6 in a row in 100+ ???
 

We have a rookie UIC for this 10U VTD trny in North Texas. Temp Saturday will be 100 with 108 THI.
He scheduled an umpire for 6 games in a row ... the guy agreed ... he is one of the $$$ chaser umps. Yeah he'll be sharp on those 5th & 6th games.
UIC is also using an ump who only works the bases - well that screws everyone else. I urged him back in Feb. not to use base only umps - he didn't listen.
He also has umps doing base games then a plate game immediately following ... yeah that will keep us on schedule.
Gonna be interesting ............ ugh.

Shame on that UIC. Don't care if the umpire agreed or not, the teams are being shortchanged

The UIC better hope that the ump in question doesn't have some sort of medical issue doing games in those temps. If he does, the UIC could very well be in for a legal battle as a result of his scheduling, even if the ump agreed.

Not good... but has all the signs of an umpire shortage.

To me, that is the bigger issue. There is a huge difference between scheduling someone 6 in a row and using "base only" umpires if you are doing it by choice when you have other options available, and doing both of those because they are the only people willing/able to work the games.

I have too often been the person trying to find the appropriate staff to do perfect rotations, but, when you only have limited availability, you have to do the best you can with what you have. There is no point in deriding the UIC if he has no other options; it isn't any real option to simply refuse to deal with the schedule.

On the contrary, I have umpires looking for a paycheck, needing the money, but unwilling to do the job. Someone needs to step up and be willing to work, so that UIC has realistic options. Blame him if he refuses the rotations; blame others if he is doing the best he can with what he has.

Are the games time limited? Will this umpire be working the plate for all 6 games? Also, is there any kind of break between the games?

While I agree that both scheduling and accepting 6 games in a row seems a little foolish because it probably isn't necessary, I can't say that it is something that should be condemned. If the games are time limited to an hour, 6 games in a row would be comparable to a MLB double-header (3+ hours per game). Admittedly there is a substantial break between the games of a double-header, but there is single plate umpire for each game of the double header meaning 1 guy stands behind the plate in his gear for 3+ hours. If the umpire working 6 games in the OP probably rotates between bases and plate, he might spend 3+ hours cumulatively working the plate but he is getting a break from it every other game.

My 2 points are 1. that it may not be as bad as it sounds, and it certainly isn't unthinkable. It isn't something that I would encouraged, but some people can handle it. It beats a day in the sun/heat doing manual labor like construction or roofing or something like that, and we aren't running around worried that our roofers and landscapers performed terribly during the last couple hours of their work day. And the important point 2. regardless of the circumstances, take care of yourselves out in the heat. Hydrate before, during and after the game. Water is best, but remember hydrating isn't just about liquid intake. We also have to replace other nutrients lost in sweat. Sodium and potassium are two of the big ones, and eating fruits and nuts prior to and during prolonged activity can help maintain the proper balances.

If it gets to that point, the UIC needs to inform the appropriate commissioner that s/he will have to authorize bringing in umpires and assume the necessary costs. But then you run into another problem of availability when that doesn't happen until a couple days prior to the tournament.

I was lucky enough to always have umpires who would step up and help when necessary. It may have involved some serious patchworking of the schedule, but the games would get covered without any emergencies. Same group would also jump in when they would see someone struggling, often without even being asked.

Disagree. You cannot compare a softball game with 1or2 umpires to an MLB double header with 4 umpires, longer breaks between innings and often not the entire day in the sun.

And the stamina isn't necessarily the issue as some umpires can handle it. But what does it cost? There is no way an umpire will be 100% from first to last pitch. I've seen it too often where the guys who brag about how many games they do in a day, don't come close to showing the hustle necessary to properly cover all the calls. Many, if not most, will come right out and state they have to pace themselves. I've also heard umpires use it as an excuse to a coach as to why s/he couldn't get to a decent position to make a call.

Point is it is not healthy for the umpire or the game and certainly not fair to the teams.

Vtd??
 

Key word in the OP is VTD!!

it would have been the same whichever acronym it was .... the fact its a VTD trny is irrelevant.

I would guess its a combination of the above cases.

4 would be my limit at that temp.
A month ago, Friday 83 -- 4 straight, Sat 81 -- 6 straight, Sunday 90 -- 3 games but no if.
Two weeks ago, 4 plates on Sunday at 86, with one off in middle.
Older than most, but conditioned and hydrated.

No point or disagreement with any above, just sayin'. :)

Correction from original post --- THI only 104 today. :cool:

Makes all the difference! :p

LOve those cold waves. :D

We're actually in the middle of a large invitational ASA tournament this weekend.

Our UIC has had a rough time getting umps to cover 10U (single ump games during pool play) and 12U thru 18U+. (First I've seen the 18U+ category. I don't think it's a classification from ASA. Could have been made up for this type of tournament.)

We've got a couple/few guys from out of state, we're using some of our slow pitch guys on bases, and we've got 2 or 3 umps who cannot work plates for various and sundry reasons.

