Rain-outs and reschedules

[eagle_12]

Just wanted to run a situation by the board that happened to me this weekend in which I don't think was handled approprietly by my assignor and in which I lost out on $45 and my partner $70.

My original schedule was Sr. legion tourny DH friday night, 3 inning continuation and full 7 adult league game on Saturday in the early evening.

My Friday games were washed out due to rain and rescheduled for the next morning. These were the opening games of the tournament. My assignor removed me from these Sr. Legion games because the following day, I had 1.5games in the evening.

My arguement and beef comes from the fact that Friday night Team A was playing Team B (Game #1) and Team C vs. Team D (Game #2) and that they have to play these games in this order because of the league tourny, and therefore, because its would be the same game, it still is rightfully mine. My arguement is that even though I had the games in the evening on Saturday, all 4 games (orginal two from Fri, and the 2 adult games) are my right to work and I should be able to choose which ones I work.

My assignor said that I don't get the Sr. Legion games, the rescheduled ones, becuase he already assigned two other umpires to work games on the next morning at the times that the Friday games were being made up. (games starting at 10a and noon)

My arguement to that was they were assigned to games not times and they should be moved to the later games they were originally assigned to (Game #5 and #6). In essence, each crew is bumped later just like the bracket.

Like I said earlier, this ended up costing me $45, and it shouldn't be about the money, but right now I'm working PT in my real job and looking to move, so every little bit helps.

Thoughts?

[jicecone]

Maybe it was easier to just cancel the two games then reschedule four. I used to assign and depending on how many games I had on the schedule for a given day, (sometimes as many as 40-50 on a sat.), I wasn't about to rearrange my whole schedule the night before.

If it wasn't about the money you would not have chosen to vent here.

I may have found other games for you at a later time and let you know that, but believe me, assigning for a busy association is just about the worst job in the world.

[jdmara]

Let it go. What is the point of burning a bridge with someone that assigns you games?

-Josh

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by eagle_12

Just wanted to run a situation by the board that happened to me this weekend in which I don't think was handled approprietly by my assignor and in which I lost out on $45 and my partner $70.

My original schedule was Sr. legion tourny DH friday night, 3 inning continuation and full 7 adult league game on Saturday in the early evening.

My Friday games were washed out due to rain and rescheduled for the next morning. These were the opening games of the tournament. My assignor removed me from these Sr. Legion games because the following day, I had 1.5games in the evening.


My arguement and beef comes from the fact that Friday night Team A was playing Team B (Game #1) and Team C vs. Team D (Game #2) and that they have to play these games in this order because of the league tourny, and therefore, because its would be the same game, it still is rightfully mine. My arguement is that even though I had the games in the evening on Saturday, all 4 games (orginal two from Fri, and the 2 adult games) are my right to work and I should be able to choose which ones I work.

My assignor said that I don't get the Sr. Legion games, the rescheduled ones, becuase he already assigned two other umpires to work games on the next morning at the times that the Friday games were being made up. (games starting at 10a and noon)

My arguement to that was they were assigned to games not times and they should be moved to the later games they were originally assigned to (Game #5 and #6). In essence, each crew is bumped later just like the bracket.

This is an example of the very reason I stay away from these leagues completely during the summer for the very reason you just stated. I got tired of the movement and rescheduling and sometimes having to wait for what someone was going to do assign me all because it rained.

Originally Posted by eagle_12

Like I said earlier, this ended up costing me $45, and it shouldn't be about the money, but right now I'm working PT in my real job and looking to move, so every little bit helps.

Thoughts?

You have a right to make an issue of this. Or decide that this league or how you work is different. I would be upset to if I had to spend money to work game and not work a game. And yes it is OK to complain about that as these are hard times and losing money to work a game should not be something you have to go through. That being said, that is why I have made decisions to not work these leagues because it was costing me more money than it was worth.

Peace

[Rich]

There are no hard and fast rules for how these things are handled. It's a local issue.

All I know is that since I don't work for one assignor, my willingness to take games from anyone doing scheduling depends on how they handle situations like this. For example, if I drive to a field, I expect to get full pay for a game regardless of whether (1) the field is not playable or (2) the weather's poor and they push the decision off until we're there to "help" them with it or (3) the teams simply don't show up and they forgot to cancel the umpiring.

In many places there are a shortage of people willing to work in the summer, so the assignors better treat their people well.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by eagle_12

Thoughts?

I think you're wrong. The friday games were cancelled. THose were your games. That's tough luck, of course, but that's baseball.

Sometime, you will get a call to go work games you weren't scheduled for because it rained the night before. It all evens out.

[asdf]

Your assignment is for a specific date, time, and location. It's not yours after that.

Let me ask you this question....

If "your" game was rained out and rescheduled for the next day.... a day that you had blocked due to a prior commitment, would you think it reasonable for the assignor to demand that you work "your" game?

Of course you wouldn't....

[johnnyg08]

Our rule is that if it was originally your game, you get 24 hours to reaccept your game unless it's super short notice and the assigner simply needs to get the game filled. After that, or if you're already scheduled for a different game or blocked, then obviously you lose the game.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by eagle_12

Just wanted to run a situation by the board that happened to me this weekend in which I don't think was handled approprietly by my assignor and in which I lost out on $45 and my partner $70.

