Umpiring Politics

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

I took a chance ejecting a batter in a Men's 25-U Nationals game while my assignor was on the bases. I would have warned the guy for popping off about a strike call, but he dropped an F-bomb and did it loudly. So I ran him, and my assignor backed me 100 percent on the field and afterward at report time.

But I never gave his being there a second thought when I ran the guy. He knows I have a long leash because I have a short list of ejections, and they all involve loud unsportsmanlike behavior or malicious contact. This might have been one of my softer ones. Especially with the older guys.

But a catcher says something like what he said about you, Johnny ?!? ... He goes as fast as my mask can come off. Any of that personal bias crap from a teenage jerk-off is absolutely intolerable.

Kind of assignor you like to work for.
That's just the way it should be...if he deseves it not a second thought regarding "politics".
Nice job.

[UMP25]

Just a general comment about umpiring politics. I'm privileged to have friends who are umpires in several parts of the country, from the west coast to south to southeast and northeast. I even know some colleagues who used to live here in the Chicago metro area but have since moved to other parts of the country.

Every single one of them has said the same thing: there is no greater area of the country where umpiring is more political and backstabbing and cutthroat than in the Chicago metro area. It's not something of which I'm boasting, of course; rather, I'm just sharing the comments from some dozen or so guys who are successful NCAA Umpires, many at the D1 level, who all have commented on how ridiculous umpiring in the Chicago metro area is.

Take this for what it's worth. I'm simply sharing what many of my peers have said.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by UMP25

Take this for what it's worth. I'm simply sharing what many of my peers have said.

So does "simply sharing" imply that you do not endorse their view? Why so coy?

[UMP25]

Well, let's put it this way--I've been doing this for 32 years, since the early 1990s at the NCAA level. I've witnessed a lot of things on and off the field. Because I have not umpired consistently in other parts of the country, I personally can't compare this area's umpiring politics to other areas. The persons to whom I have alluded seem to have had experience in this area as well as others. Those who have not know major assignors or other persons in this area and have heard many accounts of what goes on in this area.

I assign games myself and work for 5 other assignors as well during the course of the year. Most of us NCAA guys do the same, so we have experiences with multiple assignors. I often am party to many umpires who have shared with me their frustration over things their assignors have done. Some umpires probably shouldn't complain, as they tend to think they're much better than they really are, but others have, in my opinion, legitimate beefs. I hear a lot of what goes on and just shake my head. For one thing, I'm amazed by how many officials here think of umpiring as a zero sum game; that is, if John Doe is getting a plumb assignment, then it must be at the expense of James Smith. In addition, too many guys here don't compliment those who succeed. Instead, they find it better to talk not about how good a certain umpire is but how bad he is or how he has this or that problem; and they often say this to assignors to get that guy to look bad in an assignor's eyes. Too many are way too worried about others rather than themselves.

I'm not naive to think that politics doesn't play a role in a lot of things in life, and I'm sure there's some of it in a lot of areas of the country involving umpiring, but around here, it seems rampant. There's a lot more than just these menial examples I've given, but time and space don't permit me to elaborate.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I am from one of the other of the three biggest metro areas. We have a handful of high school units to cover it all. I am in both major H.S. units. Of course, it's not NCAA, so the politics are small potatoes in comparison, but it's interesting to note one thing: One H.S. unit gives out plum assignments based on personal familiarity and number of years in the unit; the other unit (with the assignor KJ highlighted at the top of this page) gives them out based solely on merit. Same with playoffs. You show up, you look sharp, you perform, you get evaluated, you get rated, you get the plum assignments.

It's the way it should be.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

You show up, you look sharp, you perform, you get evaluated, you get rated, you get the good assignments. It's the way it should be.

One would think so, and I agree with your contention.

BTW, I probably should note that I am not claiming to be a victim of politics. Consequently, I don't feel victimized like many of those umpires who have voiced their complaints with me. I've been the victim of a vicious personal smear campaign, but that's a whole different story.

Your first statement about personal familiarity and longevity within a particular organization seems to fit very well a certain group here.

