Playoffs

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

Is that true? Can someone really work in the NY-P League having never officiated baseball before?

It is true someone can work Minor League ball and not ever work a game. The reason is because there are pro schools that give umpires an ennormous amount of training. And there are people that go to these pro-schools and have never worked a single game of baseball before that time. In many cases people have been picked up with very limited experience before they attended pro-school.

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

Usually. There are exceptions to every rule.

I still think you're a mutant if you can do this and do it well right off the bat, no matter how much "training" you have. But I may be the only one who feels that way.

The point that I am making is that putting arbitrary numbers is not a very good judge of when someone is competent. Even after 5 years there are officials that do not get it and seem to never will. My crew chief is a former Division 1 Nose Tackle, he is a great umpire because he gets what is going on at that point of the game and how to call line blocking almost like no other official I know. His football experience makes him a lot better than someone that has been working 20 more years than my crew chief. Move him to another position and his level of ability does change and even his understanding of the other aspects of the game. I know I had to work really hard to become a decent back judge in the past few years because I was much better and more comfortable as a wing and Referee where I spent more time.

Now there might be rules that allow for eligibility for post season games and that is fine with me. But to say what someone can or cannot do only bases on how many years they have been working is a very good gauge. And I know training can speed up that process and even the number of games you work. You cannot judge that by how many years someone has worked.

Peace