curious

[kman]

How are umpires chosen for the majors, all-star games, playoffs,etc. Is the minor league a minor league for umpires too? Are there umpire scouts?

[brandda]

Bunch of different questions here.

If you want to be a professional umpire, you have to go to one of two umpire schools in Florida. After six weeks of instruction the top members of the class are offered positions in A ball. Assuming that you have the skills and that a position in the show opens up, after 10-12 years in the minors, gradually moving up to AAA, you might get a shot at the major leagues.

My understanding is that All Star and playoff umpires are selected by vote of the coaches, but I could be wrong.

[Tim C]

The post above does a fair job of the "start" of the whole thing:

The process is as follows:

There are two pro schools. Usually there are about 200 guys at each school (that number goes up and down each year).

School lasts six weeks. At school you spend a huge amount of time going through the NINE REAL RULES in OBR. (The don't deal with Rule 10 -- that is scoring and the only scoring umpires at school are intersted in is . . . you get the drift).

You are tested on each section. There is very strong competition to see who can finish #1 in the Rules section of the class. Several people normally score 100% on the multitude of questions.

The outdoor portion is spread between base work and cage work. There are also several opportunities to work "live action" games. Those games are every thing from College games to umpire scrimages.

BTW, I feel that you are trained MORE on the bases than on the dish and I believe that your base work is the defining issue that separates the top 10% of the students from the rest of the classs.

So when your graduate (both schools) PUBC has a number in their minds of how many candidates go on to "extended spring training". You still are not offered a job . . . yet.

During the extgended spring training (in Florida) you work more closely with instructors and have a chance to work much more "live action".

As the first minor league season get closer the Instructors and Baseball select candidates to go to Short A. (MOST umpires start in short season A Ball -- example Northwest League).

Now you have started your career in the Minor Leagues.

THINGS CHANGE.

It used to be that you did toil in the Minors for 7 to 12 years (more if you are Dutch Rennert)to get your shot. With the current Management in Baseball you need to advance every year for the first three years or you are gone.

For every Scott Higgins (quickly moving to MLB Fill-in) there is a Jeff Head that topped out at top of AA ball.

Umpires then, normally, get to the AAA level where some are offered "fill-in" work in MLB for vascationing umpires. This used to be a VERY short list of names . . . since 1999 this list has grown quite large (by comparison) and several guys get the "short look" in "The Show".

Guys working as fill-in DO NOT HAVE AN MLB CONTRACT. The umpires makes almost as much in per dieum as they do for working the game (they get "about" $500 per game and $300 for meal money).

Now after a couple of years (matters what happens with retirements etc.) guys move from fill-in to Full Time.

Under the new contract it is fair to say that a Rookie Umpire (full schedule) will make about $100,000 plus expense money. Remember MLB pays flights, etc.

Now All-Star Games, Playoffs and World Series.

IN THE OLD DAYS (prior to the infamous walk-out) the assignments rotated around to ALL vertern umpires.

IF you worked a play-off Series you were unable to work say the World Series. If you worked the All-Star game that was it for the year. AND it didn't matter if you were the BEST (highest rated) or the WORST (lowest rated) you still were in the rotation (Quote Richie Phillips, "All our umpires are the best in the World so all are qualified to work the top games!")

TIMES CHANGE

Umpipres are now assigned by MERIT. The decision is made by the Commissioner's Office -- teams have no say. AND an Umpire can work more than one "Special" assignment per year.

[GarthB]

The top students from the schools are not automatically given assignments. They are first invited to a "finishing school" by PBUC. The candidates are further screened there and not all will get assignments. We had two from our association make it the PBUC session and fail to move on from there. We've also had two move on and one make it to AAA ball before being released.

Much of a minor league umpire's success in moving up is timing. If one has lasted 8 or 9 years and it appears he is lower on the "list" than the anticipated openings in the next couple of years, he will be released and younger umpires will move up to begin the wait.

[Tim C]

I forgot that part . . . two years ago ALL "finishing school" guys got offers AND 5 more guys that didn't go that far got offers.

It just matters who decides to quite rather than wait for the bad news.

How the boys umpiring doing?

[kman]

thanks for all the input. It lookas to me that it takes a very dedicated person to get to the big show. (i wish i got $500 a game)