Cooperstown Tournaments

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Publius

The conditions aside, I'll never understand the motivation of those who donate their labor to someone else's for-profit enterprise.

There's an adage about them; something to do with a lollipop, childbirth, and 1/60 of an hour.

Donate? I'm getting paid. Not as much as I normally would, but then again, free food and I get to go to the HoF (never been). But I'm really going to support a team in our league that is going.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Donate? I'm getting paid. Not as much as I normally would, but then again, free food and I get to go to the HoF (never been). But I'm really going to support a team in our league that is going.

I think the main issue is that the organizer is making money on these tournaments with the expectation that the umpires will be working for free (unless individually compensated by their teams).

[maven]

Originally Posted by Welpe

I think the main issue is that the organizer is making money on these tournaments with the expectation that the umpires will be working for free (unless individually compensated by their teams).

I took Mike's point to be that they're not working for free: they're receiving lodging and food.

From the "Umpires" section of their website: "As a guest of Cooperstown Dreams Park your stay will be expense free."

That's compensation (adequate or not) and, according to the IRS, could be taxable income.

[Welpe]

Well that is true and in the eyes of the IRS I'm sure cafeteria quality food and dorm conditions are "compensation".

I will amend my statement to "without monetary remuneration."

That said, Mike, go and have a good time. Share some pictures on Facebook if you would be so kind.

[MD Longhorn]

Well, now I'm confused. I'm getting paid a specific amount of money. Is this not normal?

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Well, now I'm confused. I'm getting paid a specific amount of money. Is this not normal?

It depends. Most tournaments hire and pay their umpires, using the fees the teams pay to compete.

CDP insists the teams to bring their own umpires. In fact, they state a team could be fined several hundred dollars for not bringing one with the reason stating CDP would have to hire a local umpire to work that week. In what I've read through message boards, this is an empty threat and no team has been charged for not bringing an umpire.

With that said, you getting paid by the team is not ususual. Most umpires are paid cash somehow to go; however, the pay is not usually the best, sometimes only enough to pay for the trip itself. I know some umpires that will go for two or more straight weeks, which makes every payment after the first week direct profit for the umpire.

[johnnyg08]

Food and barracks are pennies on the dollar for what a game fee should be...but that's why I will never travel there to umpire via the CDP tournaments.

To each his own.