In the spring for school baseball, we get the same for 9th, JV, and Varsity. Any 7 inning game is $55, anything shorter is $45. In the summer, all four levels of Legion ball pay the same, which is $50/game.

The last HC I tossed said something like "you making all this money to umpire you should learn the rules"... goodbye.

I had one tell me that he didn't know why they paid me. I just said that he sure didn't pay me very much.

"You can always tell how much class a man has if he brings up how much money either of you earns."

My dad told me that.

I think of it every time a participant or observer mentions money when it comes to umpiring a ballgame.

I learned a good reply over on the basketball forum: "Oh I umpire for free. They have to pay me to listen to knuckleheads like you."

Oh, that's good!

After being called on money, I had a partner say, "Why don't you take some of that money you're saving on us and buy yourself a rule book."