And I agree with this. Should I ever be selected to work WP, I offer no excuses for my work and any mistakes I make. I don't want to be called a "volunteer umpire" as if that makes it OK. My calls and my game management must be as good, IMO, as if I was working any other nationally televised game. LL, however, selects the umpires and their selection process doesn't seem to have changed much in the past 10 years (my involvement with Little League is just over 10 years -- I've umpired a lot longer than that). I don't know why we talk about this every year like we expect it to change.

I worked a championship game at a different Little League World Series on an ESPN network on Saturday afternoon. After the first pitch, it was just another game with the exception of the slightly longer than normal inning breaks.

I did not expect you to agree, you are a lot closer to that situation than I will ever be. And if they are satisfied with the guy that has worked 35 years but looks like hell, then so be it. But then they will continue to get criticized by folks here and in the media when they cannot get simple plays right.

In this economy that will eliminate a lot of good people right or wrong.

We all know the terms when we accept games. I have heard you say you will not accept the terms to work other levels in other sports because the overall cost is not worth it to you. That is all I am saying here, they have eliminated people because they have to choose if working that level is worth the hundreds of dollars (or thousands) to work a game when everyone is getting fat off the TV money and sponsorships.

And that is my point. I have to pay my expenses to work a tournament that sponsors are paying millions to the other participants so they can have a tournament. Why not let the kids call balls and strikes if we are so not important in the games? I did not say you had to give every umpire $1000 a game. I said pay them so they do not have to come out of their pocket just to work a game. And because of that there are folks that work LL that have been paid all year long now say "Why bother" in the biggest games of the year for that organization. Something is wrong with that IMO.

Peace

Except that receiving a game fee for Little League is supposed to eliminate an umpire for consideration. It's a question on the application form.

Under the table? Reimbursements for expenses and gear purchases are encouraged by LL. It's what they suggest for retaining umpires. LL isn't saying that umpires shouldn't receive gear or gas reimbursements or uniforms or training or anything like that.

It's not, despite what people think, a vow to take nothing but a hot dog and a coke after the game.

Again, another dumb requirement by LL. When I worked LL back in the day we were not given a "choice" to take money or not. I did not even realize that that "volunteerism" was expected by the LL. In order to work all levels the park district took care of everything and we were assigned to games based more on availability rather than what we choose to do. So when we were assigned those games, we just took them. Also we had taxes taken out of our checks as we would make hundreds of dollars during the spring and summer. No one said to give the money back or to donate that fee. And I do know of a person that has wanted to work higher levels and I am sure he took money at some point. Maybe he does not now, but he had to at one time. And now they are making people lie just to adhere to some silly standard that umpires have to choose to work a game for pay and not get any money. I am sure there are leagues would not get any umpires if they did not pay their umpires. You cannot honestly believe this is the best system for selecting the best umpires Rich?

Peace

I commend the men and women working the LLWS at all age levels. They have put in the time and commitment into an avocation that I'm sure they all love. Cudos to them for getting the opportunity.

That being said, the LL system concerning umpires needs to be addressed. I could care less about the pay v no pay sitch. I would love to see LL provide more training opportunities for the umpires that choose this path in order to make them the best umpires they can be.

I am not a LL umpire. Maybe this is already the case. It just seems that the level of umpiring is not evolving at the same pace the level of play is. If LL is to be proud of their product as a whole, it should include the officials as well.

Part of the problem here is that many of the Smittys we see on the field run the regional ump clinics. What can anyone learn from them?

A friend of mine went to one, led by a wizened WP bigwig ump. He took the whole weekend to read the rulebook to the class.

And on the "pay" thing, I think each league should arrange for their own umpires, paid or not. For all regional and WS tourneys, I think umps should have all expenses paid, including transportation.

As I've said before, many of these "veterans" wouldn't touch a Babe Ruth game, much less a high school tussle.

The upper echelons need more guys like Fronnie: experienced at various levels, but with a subspecialty in LL--knowledgeable of its vagaries.

I agree with the posters who, in essence, say, "It's on national TV, with the best youth players in the world. Why not have the best umpires?"

Ace
DustVest in storage

Was that the game where a LL facebook post had thunder in the area to start the game? Was a lightning detector used? Or was it a fast moving away from venue cell/cells that those in charge judged was not going to be a problem?

Did you miss the part where it's OK to buy the umpires uniforms and gear?

http://www.littleleague.org/umpires/whereareumpires.htm

Keep new umpires’ costs down by supplying some or all the equipment they need. Don’t make them buy a bunch of equipment and uniforms at the beginning of their career.

Provide rule books, patches, equipment, etc., for umpires. Start with a community set of equipment that everyone uses. Then progress to those that return or agree to umpire so many games will get a mask, more games will get a chest protector, etc.

Rich:

Surely you remember the Deej (FitUmp) and his partner Uninterested Ump and their tactics. Reality is futile.

Of course. What amuses me is he pulled his quotes from the same page I'm quoting. Not only is he stupid, but he's also completely dishonest, too.

No, they are not the best youth players in the world. They are the ones who choose to participate in LL and form all-star teams to qualify for Williamsport. There are countless USSSA, NBC, etc. type teams who are every bit as good as the teams in the LLWS and actually play on a field meant for 13 year-olds. (The size of the field in LL is a joke. When almost every ground ball on the infield is a whacker at first, maybe your bases aren't far enough apart?)

There are 13 year-olds locally playing on high school fields during the summer, and the teams aren't even that good. If they can do it, these "elite" teams in Williamsport can at least play on 70 foot bases and move the mound and fences back more.

I just can't get with LL. The way ESPN covers the LLWS, the cheesiness of the whole thing, the dumb rules, the field (already mentioned), and the umpiring just make the whole thing pretty goofy.

To borrow a line... this ties for the stupidest post ever made on the internet.

Some of us see umpiring as more than a job.

Many people volunteer time to, say, build a house for Habitat for Humanity. How many people go up to them and say, "Shame. Builders could be making $30 an hour building this house. Why are you doing it for free?"

Lots of kids can't afford to pay travel-sized registration fees to play baseball. The local Little League is a place to go where all kids are welcome. If you don't want to donate some time to umpire these games, that's fine. I won't hold that against you. But why hold my choice of community service and charity against me? It's my time, not yours.

Bad analogy. Most HFH volunteers are tied to the corporate world and get paid for the time they miss from work.

In addition, if a HFH volunteer cannot perform a task at hand, they are removed from said task.

Little League wants to look "big time" with their prime-time telecasts and all the "feel" of a big time event. (replay, mic-ed umpires, slo-mo cameras...etc) Having substandard umpires makes them look silly.

But then again, they have no problem with showing the whole world that they are silly.