There is a big difference from working a game with prospects and scouts, and working games with scouts who are scouting players that actually end up making it to the show (and staying for awhile). And a huge majority, for some reason or other, seem to come from the southern California area. We umpire players that become household names on a regular basis. Ho-hum, really.

But we do all sorts of leagues that feature former pro players, D-1 players in the off-season, and many wood bat leagues with college players in them, and the level of baseball is very high caliber. Hey, some of us couldn't be as fortunate as you to get jobs in the minors. That doesn't necessarily make a better umpire, having minor league experience. It sure doesn't hurt, but there are plenty of very good and excellent officials who have never worked above the levels I've just described.

Agreed
 

Steve, I was not trying to minimize the caliber of games or the Umpires who work the games abilities.What I was trying to point out, and apparently could not do, was that when these prospects play in HS games, they usually are WAY above the competition. From my past experience in Florida HS games, in these situations, they blew away the hitters, or just pummelled the ball at the plate. Its how they adjust when thrown in the mix with players of the same talent or better. I am no better a man than any other poster here.

Originally, you were asserting that when an umpire works high school or below, he would not have the skills or experience to handle difficult situations or rulings.

(And that lone phenom thing you experience in Florida is not the case here. In fact, I watched that No. 2 in the nation Jupiter, Fla. team get carved up because the team with those two pitchers I described had big hitters one through nine.)