New Umpire School...O.U.T.S.

[Bob Bainter]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Your are probably 25% accurate.

Over the course of a season, actual games are much better. However, over the course of a 13 day camp, one could work daily and never get to work on double play foot work, or calling an infield fly, or seeing type A obstruction, or many other situations.

Pro-schools have progressed since the 80's. Umpiring is not a static activity.

Yes, pro-schools have progressed a lot since the 80's. Camp games, have not. They're still a bunch of people playing baseball, who wouldn't be umpiring if they could actually PLAY baseball, trying to execute commands from their instructors on how to screw up their fellow students while the guys actually umpiring these camp games are wondering "when is the other shoe going to drop?"

If you really think that in the course of 13 days, working daily, an umpire will not get to work on double play footwork, then I want to come work with you, because I'd love to have 51-54 outs of boring baseball with all strikeouts and ground balls to first. Infield flies??? Do those not happen as much as I remember? Type A obstruction? You're right about that one, as any other screwed up plays...

...Great umpiring is all about handling situations...but what about all those games you work in a year that have none? When you don't know something is about to happen, that's when you see who has what it takes and who doesn't.

Not arguing, just debating my point of view