Yeah, like being managed by an extremely overweight non-umpire who did nothing but drive his golf cart (with his son) all over Cocoa expo during the UDP camp and at the same time offering exactly zero umpiring instruction.

Its bound to have "management problems" when its run by an ex-rat.

Three points:

Some, including some ML general managers, feel the system is broke.

The trend over the past five years is that that never ending cadre is diminishing.

Which brings me to my first post. This is more than a supply and demand issue. As long as the owners perceive that it is not in their best interest to invest in the MiLB umpires, they will not. It will be up to AMLU to provide a convincing argument that it is, indeed, in ML's best interest to help out.

Attention: My previous post was supposed to be ironic. I was just trying to poke fun at airhead statists who believe in notions like "comparable worth" and think the government should set prices and wages. Thank you.

That too ... I was talking about a certain accounting discrepancy ...

Geez, I forgot all about that! I guess my impressions of him as a person stick out more in my mind than that! Wow...memories fade 10 years later.

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.

Shhhhhhh! Not yet.

And they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends......
 

This must be the worst kept secret in the history of baseball. It wouldn't surprise me if a quarter of the posters on this board knows the secret.

Walt

I know. And it's been tough not saying anything these past eight months while others are talking. I guess how each person handled it depended on how he heard it in the first place.

what's the big deal?

Probably nothing now. But in back in March during an interview the news was accompanied with the request of "don't make this public."

They don't have to support them because the young guys will work for pennies for a shot at the "show" it's pretty smart business really

I don't believe it is a very smart business practice to treat employees like that considering how much of a commitment they are asking for. Of course the umpires going into pro baseball know how small their chances are of making it to The Show™ but I think better treatment of the minor league umpires would net a better "product" in the long run. This is not to say that the current group of minor league umpires is bad, I am not knowledgable enough to speak in that capacity. I am simply speaking from the perspective of a general business strategist.

from a $ standpoint it is absolutely smart business. why would they pay more or treat them better when they simply don't have to? there is a steady stream of guys every year that go to the schools in hopes of getting into the game, despite knowing full well what they are in for. the ethics of it all, however, leave something to be desired. if i were in a one on one battle with them a la billy madison, you can be damn sure i, too, would choose business ethics as their final category...

Speaking strictly from a monetary perspective, I agree it is smart business. While I recognize that the primary function of a business is to make money, I don't believe that is the only function of business. I also recognize that this is a fairly "new school" attitude.

"...I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." :D

fine work, sir, fine work.