Our temperatures reached into the mid-90s on both Friday and Saturday which is not uncommon for NH.

I'll second the notion about an umpire shortage. It also didn't help that there are 2 other ASA invitational tournaments going in in NH this same weekend, further exacerbating a difficult time of finding umps to work.

I know we're using some folks that might otherwise not be asked to work but because of the shortage we're pressed into using them.

For Sunday, we've got folks working as many as 5 games and there are breaks in between games. But there are some that have 4 games in a row.

And, like many areas, we have the dollar chasers. And we have stupid umpires who say they can work 4, 5, or 6 games a day. These are the folks that the UIC needs to protect from themselves. But when you're scrambling, you have to make concessions. We had a lot of drop-outs, and today had a couple of umps go down.

I'm at the point where I tell my UIC that I'm best for 2 games a day, with or without a break in between. If he's really stuck, I'll do 3 games but not in a row. Right now I've got 2 for tomorrow which suits me just fine. I know trying to fill a bracket with a bunch of umps that can only do 2 games a day isn't realistic, but that's what I can comfortably manage these days.

FYI .... 3 heat-related umpire issues yesterday, none deemed serious (easy for the non-affected to say!)

Had one more today and the last game was at 1230. Todays was a guy who had to stop yesterday ... another great decision by the UIC.

That's a bad decision by the umpire. :(

I understand it's hot but cmon. 2-3 games per day is all some of you will work? How much are you making each game? Is it really even worth your time/effort at that point? Call me a money whore all you want but I can do six in a row in my sleep. We do it all the time around here. 70 min time limit games.

It's not something I look forward to but I do this for money, not to work two games and go home. If you don't do this for the money as one of the top five reasons you are doing it, then why put up with all the shit that goes with it?

true, probably a worse decision than the UIC asking him to go out there again

we are talking more than 2 in a row when its 115-120 degrees on the field with no place to cool off in between games

At some point you have to treat adults like adults. Presumably, the umpire assured him he was good to go. Unless your UIC has a medical degree, I think you are being overly critical.

overly critical ???

possibly .....

Well, some of us are not 30- or 40-something years old any more. A few years back, I could do 4 or 5 games a day, not any more. While the time may not have changed, the effort it takes me to get through the games is now more of an issue.

For this tournament, we primarily had no new inning starting after 1:30 w/ a drop dead time of 1:45. Semis and Finals were untimed.

I guess it's up to each individual to determine if the "time & effort is worth it". You can't paint everyone with the same brush.

We have a 75 year old guy who will say he can work 5 games in a day. In game 1, he cannot bend over to brush off the plate. And yes, I'd call him a "money whore". We know locally not to assign him more than 3 games a day, but he goes all over working other tournaments because of the dearth of officials. And those UICs that may not know him, or know him a little bit, have no qualms giving him 4 games in a row or 5 in a day. So on Sunday and Monday mornings he can barely get out of bed.

Our small group of local umpires is aging and we're not getting many newer guys. This year was good as we got 1 guy back from battling cancer along w/ 2 other guys in their mid-40's.

I personally opted out of Nationals consideration because I didn't feel physically able to work 4 or 5 games a day for the better part of a week. Yes, I know some tournaments are smaller and less demanding, but for me, working a couple of games a day at my local venues fits the bill just right. It is definitely worth my time and effort.

Who says you have to put up with shit? While the money is nice, in the 45+ years, I've never umpired for the money, baseball or softball.

And, IMO, if you are doing 6 in a row in your sleep, you are not providing the service for which you are being paid.

IMO, one of the largest issues in some areas. Unfortunately, people don't give a shit about the next guy or the services available.

I had absolutely no problem tell the commissioner that a tournament couldn't be covered if it were sanctioned on the same weekend as others.

Again IMO, this "schedule it and umpires will appear" mentality is part of a major problem with the game of softball.

yes, this is a huge problem in NTX

The most games I have ever done in a row is 4. HS JV softball tourney, 2 plate, 2 bases. I could barely get out of bed in the morning after that. We were only supposed to work 2 games, but due to a scheduling conflict, 2 umpires needed to be moved elsewhere, so we got 4.


This was in temps in the mid 70's IIRC, certainly not close to 100. I can't imagine doing anything close to 6 games in a row. In fact for the games I generally work, we would not be playing the games in temps that high. Most of our area leagues, facilities have a heat limit. For example the league I do a lot of WRECK league work in is based in the school system. If the NWS issues a heat warning, all games are cancelled. Any time the heat index is over 105 the games are cancelled. If the temp is 85 or higher and the humidity is 70 or higher, play is suspended until the temp or humidity drops.

When the local community has lost an athlete to a heat related death, it is amazing how quickly they inact rules regarding heat situations.

