From Rob Drake, professional umpire. Please Read!

[RobDrake]

Fellow umpires, my name is Rob Drake and I am a professional umpire. I have been in the minor leagues for 16 years now and have been working in the Big Leagues for 10 years. I have never posted here before, but I know that these umpire message boards are a great resource for everyone that uses them. I know some of you checked out my old basic BLOG site, but the COMPLETLY NEW site is now up and running. I have some great content that I think you will really enjoy, as well as a message board and a daily blog. This blog will become the anchor of this site as the season begins. I want to give everyone a behind-the-scenes look at what the life of an umpire, working in the Big Leagues, is like. I will try to give you an on-the-field perspective that will make you feel like you were there. I hope this is something everyone will enjoy. The message board is also meant to be a sounding board for you guys to ask questions that I will try and answer personally. I know not many professional umpires post on these sites, so I want to give you a resource that can answer professional baseball type questions in addition to other umpire questions. I do not want you to stop posting on this board, but to instead, use both boards as a resource to your umpire growth. This is an incredible profession that I take great pride in. I have always wanted to do something that would help people understand the incredible passion that it takes to do this job. Umpires are umpires, regardless of what league you work in and I want to create a fresh, new place to help take your work to the highest level possible. Thanks for reading this and I look forward to responding to each of you that visit the site over this next season. I think you will enjoy the site tremendously! Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please check us out at www.theumpirelife.com.
Sincerely,
Rob Drake

[Interested Ump]

Welcome, it's good to have an MLB professional on board. You have accomplished a very nice website, videos were fun, best of luck in your pursuits.

WJR

[RobDrake]

WJR,
Thanks for checking it out. I hope you visit often. Thanks for your kind words.
Rob

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by RobDrake

WJR,
Thanks for checking it out. I hope you visit often. Thanks for your kind words.
Rob

Sure. If you would, I dropped off an email address in your Guestbook, drop me a line when convenient.

Q. Are MLB umpires receiving any pressure from MLB to physically appear to be slimmer? Do you see prejudices, now or in the future, toward umpires who do not have this "healthier" look?

[Rich]

Rob,

You already have me rooting for you. I wish you great luck and success and that permanent gig you certainly deserve after all these years.

--Rich

[RobDrake]

Rich,
Thanks, I really appreciate it. As for the health issue, MLB has instituted a new set of guidelines for weight. It is a definite issue and they are telling guys that they need to lose weight. It is all about perception. We get physicals every spring and they track everything. So, yes it is a new trend in Major League Baseball that the umpires be more physicaly fit.
Thanks again,
Rob
www.theumpirelife.com

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by RobDrake

As for the health issue, MLB has instituted a new set of guidelines for weight. It is a definite issue and they are telling guys that they need to lose weight. It is all about perception. We get physicals every spring and they track everything. So, yes it is a new trend in Major League Baseball that the umpires be more physicaly fit.
Thanks again,
Rob
www.theumpirelife.com

After John's untimely passing, there did appear to be an emphasis on slimmer appearances. Let's not confuse health and (lack of) obesity, but that's another discussion for anopther time.

MLB umpires are on stage, so to speak, and MLB is ultimately in the entertainment business. No surprises by your answer.

Q. Technologies have increased rapidly, the ability to see nearly every aspect of the game more clearly than the human eye has people wondering two things. 1) Why is MLB so doggone slow in implementing technologies that will increase the accuracy of officiating and 2) what technologies would you believe would best enhance this accuracy (and how should they be implemented)?

Thanks,
WJR

[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.