1-Umpire mechanics question

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by DG

I am never offered 1 man games and would not accept. The few times I worked 1 man it was because partner did not show and both coaches agreed to go 1 man at plate meeting.

Last time it happened was about 4 or 5 years ago. I get a call from assigner at 2 PM, asked if I could do plate at a game nearby at 4. He did not tell me who partner was and I forgot to ask. At 330, no partner, at 350 no partner, so I start to plate. At plate meeting I tell both coaches I did not have this game until 2 PM, I don't know who my partner is, or where he is, but we have 3 choices. 1, we wait till he gets here, and I don't know when that will be. 2, we start with 1 ump and when he shows up he jumps in and if he don't show we finish with 1 ump. 3, we all go home. They both opted for 2. The game was 2-1 in 1:20 and the home team wrote me a game fee check for 1.5 times normal. The winning run scored on a come backer to pitcher with two out and man on 3b, instead of throwing home to get the advancing runner he lobbed one over to 1b for the 2nd out.

In 1 man you do the best you can and if the bases were loaded on a play I would not leave the plate area.

The only games that are assigned 1 man around here are coach pitch, or machine pitch, worked by umpires who don't shave.

First of all, wow, must be great to have HS and youth leagues that can afford (or aren't cheap) to have two umpires. I have worked hundreds of solo games. Anything from LL on up to JV high school is one-man Sam, except in the most affluent of leagues.

Second, did you mean there was one out and the pitcher threw to 1st for the 2nd out?

[DG]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Second, did you mean there was one out and the pitcher threw to 1st for the 2nd out?

Yes, thanks. He threw to 1b for the 2nd out, allowing the winning run to score. It was in the 5th inning I think, but it turned out to be the winning run.

I have lived in 3 different parts of the state in my coaching/umpire years and all youth leagues I have seen have 2 umpires except for machine/coach pitch. Now I wonder what they pay in Southern California, because some of these youth leagues don't pay much, some more than others. All middle school and up have 2 umpires.

[RPatrino]

One of the best games I ever worked was one man at the JV level. It was about 100 degrees outside, and I forgot my indicator (proof that you really don't need one). If you want to work only 2 man or more, that is your choice. I won't turn a game down just because its a one man assignment.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by DG

Yes, thanks. He threw to 1b for the 2nd out, allowing the winning run to score. It was in the 5th inning I think, but it turned out to be the winning run.

I have lived in 3 different parts of the state in my coaching/umpire years and all youth leagues I have seen have 2 umpires except for machine/coach pitch. Now I wonder what they pay in Southern California, because some of these youth leagues don't pay much, some more than others. All middle school and up have 2 umpires.

They pay you pretty well, IMO, when you are by yourself. You make more than with a partner, for sure. They usually pay right around a fee and a half. JV HS isn't that good though, it's only about $20 more than 2-man, at $72.

[BestUmp]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

They pay you pretty well, IMO, when you are by yourself. You make more than with a partner, for sure. They usually pay right around a fee and a half. JV HS isn't that good though, it's only about $20 more than 2-man, at $72.

Sounds more like indentured servitude to me. HS spend millions of sports facilities and they can't afford a second umpire to get a game called accurately?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

They pay you pretty well, IMO, when you are by yourself. You make more than with a partner, for sure. They usually pay right around a fee and a half. JV HS isn't that good though, it's only about $20 more than 2-man, at $72.

Idiotic. Where I am it's $40 per umpire for JV (2-man) -- just $8 more than SD pays for 1 umpire. Why pay good money for JV umpires anyway? Umpires should have some incentive to work their way to the varsity level. *Those* umpires should be paid the good money.

[BestUmp]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

Idiotic. Where I am it's $40 per umpire for JV (2-man) -- just $8 more than SD pays for 1 umpire. Why pay good money for JV umpires anyway?

Because they are men, men of the future of baseball!

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

IdioticUmpires should have some incentive to work their way to the varsity level. *Those* umpires should be paid the good money.

"Good money" is what in your terms? $50 per arbiter per game?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

Idiotic. Where I am it's $40 per umpire for JV (2-man) -- just $8 more than SD pays for 1 umpire. Why pay good money for JV umpires anyway? Umpires should have some incentive to work their way to the varsity level. *Those* umpires should be paid the good money.

Nobody would work a JV game with a partner for $40 here. That's the difference. LL Majors pays $40 here. JV is $54 per man last I checked. And quite a few varsity level umpires, like myself, volunteer to do the one-man JV because of the extra money involved. It's not people working their way up that get all the games, or unqualified umpires, it's the people willing to work JV that get them. But like I said, our JV here is as good as varsity in some areas. The ball here is pretty solid. JV games aren't the joke like I guess they are some places. They take it very seriously, have stands packed like varsity crowds, and expect good umpires. The coaches and players are very serious as well. They put good umpires on these games BECAUSE there is only going to be one, and he'd better dang well know what he's doing, or they'll eat him alive.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

JV games aren't the joke like I guess they are some places. They take it very seriously, have stands packed like varsity crowds, and expect good umpires. The coaches and players are very serious as well. They put good umpires on these games BECAUSE there is only going to be one, and he'd better dang well know what he's doing, or they'll eat him alive.

That doesn't make sense. If the baseball is so good (which I'm not disputing), then it deserves 2 umpires. If they want varsity umpires working JV, then equalize the fees between JV and varsity.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

That doesn't make sense. If the baseball is so good (which I'm not disputing), then it deserves 2 umpires. If they want varsity umpires working JV, then equalize the fees between JV and varsity.

The difference between JV and varsity fees is not very much for two-man. The difference is that one-man JV pays much more than two-man varsity, which makes it attractive to some umpires. The schools save a ton on umpire fees this way, while the umpire working the JV game makes more than he would on a two-man varsity game.

The schools do not make the fee schedule, the San Diego Chapter of the California Interscholastic Federation does. Each conference decides whether it wants one or two umpires on its JV and Frosh games. It just so happens that the most competitive conferences always choose one-man. It's a school district budget thing, I guess. The umpire association has no input on the HS fee structure.