Change in CPL (long-ish post)

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Hokie:

Your comments regarding AMLU getting the blame for something they did not do and, indeed, are against, are exactly what I and RichMSN predicted last week, and what the AMLU will need to publicly address at some time in the future.

I can assure you, they are not happy about this, either. It will be interesting to see how they address the issue with PBUC and how they address it with the amateurs. I wish them well.

The amateurs that go to the Coastal Plains League are potential future AMLU members. I would think there isn't much they can do about it. From the looks of things the Evans and Wendlestadt schools could be in trouble as far as sending trainees to PBUC, if PBUC decides to take over their own training and supply these college summer leagues with umpires. It may what the future holds as change is always a constant in the labor force.

Everybody saw how well the last strike worked and PBUC more than likely now knows that it can get any umpire that crawls out of the woodwork to do it's games. The AMLU is not at this present time able to flex any muscle as far as major labor issues are concerned. Their best bet right now is taking care of it's members and setting it's sights on the future. AMLU needs to prepare for changes and recognize those changes that come along as to whether they are harmful or actually benefit the union.

They already have one poster squawking about how it isn't fair that he might not get a chance to to summer collegiate ball. This country is in a recession and companies are going to get as lean and mean as possible. If PBUC and the CPL decides this is the best and cheapest option, I guarantee it will happen in spite of the wishes of a few amateurs. The AMLU needs to protect all future potential members if it wants to play ball and forget all this nonsense that solidarity exists. I wish them well, also.

[HokieUmp]

Originally Posted by Steven Tyler

They already have one poster squawking about how it isn't fair that he might not get a chance to to summer collegiate ball. This country is in a recession and companies are going to get as lean and mean as possible.

Dude, I didn't think it was squawking, but okay... all right, maybe it was. And it's squawking well ahead of when if affects me, but as tcarilli mentioned, it's not like the college guys in various associations won't get games. So there's a pushback all the way down our chain of command.

And look, let's not blame a recession and the economy for this. MLB is already lean and mean when it comes to offciating. They make big bags of money every day, since fans don't hold the game accountable, and spend nothing on the officials at the pro level. And although I really don't know THAT much about PBUC, from what I've been taught about the process, it's that PBUC and MiLB hold all the cards, and minor league umps don't have much choice, since there's always someone else coming through pro school. AND, MiLB also makes lots of money, too - they get fans at the gate, and farm systems get good money from the parent club.

If anything, the economy will be used as an excuse to justify the move. Something like "well, we see potential in these umpires, and don't want them to spend more money on pro school in these hard times, so we're creating our own little "farm system" to oversee their progress." Or something like that.

[Lawrence.Dorsey]

I don't think this has anything to do with the economy. This seems to me to be move by PBUC to have a "stable" of on-call guys that they know are working a reasonably high caliber of wood bat baseball while they are waiting for a slot to open up in the minor leagues. I think the logic behind this move is reasonably clear from a PBUC standpoint.

The effects of this move on all of those involved are much more complicated. I don't know how many umpires were on the staff of the CPL but it was definitely over 20 umpires as the league stretched through 3 states including my home state of NC. I know guys affected by this move and the only one I have spoken to is not happy. I can think of several guys I know who work in my American Legion association who also work CPL. Will they be effecting how many AL games I work this summer? I don't know.

Pete Bock is the president of the CPL. Pete was an umpire in college baseball (as well as GM for the Durham Bulls) when I was an undergrad. I would hope he considered the effects on all those involved before he agreed to this...

Lawrence

[socalblue1]

I think a wait and see attitude may be best here. Depending on how things go (to date at least one reserve has been called) it may end up less an issue than we think.

From prior experience I would guess that at least 1/2 the reserve list will either decide not to umpire CPL or will be called up to MiLB by June. It's not uncommon to lose, for a multitude of reasons, several short season / A umpires between spring training & July.

[tcarilli]

Originally Posted by socalblue1

I think a wait and see attitude may be best here. Depending on how things go (to date at least one reserve has been called) it may end up less an issue than we think.

That's when it is likely to get interesting in and for the CPL.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by socalblue1

I think a wait and see attitude may be best here. Depending on how things go (to date at least one reserve has been called) it may end up less an issue than we think.

From prior experience I would guess that at least 1/2 the reserve list will either decide not to umpire CPL or will be called up to MiLB by June. It's not uncommon to lose, for a multitude of reasons, several short season / A umpires between spring training & July.

It will depend on the final agreement. Initial plans called for replacing those reserves who got called up with other reserves to maintain a certain number of MiLB umpires. Should they run out of PBUC reserves, it was mentioned that they may ask the school for names of other grads who did not make it to PBUC to maintain that number

It sounds as if PBUC is preparing a statement on this and some clarification could be forthcoming.

[PeteBooth]

Hi Garth:

Is the aforementioned effecting your son?

Also, in your opinion depending upon what happens will the PRO Schools start to lose potential umpires because the PBUC will be conducting their own training?

OR

will baseball start to draw Professional officials the way football / basketball do.

Thanks

Pete Booth

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

Hi Garth:

Is the aforementioned effecting your son?

Also, in your opinion depending upon what happens will the PRO Schools start to lose potential umpires because the PBUC will be conducting their own training?

OR

will baseball start to draw Professional officials the way football / basketball do.

Thanks

Pete Booth

No, the CPL issue involves this year's reserves and possibly a few pro school grads who did not attend PBUC. It affects the amateur umpires who formerly worked CPL the most.

My son and I do not discuss political issues. I enjoy watching him work and learning about new mechanics and rule enforcement from him, but I don't debate union or PBUC issues with him. He's the pro umpire in the family, not me, and those issues affect his life, not mine.

Matt's just a second year guy and wants to concentrate on getting better and moving up. He has his opinions, but pretty much confines them to the AMLU meetings and fellow AMLU members.

If PBUC, as first rumored, allows reservists who worked CPL but who did not get a contract to come back to PBUC the following season without returning to proschool, it will reduce the number of spots that the two school have to offer their grads. This is obviously a concern to both schools.

Some feel that this is the second step in MLB/MiLB efforts to take over the training of umpires; the first being "Camp Compton." I don't know how true that is. It's interesting though, that despite the "Major League" hype about Camp Compton, the instructors were primarily Evans and Wendlestedt instructors. The MLUmpires, according to one ML official, were "window dressing."

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

Hi Garth:

Is the aforementioned effecting your son?

Also, in your opinion depending upon what happens will the PRO Schools start to lose potential umpires because the PBUC will be conducting their own training?

Read. It's right there in front of you, Booth and it has beeb for years now. MLB wants to control their umpires cradle to grave. They want to dump the fat ones, get more minorities, etc. MLB is going to shoot the old schools and their Old Guard in the head.

One reason is this redikulous reserve against replay and technology. Old Gurad stuff that will, thenk the Lord, do them in.

Here is where I pray that Dummie Reagan was right and that trickle-down works.