What would be your call?

[canadaump6]

Maybe it's because I don't umpire in the professional system, but I don't see putting MiLB in one's signature as disrespecting umpires who make a living at that level. He just happened to put it in his signature. The umpire's role is to put up with a lot of abuse, so I'm sure most MiLB umpires wouldn't care if someone claimed to be a member of their association.

But Steve, making the claim that you would have made the big leagues had you had the drive to do so is a bit much. We've all got potential in certain domains. You don't get any results unless you use that potential. As an example, I am a gifted saxophone player- I started in grade 7 and it only took a few lessons before my teacher knew I really had something going for me. I had a ton of success over the years (won a Kiwanis scholarship, accepted into grade 10 music course when in grade 9, etc.). But while I had natural abilities going for me, I never had the drive or enjoyment to stick with it. While I could claim that I could be a big name jazz star, doing so would be a huge disservice to the people who dedicate their lives to the profession.

The same goes for umpiring. You may be one hell of an umpire, but unless you have put in years upon years in the professional system, it's not fair to act as if making the big leagues is an easy thing to do.