My original schedule was Sr. legion tourny DH friday night, 3 inning continuation and full 7 adult league game on Saturday in the early evening.

My Friday games were washed out due to rain and rescheduled for the next morning. These were the opening games of the tournament. My assignor removed me from these Sr. Legion games because the following day, I had 1.5games in the evening.

My arguement and beef comes from the fact that Friday night Team A was playing Team B (Game #1) and Team C vs. Team D (Game #2) and that they have to play these games in this order because of the league tourny, and therefore, because its would be the same game, it still is rightfully mine. My arguement is that even though I had the games in the evening on Saturday, all 4 games (orginal two from Fri, and the 2 adult games) are my right to work and I should be able to choose which ones I work.

My assignor said that I don't get the Sr. Legion games, the rescheduled ones, becuase he already assigned two other umpires to work games on the next morning at the times that the Friday games were being made up. (games starting at 10a and noon)

My arguement to that was they were assigned to games not times and they should be moved to the later games they were originally assigned to (Game #5 and #6). In essence, each crew is bumped later just like the bracket.

Like I said earlier, this ended up costing me $45, and it shouldn't be about the money, but right now I'm working PT in my real job and looking to move, so every little bit helps.

Thoughts?

A thought that I haven't seen yet...and this is me as a former assignor talking...

Unless I absolutely have to, there is no way I'm having one of my guys work 3.5 games in a day. That's just asking for problems.

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by Matt

Unless I absolutely have to, there is no way I'm having one of my guys work 3.5 games in a day. That's just asking for problems.

I agree Matt. This isn't good for anybody. Too much baseball.

[IowaMike]

Originally Posted by Matt

A thought that I haven't seen yet...and this is me as a former assignor talking...

Unless I absolutely have to, there is no way I'm having one of my guys work 3.5 games in a day. That's just asking for problems.

I know guys who will go out and work 6 games each day on Saturday and Sunday for youth tournaments. I think they're nuts. All of our high school games are doubleheaders here and that is the most I will work in one day; two games. For me it just isn't any fun if I work more than that, and if it isn't enjoyable why do it?

I think someone else made a good point that you are scheduled for a time and date, not necessarily a game. I know that the guy who assigns the varsity games for the primary conference I work in usually reassigns you rainouts if you don't have the date blocked. My varsity game got rained out tonight and the AD told me they are going to try and make it up tomorrow, but I haven't heard from the assigner yet so it could be he gave the game to someone else. If so, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I picked up someone else's rainout earlier this year so I probably break even over time. It sucks to lose out on a payday but such is the life of a baseball umpire. That's one thing (of many) that makes me prefer officiating basketball. Unless there is a major snowstorm and the schools are closed, you always play.

[DG]

Originally Posted by eagle_12

Thoughts?

I appreciate rainouts now and again, and also when assigner calls with unscheduled games I can work. It all works out in the wash.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by asdf

Your assignment is for a specific date, time, and location. It's not yours after that.

Let me ask you this question....

If "your" game was rained out and rescheduled for the next day.... a day that you had blocked due to a prior commitment, would you think it reasonable for the assignor to demand that you work "your" game?

Of course you wouldn't....

Or, the flip side:

You accepted two games at 10am and noon, knowing you had something else to do in the afternoon. The assignor calls you the evening before and advises you that "your" games were moved to 2pm and 4pm because of rain-outs. You advise the assignor that you can't do that, so you're out of two games.

In my association, games (especially in the summer) are scheduled by location and time. If the game gets canceled, you're out the game -- you don't automatically get rescheduled the new date and time. If you're available the next afternoon, you should call the assignor and ask if there are any open games -- if the games were rescheduled to that time you're available, you MIGHT get the games again.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by yawetag

Or, the flip side:

You accepted two games at 10am and noon, knowing you had something else to do in the afternoon. The assignor calls you the evening before and advises you that "your" games were moved to 2pm and 4pm because of rain-outs. You advise the assignor that you can't do that, so you're out of two games.

I know assignors that would expectyou to slide the two hours and would be angry if you told them no. When I assigned, I told teams that even a 30 minute change in the game time could cost them having umpires and I always told umpires they were under no obligation to accept such a switch.

I've filled games with other crews in the OP's situation. Mainly when I wasn't able to reach the original umpires right away or when knew that filling the later games would be much harder than simply finding a new crew to work the rescheduled games. In the real world, I'm not assigning people to 4 games a day unless I have to. That said, I worked 7 games a few Saturdays ago and it was quite the experience.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I know assignors that would expectyou to slide the two hours and would be angry if you told them no. When I assigned, I told teams that even a 30 minute change in the game time could cost them having umpires and I always told umpires they were under no obligation to accept such a switch.

Any change to a game through Arbiter (even opponents, I think) forces the umpire to re-accept the game.

When you mention "sliding" two hours, you're saying that your assignor would expect you to take a game at 8pm if you previously accepted a 6pm game? That seems a little extreme.

Plus, in the OP, you're taking a 10am and noon start, and having them move to later in the day. That's at least 4 hours (if the third game was at 2pm). To expect umpires to work with that is, at the least, crazy. I accept games based on the day and time, not the teams playing -- ESPECIALLY in a tournament situation.