats, so you really don't have to worry about "taking" anyone's job. Nobody "has" a job from the start, but instructors notice athletes, so try to look the part. Clean shaven, short hair, contacts - all good ideas.

Have fun and know the odds are that SOMEONE from your class will be in the Bigs someday, so make friends. I sat next to Jeff Kellogg, and Kerwin Danley was in my class, too. It's fun to watch them now.

When it's all over they may say, "Take what you learned home and umpire a hundred games, and then come back next year." If you can, do it.

Never be disappointed - be determined. I didn't get a job in pro ball, but I used the skills I learned to become a top level NCAA umpire, and I've been all over the world umping. It only took 20 years, and it all started with Harry's school!

JJ

[bossman72]

Thank you for taking the time to write that! That was very informative. I'll remember your advice if i decide to go to umpire school one day. What you said is true and can also be applicable to clinics you attend in your local area as well.

[GarthB]

I did not attend proschool, just the Desert Classic and several week-end clinics and camps.

However, I spent this past summer with several first year umpires who I interviewed for a series at officiating.com

Allow me to throw out a few comments they made that are relevant to this thread.

"If you attend proschool with the intent to get a job, then treat proschool as your job. Throughout school be professional, respectful and industrious, just as you would if you working to succeed on any job."

"Utilize every minute when you are not in training to study or practice, but don't wear it on your sleeve to impress the instructors. Study and practice in private."

"Volunteer to help out in various areas, but be balanced about it. One student always was the first to volunteer to play the the part of a ballplayer. He spent so much time as a player that that was how the instructors and his fellow students began to regard him. And even though he was the son of a former MLB umpire, he did not make it to PBUC."

"Don't ask "why". Pay attention and you'll find out the why of everything. There IS such a thing as a dumb question."

"Treat it like Army basic training. Keep your mouth shut, do what your are told as you are told and hustle. You'll get more positive notice for doing things correctly and hustling then you will for talking and telling war stories."

"Get plenty of sleep and stay alert in the classroom as well as on the field and in the cages. Look at the instructors when they are talking to you or the entire group. Make eye contact."

"Bring extra uniform pants and buy extra school shirts. You might only get to do laundry once a week and even though the instructors realize that, a dirty uniform is still a negative issue that is hard to overcome. Always look professional."

"Get along with everyone. Don't be a loner and don't be a prick to anyone. As a minor league umpire you will live with your partner day and night for an entire season. Don't give the impression that you can be hard to get along with."

[justanotherblue]

I attended the Evans Academy two years ago. What you can expect is to work hard every day. Your spend anywhere from two to four hours a day in the classroom going over EVERY word in the rule book, as well as the "red book". You will have ...dang.... what was it 13 tests including a 200 question final alone. I think it comes out to a total of 750+ test questions throughout the program. That doesn't include all the handouts and school work and book materials. Every afternoon your be doing drills. Usually until the sun goes down. It's not uncommon to work on the field until six. Your work in the cages every day. Rather than work one or two innings of a live game, your do camp games. You will be introduced to most situations you WON'T run into in a normal game, and then some. Your be put through several confrontations and ejection situations, and have to write reports on them. Oh yeah, that has to be done along with all the other classroom work. All in all, your work your butt off. If your planning on attending this winter, start running now! You will lose weight and be in much better shape when your done!!!! Why....because there's running in being an Umpire.

Good luck

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by JJ

I went - in 1985.

1985? And I thought I was old, John, having gone to umpire school in 1989!

Great class I had, too: Jeff Nelson was our #1 student; Ted Barrett was one of my roommates; Jaksa and Roder were the two chief rules instructors; Fielden Culbreth and Brian O'Nora were the two chief MiLB instructors; and Tim Tschida was one of the chief MLB instructors.