Right now here.
96°
RealFeel® 111°

Now, that is tooo hot for me. :eek:
But, I'd probably take 2 games with a break. :rolleyes:

Similar, though not exact situation that I was privy to. Assigner asks official why he never has availability for all four days of a specific tournament weekend. Official tells assigner that he did not want a "full" schedule because by the middle of the third day he would not be as good an official and that the kids deserved the best. The assigner responds, "And that's why you are one of the best."

I should qualify that the tournaments I speak of are two days only. And weekend only. So that does affect being able to do more per day since it's only two days.

I don't do the 4-5 day tourns bc I don't want to burn vacation time to work a 2nd job. Lot of TD's around here demand full availability so I have found that it is easier to have no availability at all than fight that fight.

And yes, I think the profession/avocation of officiating is getting older. At 37 and having 12 years in, I'm one of the youngest guys in our group of officials. We def need some new blood bc there is that mentality "if you schedule it, they will come"

There's at least 1 NH guy that I know of that's working the 16U National in Delaware.

He's no spring chicken so I'm hoping he has a light schedule in those temperatures.

My first National was in Oregon. I thought, "cool". Far from cool - they set records for high temperatures the week I was there. I worked at least 2 games during 1 day where temps were 105. Don't know about the humidity.

Games start Wed., should be down to 92. :rolleyes: Perfect for fall chickens. ;)

"Games" is not a uniform unit of measure. There are timed games, and the time limit can range from very short (65-70 minutes) to irrelevant in most cases (1:45+). There are also games that can end in a tie, and games that must have a winner. Among the latter, there are games that use the tie breaker rule and games that play extra innings until someone wins (I've never seen this in summer ball, but it is the rule for high school play here).

It is relatively common here for summer tournaments hosted by a local fastpitch association to have relatively short time limits (70 min is fairly common), spaced every 1:30, where games can end in a tie for pool play.

Such a game is not comparable to a 1:45 time limit / 7 innings game where there must be a winner.

I've always umpired because I enjoy it. The money is nice, but it is far from lucrative, so if I was looking for an actual 2nd income, it would not be from umpiring.

My "personal" limit has gone down with the years, but even so, if there are short time limits, 5 or so in a day is very doable if there is a break in there somewhere. If there is no break, 4 is the max I'm comfortable with (both physically and job-quality wise).

In extreme heat (we do get that here sometimes), the need for breaks increases and the daily limit decreases as a general rule.

It is rare for umpires around here to be willing to commit to being available start to finish, so the "ideal" of 3 man rotations for 2 umpire games is not a realistic scenario for most tournaments. Besides, the vast majority of our tournaments are single umpire games until the semis (and in many cases until the championship game). This is due to tournaments not being willing to pay the umpires, but I suspect that if this changed overnight, there would not be enough umpires anyway.

I am only talking about the easy ones it seems. 70 min time limit, pool play ends in tie. 7-8 of those would be equivalent to 4-5 of the much longer games some have mentioned. Only once did I do a "throw out the clock/all 7 innings" tournament. Once=not again.

Of course I find it enjoyable (most days) and it is lucrative compared to most other 2nd jobs where you don't have the freedom an independent contractor has. I pick where and when and
Other 2nd jobs don't allow that.

High humidity. Chance of thunderstorms from 20% to 50% the remainder of the week/weekend.

High 80's

Our entire high school season is 7 innings, no clock, no tie breaker, must have a winner. Of course, they are 2 man during the season, 3 man during the last several rounds of the post season, and at most double headers. For HS tournaments, they do add a time limit (fairly long) and use a tie breaker. (The post season, though, remains 7 innings, no time limit, no tie breakers; there have been some marathon games in the state tournament over the years.)

Umpiring these "real" softball games is a lot of fun.

I did one tournament this year with 7 innings, no clock, and a 3 man rotation for 2 man games. A full round for the day was 6 games, of which I and my partners each did four in the rotation. This tournament went to 3 man for the final rounds on Sunday.

Again, this tournament was a lot of fun.

Personally, I prefer the real game vs the unnatural time limit games. There is more time spent per game, but generally that is offset by a more enjoyable game, breaks, and somewhat higher pay.

Until they become surreal. :)

Well, true. MSHSL has a 10 after 5 mercy rule. But, mercy rules are useless if both teams are awful!

After one particularly brutal game last year, I was proposing a 25 after 5 umpire mercy rule:

The game is over if:
1. The runs scored by both teams combined is 25 or more runs after 5 innings;
2. The average time per inning for the first 5 innings is 25 or more minutes.

:D

I guess that would apply to my 3 hr 26 min game, at 33 - 23. :rolleyes:

Dakota, I was only talking about travel ball stuff. Of course varsity play is 7 innings, no time, winner a must. And I also like varsity play better than travel, it pays $60 vs $35. And if it is decent play, can be done in around an hour. My fastest ever has been 58 minutes for a full 7 innings.

Of course, my worst ever (a record for our group of guys) is 3:20, with a score of 29-25. It was so long we canceled the JV game that was scheduled for after it.