Umpiring Politics

[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.