[gordon30307]

Generally speaking it's politics when you don't get what you want and you don't think it's political when you get what you want but others think it's politics. Life isn't fair it is what it is and deal with it the best you can

[Kevin Finnerty]

Speak for yourself; I disagree.

In the course of my life, virtually all of the standing up and speaking out that I have done is with respect to how things are for others or for everyone and not just for myself. Specifically, I'm not a veteran, but I speak out often on behalf of veterans and complain often and openly about their shoddy treatment. It has nothing at all to do with me. I also help many individual veterans on a regular basis and have for many years.

In umpiring, I take what I get, irrespective of what is deserved, and I make my analyses and judgments and illustrations for other purposes than complaining about my own plight.

[JRutledge]

The point is that it is easy to claim politics when things are not going your way. And usually and unfortunately is an often overused claim.

That being said, I disagree with the claim that Chicago has the most politics. Or if it does have the most politics (from a baseball standpoint), the level is very lame. Baseball for example does not even come close to the amount of politics if you say only a certain few get games. If anything baseball is not a sport that lends too much politics as other sports because there are not as many umpires compared to other sports. In other words there are many games that need a body, and trying to figure out who is going to get them goes out the window when the game is 1:00 in the afternoon and a make up game from the previous day. Now maybe who gets the games first is a big deal, but I do not see that anyone outside of that as being that important. I can tell you it is much easier to get a lower level college game here than it ever is in the other major sports.

Peace

[UMP25]

Other sports are irrelevant, Jeff. The discussion here concerns only baseball. With all due respect, I've been at this a lot longer than you have and have been assigning longer than anyone in the Chicago metro area. I have had the privilege of befriending colleagues throughout this area and in many other parts of the country. What I can tell you is that there is more backstabbing, stepping on others' toes, lying, one upsmanship, and game-playing that goes on in this area than in any other area of the country based on what I am told by not just guys here, but also by many guys who work in other areas of the country.

It's rather surprising considering there is far less higher level ball here than in the southeast, south, or west coast. However, perhaps this is THE reason for all the political crap that goes on here--there are so fewer D1 and other such games available here than in other areas that many guys here feel as if they should sell their own mothers to get ahead of someone in the pecking order. That and more is quite prevalent here.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by UMP25

Other sports are irrelevant, Jeff. The discussion here concerns only baseball. With all due respect, I've been at this a lot longer than you have and have been assigning longer than anyone in the Chicago metro area. I have had the privilege of befriending colleagues throughout this area and in many other parts of the country. What I can tell you is that there is more backstabbing, stepping on others' toes, lying, one upsmanship, and game-playing that goes on in this area than in any other area of the country based on what I am told by not just guys here, but also by many guys who work in other areas of the country.

Other sports are relevant if you said that baseball umpiring here has the worst politics. If is it the worst in baseball than any other part of the country and what I know of baseball, how hard could it be? Seriously, if this is what you call bad, I call barely a pimple on the back of my leg.

If there is all this drama as you suggest (which I honestly do not see that much), then who the hell is getting hurt? I see a lot of umpires working games without having to prove ability or get to certain levels without having to attend any special camp or pay money out of their pocket. Sorry, but when you say it is bad and I have never had to bend over backwards to get an entire baseball schedule, with all due respect than it shows me that many baseball umpires are soft.

Originally Posted by UMP25

It's rather surprising considering there is far less higher level ball here than in the southeast, south, or west coast. However, perhaps this is THE reason for all the political crap that goes on here--there are so fewer D1 and other such games available here than in other areas that many guys here feel as if they should sell their own mothers to get ahead of someone in the pecking order. That and more is quite prevalent here.

And if you are only talking about the D1 level I can somewhat go there with you. But I worked D1 games and it was without a lot of effort as compared to trying to get a D3 game in two other sports.

