Change in CPL (long-ish post)

[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."

[tcarilli]

Originally Posted by GarthB

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.

Yes it does affect CPL umpires a great deal. Many of those umpires have been working in the CPL since its inception eleven years ago. Many depended on the income from those games to supplement a variety of things. Many used the CPL as a way to hone their abilities.

It will be very interesting to see what happens when umpires who did not attend PBUC (ie, the guys not good enough to be honors grads) begin working the CPL. While the level of baseball may be similar to that which first year umpires may experience, handling college "all star" teams is a very different matter than handling professional teams with big clubs laying down rules for acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

[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.