Umpiring Politics

[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.

[JRutledge]

Ump 25,

Remember you brought this up, I do not recall anyone making this claim or not making the claim about Chicago area specifically, I am just commenting on your statements.

And yes other sports matter when many of the baseball umpires I work with, also work other sports. And the college baseball umpires I work with, also work other college sports. So I am often dealing with the same people. And if there is backstabbing as you suggested, it does not seem to hurt anyone. And I can tell you the multi-sport officials are not phased that much either based on the conversations I have with them. And often I have work with people that have much less experience than I and often are breaking into the level we are working. And they certainly have not passed me in my assignments. I am not seeing the issues you raise. Which also makes me think attitude that you bring to the table plays a role on some level. Because I would not know what a big time assignment is other than post season games. And even in those cases when I have gotten a so-called big time assignment, there are people that have no idea I worked the game or was assigned.

Again, I am sure this is more about perspective than whether there really is this politics you claim are so bad. That does not mean what you and others does not see is real, but I would bet most umpires that work football or basketball will scoff at claim of how bad it is, when they really have seen some issues in those other sports. Then again I do not buy into the whole politics issues anyway for a lot of reasons I have stated over the years.

Peace