Game fees.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Trying hiring a plumber, have him hang around and do nothing and then tell him you changed your mine. If you don't get a bill for time and travel you're not sharing the experience that most of us have.

That's the analogy that occurred to me.

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

By the way, locally we get the travel fee and half a game fee if the game does not start and the travel fee and a full game fee after the first pitch.

Ours is similar: no travel fee, but 1/2 to show up, full fee after 1 pitch.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by BuggBob

Are you guys kidding? No game no fee, that makes total and complete sense. If I hire the kid next door to mow my lawn , he gets paid when the lawn is mowed. If he starts and does not finish because of weather, sorry kid no pay. If I hire a guy to paint my house, fix my plumbing, wash my car, serve me a meal at Red Robin -- same deal, no work (or incomplete work) no pay. How can I require a standard from others, but not hold myself to that same standard. While we usually don't get paid on site (with very few exceptions) we wont get paid for any game that is weathered out before official. I have umpired a contest that was stopped in the fourth because of rain -- no pay. I have shown up at the field for a game to have the field rained out at game time -- no pay.

While I value much of what I read in these forums, Getting paid for no work is one topic which we may disagree. I fully expect some to take great offence at my stand on this topic -- this is the way it is done here, I expect it is done differently elsewhere. But I think the assigner mentioned by the original poster is right.

Welcome to America where all opinions are received and encouraged.

Okay, profound and fair thinker, here's an opinion:

I already stated that I sometimes drive as many as 50 miles to a ballgame. I equip and insure myself at considerable cost. I buy books and manuals and subscriptions to better myself at my craft. On the occasion of a game, I give up work to take off early to go to a game. In addition to the two or more total hours of driving, each game also requires an hour of preparation and an hour of clean-up and maintenance at its completion. Then, of course, there's the laundering and pressing of the uniforms.

Now, if I drive 50 miles to do a game, and I suit up for that game, and it is not played, canceled without notice, or some such thing, it bears no resemblance to any of those lawn-mowing-house-painting-burger-slinging scenarios you chose to include in your specious comparison.

It is you who must be kidding. Obviously, your standards and codes are in need of refinement, and your way of seeing things begs for some nuanced views.

[DonInKansas]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Okay, profound and fair thinker, here's an opinion:

I already stated that I sometimes drive as many as 50 miles to a ballgame.

Pfft. 50 miles one way for me is a CLOSE ballgame. I average 125-150 miles round trip. The joys of living out in the sticks.

Anyhoo, I can't speak to those who work in an association, but I've never had problems getting paid for a washout. Lucky I guess.

[Pensaump]

Originally Posted by BuggBob

Are you guys kidding? No game no fee, that makes total and complete sense. If I hire the kid next door to mow my lawn , he gets paid when the lawn is mowed. If he starts and does not finish because of weather, sorry kid no pay. If I hire a guy to paint my house, fix my plumbing, wash my car, serve me a meal at Red Robin -- same deal, no work (or incomplete work) no pay. How can I require a standard from others, but not hold myself to that same standard. While we usually don't get paid on site (with very few exceptions) we wont get paid for any game that is weathered out before official. I have umpired a contest that was stopped in the fourth because of rain -- no pay. I have shown up at the field for a game to have the field rained out at game time -- no pay.

While I value much of what I read in these forums, Getting paid for no work is one topic which we may disagree. I fully expect some to take great offence at my stand on this topic -- this is the way it is done here, I expect it is done differently elsewhere. But I think the assigner mentioned by the original poster is right.

Welcome to America where all opinions are received and encouraged.

I don't post much, but I have to step in and say something about this...

But what if you changed your mind and never told the lawn boy, painter or etc... that you didn't want them to do the job now once they showed up.

I'm in 3 associations. All 3 have the same policy. You show up, you get paid at least one game fee. Double header pay is reduced to single pay + travel. Our contracts with the schools require 4 hour notice for game cancellations and weather cancellations. Although this is not always enforced in more local assignments (which is fair) and enforced harder for long distance travels for other schools.

The coaches and AD's have the weather channel, weather.com and weather on their cell phones just like we do..... If they want to take on the chance of the rain and decide to have the crew still show up and then bang it before the game starts, we get paid.

Hell even the youth ball association here has the same policy.... The guys that run the youth league call in one of the associations I'm in and do a good job of implementing this policy as well to their youth association.

Same principle really as dentist, doctor, vet cancellation fee's... They did no work but still charge you for YOU not showing up...

If I'm going to set my time aside to WORK a game and then THEY cancel it, I'm getting paid. I could have gone in and picked up an extra shift at work and etc... One of my umpire buddies owns his own business and TAKES OFF EARLY from work when he goes to umpire games. He already takes a pay cut to umpire vs. his normal job!!! And now you don't want to pay anything at all???

