From Rob Drake, professional umpire. Please Read!

[GarthB]

You and Gucce have paid your dues. Good luck getting on full time.

PS: Check your "Private Message" link on the upper right of the page.

[RobDrake]

Thanks for the message Garth, I appreciate it. I will reply to you soon. As far as technology goes, we will have instant replay soon. It will be mostly in the playoffs. I don't see it coming to the regular season for a little while. It is just hard to set up all the technology in every park, for every game. We will have it soon, though. I have no problem with it, becuase it proves how we are right most of the time. I don't think you will have replay on safes and outs, but I think we will have it on fair/fouls and fan interference. The way the ballparks are built these days, the ground rules are incredibly difficult sometimes. WJR, these are great questions that are exactly what we need on theumpirelife.com message board. Please feel free to post there, becuase I usually do not follow the happenings on this message board. I am on it tonight, because I wanted to let everyone know about the new site.
Thanks again,
Rob

[sri8527]

hey interested ump, is that you sniffing all around mr drake? i thought you had great disdain for the "jock sniffers"? i also think that you should bring the subject you find most enjoyable, you know, the money part, to the table. when can we expect you too question him on his motives for working his way through all those minor leagues? i am just, you know, interested.

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by sri8527

hey interested ump, i also think that you should bring the subject you find most enjoyable, you know, the money part, to the table. when can we expect you too question him on his motives for working his way through all those minor leagues? i am just, you know, interested.

Right now, a fair question.

Rob, did you work your way through the minors to MLB only for the love of the game? Do you expect to make the most of your success and career with a financial motive?

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by RobDrake

As far as technology goes, we will have instant replay soon. It will be mostly in the playoffs. I don't see it coming to the regular season for a little while. It is just hard to set up all the technology in every park, for every game. We will have it soon, though. I have no problem with it, because it proves how we are right most of the time.

I would agree. The greatest value of replay is the ability to see calls which might be blocked.

[quote]I don't think you will have replay on safes and outs, but I think we will have it on fair/fouls and fan interference. The way the ballparks are built these days, the ground rules are incredibly difficult sometimes.[/quote)

These would be good examples of excellent use of replay. I am not the least bit interested in B/S calls, for instance, but I would be interested in cacth-no catch calls.

Others argue that c-noc calls disrupt the placement of runners, I would limit replay to c-noc to 2 out only. If you have a signalled no catch, on review you have a reversal to a catch, you have an ended inning, no runs score. If you have a no-catch call with 2 outs, then it is reversed, then no runs score, end of inning. Thses would be major improvements in game accuracy.

Fair-foul would work only if a fair ball is adjudicated foul on replay, reset the runners. This is a major change, Rob, think of it. If there are runnes moving 2 or 3 bases, then have to reset, including the B-R, wow, there might need to be a commercial or six before everyone returned and caught their breath.

WJR, these are great questions that are exactly what we need on theumpirelife.com message board. Please feel free to post there, becuase I usually do not follow the happenings on this message board. I am on it tonight, because I wanted to let everyone know about the new site.
Thanks again,
Rob

Rob, appreciate the offer but I check in here just often enough to rankle the Old Guard, post my opinions for the archives and pick up a few pointers now and then.

[RobDrake]

Interested,
When I went to umpire school, I had no idea of any financial details about the Big leagues. Tomorrow on my blog I am going to talk about my trip through umpire school. In short, any time someone picks a career, umpire or real estate sales, ect.., they do it hopefully because they love the job and it will take care of them for the rest of their lives. I do this job because I love it and because it gives me the opportunity financially to take care of my family for the rest of my life. My family's well-being and providing for them are first and foremost. Fortunately, I have a job that lets me do that AND is a job that I love and would do for free.
Thanks,
Rob

[sri8527]

interesting that interested ump has not gone after mr. drake for actually working games for money, if i recall most who posted too his nonsense said just about the same thing, the money IS the bonus, not the reason i WORK games. do i use the money, yep, take my wife on a trip every fall, last year new hampshire, year before, maine, by the way, i do work games for charity and the like, it just never seems too be a topic at my house on if i am getting paid or not, that is not the main reason i am headed too the diamond, the reason i am on the way, i love the game.

steve

[mick]

Nice.
Thanks.