Six Billion and growing

[justanotherblue]

You would think with MLB's rush to push back ground checks on the Milb umpires they would step up and pay up. It's my understanding that MLB took away several million dollars from the MiLb umpires several years ago. We all know it's pathetic what the Milb umpires are making. If MLB is worried about the integrity of the umpires at all levels of the game, what's supporting those same individuals with a living wage going to hurt? A couple extra million....peanuts.

[socalblue1]

Originally Posted by justanotherblue

You would think with MLB's rush to push back ground checks on the Milb umpires they would step up and pay up. It's my understanding that MLB took away several million dollars from the MiLb umpires several years ago. We all know it's pathetic what the Milb umpires are making. If MLB is worried about the integrity of the umpires at all levels of the game, what's supporting those same individuals with a living wage going to hurt? A couple extra million....peanuts.

Two questions here:

1. The background checks are simply a knee-jerk reaction to the NBA fiasco.

2. umpire development has gone through several significant changes over the years. MLB used to run UDP (Umpire Development Program). Due to some 'management problems' within the program, umpire development was handed off to MiLB. UDP became PBUC, with the MiLB leagues picking up the costs (MLB directly pays MiLB for the extra AAA fill-in umpires).

MLB indirectly pays for umpire development via the various marketing and cost sharing agreements with MiLB.

Properly funding umpire development would cost MLB peanuts. IMO the problem is simply that there is so little turnover at the MLB level that there is no real incentive to change. The current program produces high quality umpires at all levels, so why change?

[mbyron]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it? Sounds about right.

MiLB doesn't pay its players much more than its umpires. Same reason: part of their compensation is a chance for the big payoff.

Just as a risk of harm is itself a harm, a chance of benefit is itself a benefit. It doesn't surprise me that MiLB has many qualified umpires who are willing to work under the current system.

And we should recognize that under the capitalist conception of fairness, the MiLB umpires have a fair deal: the contract between MiLB and its umpires is free of force and fraud, since both parties knowingly and voluntarily entered into it.

If you still think that their deal is unfair, given the $6B floating around above them, you might be right -- but that notion of fairness is not a capitalist one.

[lawump]

Originally Posted by socalblue1

Due to some 'management problems'

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.

[greymule]

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.

[socalblue1]

Originally Posted by lawump

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.

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

[lawump]

Originally Posted by socalblue1

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.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Another change is coming in January.

Shhhhhhh! Not yet.

[AAUA96]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Shhhhhhh! Not yet.

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

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by AAUA96

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.

[bobbybanaduck]

what's the big deal?