[Ump Rube]

House league... (90% of games start at 6:30pm)

League wide cancel prior to 4:30: No pay.
Umpire cancels game at field: Full pay, plus 1st crack to reschedule.
Umpire cancels/postpones mid-game: Ditto.
No one shows at field: Full pay.
Forfeit: Full pay.
Something weird happens (ie 4 umps, 1 field): Typically everybody gets full pay.

It is nice to have a league that is willing to be there for the umpires. We even had so many new guys this year they added the 2-man system to the next level down just to get guys more games (even when the numbers are down for participants).

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BuggBob

Are you guys kidding? No game no fee, that makes total and complete sense. If I hire the kid next door to mow my lawn , he gets paid when the lawn is mowed. If he starts and does not finish because of weather, sorry kid no pay. If I hire a guy to paint my house, fix my plumbing, wash my car, serve me a meal at Red Robin -- same deal, no work (or incomplete work) no pay. How can I require a standard from others, but not hold myself to that same standard. While we usually don't get paid on site (with very few exceptions) we wont get paid for any game that is weathered out before official. I have umpired a contest that was stopped in the fourth because of rain -- no pay. I have shown up at the field for a game to have the field rained out at game time -- no pay.

While I value much of what I read in these forums, Getting paid for no work is one topic which we may disagree. I fully expect some to take great offence at my stand on this topic -- this is the way it is done here, I expect it is done differently elsewhere. But I think the assigner mentioned by the original poster is right.

Welcome to America where all opinions are received and encouraged.

I am not a kid mowing the lawn.

Good luck calling a plumber, having him come out, and changing your mind about using his services after he arrived.

What's to keep teams from letting the umpires arrive knowing that they *likely* won't play? Isn't your time worth something to you?

Actually, your post reminds me of people who say "what a great gig, making $60 for less than 2 hours work." I guess that my leaving work early, driving to the field, getting there early, etc. has no monetary value. I guess the money I spend on gear, association dues, training, etc. has no monetary value either. It's just "$X for only Y hours work."

You have a right to your opinion - that doesn't make it any less ignorant or wrong.

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by BuggBob

Are you guys kidding? No game no fee, that makes total and complete sense. If I hire the kid next door to mow my lawn , he gets paid when the lawn is mowed. If he starts and does not finish because of weather, sorry kid no pay. If I hire a guy to paint my house, fix my plumbing, wash my car, serve me a meal at Red Robin -- same deal, no work (or incomplete work) no pay. How can I require a standard from others, but not hold myself to that same standard. While we usually don't get paid on site (with very few exceptions) we wont get paid for any game that is weathered out before official. I have umpired a contest that was stopped in the fourth because of rain -- no pay. I have shown up at the field for a game to have the field rained out at game time -- no pay.

While I value much of what I read in these forums, Getting paid for no work is one topic which we may disagree. I fully expect some to take great offence at my stand on this topic -- this is the way it is done here, I expect it is done differently elsewhere. But I think the assigner mentioned by the original poster is right.

Welcome to America where all opinions are received and encouraged.

BuggBob,

Thank you for your highly entertaining post.

Funny stuff.

I was just wondering.... Does the assignor still get paid his assignment fee if the game is "...weathered out before official."?

The assigner (sic) isn't "right" - he's a joke.

JM

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

BuggBob,
I was just wondering.... Does the assignor still get paid his assignment fee if the game is "...weathered out before official."?

The assignor probably makes a few extra bucks when he assigns the rescheduled game.

[PeteBooth]

My gut tells me that you wrote this to get a 'rise" out of everyone but if you are serious here is my take.

I agree with Rich. Using your scenario what's to stop the teams from not calling at all when games are cancelled, move to a different site, different time etc. The teams would 'walk all over" the umpires.

As Rich stated OUR job is to get to the game site preferably 30-45 minutes ahead of time.

SITCH: USING YOUR PHILOSOPHY

Team A realizes they will not have their studs present today so they decide to simply NOT show up. they tell the other coach but not the umpire assignor.

Assume Rich and I partners. We are leaving work etc. and now we get to the game and there are no teams present. According to your philosophy we should not get paid. We just left work (maybe early and used either vacation and or personal time that we had accrued so it is costing us money)

ANYTIME and any REASON the coaches wanted to cancel games with NO reprocussions they would.

the one thing I give kuddos for is this:

At least there is a policy. It might suck but it is written and now it's up to the members to either accept or reject it. Me personally I would reject it BUT if an umpire does accept the terms then they cannot squalk later on.

Pete Booth