3 and You're Out!

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by zm1283

I don't think it is a hard and fast rule about working at the level of your talent, but in this area at least, I don't know of many (Or any) HS-only umpires who wouldn't get eaten alive in even a D2 game.

I'm not talking about whether or not someone at the high school level or college level could work their way to MLB if they had the time/money/inclination. I agree with you that they could. There are guys working various levels of baseball that could be as good as MLB umpires if they had the time/money/etc. to do it.

I am talking about running a high school umpire out there this weekend in an MLB game compared to Bob Davidson or any other MLB umpire. It would be far worse than these guys working the NFL preseason games right now.

I did not say that you could run anyone out there and they would be better. Of course this would be dependent on the person you bring out there. I even think it is easier to make that transition because baseball rules are not that different. Baseball does not have the complicated rules that football has with the college level and NFL level. There are not on a regular basis the kind of situations NFL guys have to face with very complicated and once in a season situations. Even the basic situations are complicated in football. What does a baseball umpire have to do the most? Call balls and strikes; get an occasional tough call at a base? Even the speed of the overall game outside of the pitchers is not going to be that drastic, if you have good timing and good concept of what your strike zone is. Again, I am talking about Davidson specifically more than anything. I do not think he is at the top of his profession at that level. I think he is at the lower end or a guy many would not miss. Again my opinion and certainly you have the right to disagree with me (be my guest), but I have seen talented guys that could replace him now and I am sure there are guys at the AAA level that certainly would do just fine in his spot.

Peace