Are You ready for PRIME TIME

[PeteBooth]

If you visit the various Message Boards and read various articles, the one theme relevant is How do I advance, Get the High Profile Games and the good Game FEES from doing advanced ball.

In most instances it's Human Nature to want to advance but the question? Are we Ready?

What does that mean? Here are some of my thoughts.

1. Do you freeze when punching out a batter for strike three when F1 throws a pitcher's pitch, you know the Bread and Butter Pitch which is right at the knees and on either corner.

2. Do you not call an infraction of the rules, because that call could mean the difference. ie; R3 F1 Balks do you call it. Also, by Balk I don't mean the no brainer Balks. HT up last inning score tied R3 and F1 double sets with R3. Will you call it or ignore it.

There are also many other type infractions that if the game wasn't BIG or meaningful we wouldn't have a problem calling.

3. Do you come across as being NERVOUS not sure of yourself etc.

In other words while we want that BIG Game and exposure are we really ready? There's a progression involved and sometimes we are not willing to pay the price.

As with all things there are exceptions to the rule where an umpire gets thrown into a Varsity Game for his /her first assignment and it works, but by and large IMO there's a progression involved so that when your turn comes up One is Ready.

Also, IMO if one is comfortable in staying put (we all have our own goals), there's nothing wrong with that either and an umpire shouldn't be chastized because they don't want to move up.

A mentor is real important during the development process and can aid you along the way. Another problem today is that do to the shortage sometimes an umpire through no fault of their own gets thrown into a situation in which they are not prepared for.

Yes there are politics involved and we all have our own opinions on how associations should run, but the ultimate responsibility lies with us and what we are willing and able to do in moving up. There are Family / Work issues involved.

So what are your thoughts regarding an Umpire being ready for PRIME TIME

Pete Booth

[Whowefoolin]

Everything you mention is due to inexperience. Mentors are important Pete, but the good ones are few and far between.

If you get a vet, he is going to be a blow-hard old grizzled "do it my way" type.

So the best advice is to strive to achieve.

1. Take game after game after game. No matter what it is, take it and try to improve on something (i.e., staying down, deliberation, pre-games, etc...)

2. Hustle. Always hustle. Two man mechanics is more hustling than one man. Show the players that you are out there to ump and be in position to make the right call.

3. Don't be in it for the money. Though it is nice, take the $25 game and do them a hundred times. Do it for "the love of the game".

4. Someone, somewhere, through the grapevine will notice and give you a call. Swear. It happened to me. Just keep with it. Think of the small ball as your price you are paying. The "minor" leagues. Pay your dues at the lower levels. And show up the "silver spooned" umps who were paved the easy way.

[His High Holiness]

Originally posted by Arthur Rhoades
I just visited several message boards and prevelant themes have nothing to do with advancement.

Let's see, at Eteamz there's "Is Carl lying",...

I'd have loved to see something on umpire advancement. Where is that?

Here I will make a shameless plug to sign up for eumpire's netazine:

I have written several exposes on how to advance. You have to pay to read them, however. Perhaps Carl will rerun my multipart series "What an Assignor Wants". It is full of tips on advancement.

Were is the thread "Is Carl lying?" I went over to eteamz but could not find anything with that title. It sounds like good entertainment.

I might point out that Warren Willson recently wrote an article for eumpire in which he put forth the proposition that Carl is a "Pope" or at least a mini pope of baseball rules. Since popes can create their own truth, they cannot lie. What they say automatically becomes the truth. For Warren's article (and my rebuttal) you'll have to pay.

That's two shameless plugs for eumpire's netazine.

Peter

[Edited by His High Holiness on Sep 6th, 2002 at 10:30 AM]