Look my point is that backstabbing and many cliques and undermining happens in a lot of walks of life. I am just saying that what goes on in baseball is minor compared to those other sports and areas of life here because there are fewer people involved and not the same amount of people available. You have umpires that cannot work a lot of levels because they have a job that does not allow them to, which severely limits the overall pool. So yes someone can talk behind your back, but if you have a desire and you work hard, there are a lot of places you cannot go. I have seen guys that if there were more competition would never get a college game, but they work an entire schedule. That does not happen in other aspects of officiating because if you do not work out, they can find several hundred to take your place. I would not say baseball here is in that predicament.

Now this is just my opinion and it does not mean it is right. But I laugh when people try to make baseball umpiring around here as if no one can function without someone pulling them down. Just sit in one of my basketball association meetings and see all the posturing that goes on just over an opinion about a travel call. Most baseball associations do not even have regular meetings and if I choose to I never have to join any association and work several games. Sorry, it cannot be that bad if this is the case.

Peace

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Other sports are relevant if you said that baseball umpiring here has the worst politics.

When compared to baseball umpiring in other areas. I don't work other sports and don't have as many contacts in other sports, so I'm not commenting on those. I'm comparing apples to apples.

If there is all this drama as you suggest (which I honestly do not see that much), then who the hell is getting hurt? I see a lot of umpires working games without having to prove ability or get to certain levels without having to attend any special camp or pay money out of their pocket.

Often a clear illustration of politics at work--when someone who shouldn't be working a certain level is because he's part of the good ole boy network. I see a lot of that in other organizations, and I hear complaints from guys in the many organizations to which I belong. I personally am not affected; I'm just stating what I have seen with my own eyes and from what I've heard from others.

And if you are only talking about the D1 level I can somewhat go there with you. But I worked D1 games and it was without a lot of effort as compared to trying to get a D3 game in two other sports.

It's not just the D1 level. Case in point: I heard strong grumbling coming from several respected umpires about a certain individual who this year worked a D3 Regional and this year's D3 World Series in Appleton. This umpire is not overly good (I've worked with him several times over the years), but that's not the main issue; rather, he has a criminal record, having been arrested (IIRC for assault or battery) not too long ago for an on-field altercation with his partner at the end of a D3 college game. This was even a story in Referee Magazine when it happened.

The common rhetorical question I was asked by guys who were grumbling about this: "How the heck did a guy like that get those assignments?" Let's just say not based on his overall umpiring abilities. I had no dog in that show; it was no skin off my back that the guy was working it. I'm just providing this as an example.

Now this is just my opinion and it does not mean it is right. But I laugh when people try to make baseball umpiring around here as if no one can function without someone pulling them down.

That's the problem--too many guys here think of baseball umpiring around here as a zero sum game and as a situation where they have to pull someone else down in order to bring themselves up. I'm addressing only baseball here and am not concerned about other sports; those aren't germane to this specific thread.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by UMP25

It's not just the D1 level. Case in point: I heard strong grumbling coming from several respected umpires about a certain individual who this year worked a D3 Regional and this year's D3 World Series in Appleton. This umpire is not overly good (I've worked with him several times over the years), but that's not the main issue; rather, he has a criminal record, having been arrested (IIRC for assault or battery) not too long ago for an on-field altercation with his partner at the end of a D3 college game. This was even a story in Referee Magazine when it happened.

That's OK -- a few years ago someone worked in Appleton who had previously lost his HS license for inappropriate behavior with young girls/women -- he also lost a teaching job over it and continued to work HS sports until the NEXT incident. Then he worked the D3 WS.

He was subsequently arrested for felony stalking of a minor female and spent time in jail, was paroled, and re-incarcerated for (I guess) violating his parole.

Frankly, I didn't think he was much of an umpire, either.

[UMP25]

A role model for umpires, isn't he, Rich?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

That's OK -- a few years ago someone worked in Appleton who had previously lost his HS license for inappropriate behavior with young girls/women -- he also lost a teaching job over it and continued to work HS sports until the NEXT incident. Then he worked the D3 WS.

He was subsequently arrested for felony stalking of a minor female and spent time in jail, was paroled, and re-incarcerated for (I guess) violating his parole.

Frankly, I didn't think he was much of an umpire, either.

And then he was promoted to doing D1 ball, right?