Jon Miller on Minor League Umpires

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Grail

I'm not saying that at all. The same situation could have occurred with anyone on the game.

What I'm saying is, why not mix in the so-called "lesser umps" with the "more experienced" umps. It's makes sense as a means of mentoring the up and comers.

If you were scheduling 2 varsity HS games with 2-man crews, would it make sense to put 2 up and coming umps on the same game, and 2 veterans on the other game? It might work out that way, but it makes more sense to pair 1 vet with 1 new guy, and the other vet with the other new guy.

Baseball had 15 games yesterday. Surely they could spread out the "minor" umps throughout baseball, instead of putting them together.

Someone who follows this more closely than I will have to check for specifics, but it's possible that nearly every other crew also had a "replacement" umpire already on it, given vacations and injuries. Also, MLB doesn't like to split apart the "regular" crews once they are set, and travel, the length of the replacement assignment and the time between the "notice" and the next game all come into play.

[jimpiano]

Originally Posted by CO ump

More interesting to me than Millers team loyalties and Drakes employment status is this whole ejection process.
Pinnella came out to talk/yell at Fairchild, doesn't look like he said a word to Drake.
Fairchild put up the stop sign and Pinnella obeyed, Pinnella is walking back to dugout when Drake gave him the heave ho.

Why would Drake step in on Fairchild's battle?
I'm not questioning whether Pinnella should or shouldn't have been ejected, just wondering why it was Drake that did it.

Because Fairchild didn't.