Softball v Baseball Umpiring

[Chess Ref]

i am going to be first year ump. Classes start in 3 weeks. Anybody care to point out the advantages of one over the other. Things like which offer more chances at doing high school games etc... Thanks

[Skahtboi]

Primarily, it has to be about which you enjoy most. If you don't enjoy the sport you officiate, nothing else really matters.

With that in mind, however, here are a few differences based on the high school/college level game:

FP softball games are seven innings versus nine for baseball. The pace of FP also appears to be quicker than baseball. Subsequently, most collegiate and HS FP games are done in 1:15 to 1:45, versus 2 to 3 hours for a baseball game. Pay in both sports is comparable. (For high school FP in this area it is $30 a game, for baseball it is $35. College pay is $65 for a single game and $100 for a DH in FP, though I don't know what collegiate baseball umpires are getting in these parts.)

FP seems to need more umpires than baseball, which of course means a lot more opportunity to work.

I really enjoy the FP game, so that is my primary argument for working it.

[bkbjones]

Having worked baseball for a number of years, and considering the first year I worked college ball some of the players included Tim Salmon and Randy Velarde, and now having gone almost (not quite) to baseball, I Can tell you I like fastpitch much more. The only baseball I work up here is when the assignor gets into a REAL tight and I need to bail someone out and our fastpitch is in good shape.

I certainly enjoy the pace of the games more. Gosh, it takes a long time for a baseball game...

[SC Ump]

Originally posted by Skahtboi
FP seems to need more umpires than baseball, which of course means a lot more opportunity to work.

This was initially my biggest draw to umpiring FP. I would still try to do as many BB games as possible, since that was what I played.

I agree about the game times that were mentioned above. There is a little less pay, but I find that with the shorter games, there are more JV/Senior double headers available. This is good since the drive to and from the game is what seems to take most of the time anyway.

As for intensity, sportmanship and atheletic ability... I don't think there is much difference other than the way guys and girls inheriently communicate. (Girls will create cheers and hug to bond and communicate; boys tend to yell more independently and slap each other's butts.)

In many areas, I think there can be a higher rank in the "good ol' boy" network for BB than for FP. The BB folks usually get elected as officers in our organization. (If you've ever been an officer in an umpiring organization, you'd realize that this is just one more benefit to FP. )

[buddha69]

I really like doing FP, the game is quick and watching the girls have a good, while not so good when they are losing, but I LIKE FP alot, then BB.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by buddha69
I really like doing FP, the game is quick and watching the girls have a good, while not so good when they are losing, but I LIKE FP alot, then BB.

And I see it completely the other way. I quit doing the little ball because it was becoming boooring! Everyone thought they were the next superstar and they all had to act like the overpaid babies they saw on TV.

Granted, I wish the girls would act like the players they see on TV.

However, the only thing that is quick is the pitching and batter's reaction time. Nothing else is different than any other game of softball. Of course, you'll have your FP elitist who believe that only their game is the real game.

To those people I say go to a SP or MP National Tournament/Championship. Yes, the ball is easier to hit, but once it is, those games involve just as much skill and speed as the FP game. That easy pitch can be hit to any field with ease, the batted ball more often travels faster and farther than those in a FP game.

There are rarely "pitcher's duels" which means more action more often in a game which is usually concluded in a shorter period of time the FP game is.

But that is just my preference.

[FUBLUE]

I prefer Fast Pitch to Baseball. To me at least, baseball moves slower. THis included anything from pitching and reaction time, to time to make plays, to "gamesmanship", etc. But I do some baseball when asked (usually in emergency situations). I like the pace of Fastpitch.

Having said that, that depends on the level. JV baseball and JV softball could take forever. I worked a JV softball game two years ago that took 2:30. Varsity baseball took 2:00 for a 10 run game.
Last year, did a softball double header (varsity) in 2:45. Baseball was just starting game two of their doubleheader when we finished. They started 30 minutes before we did. And they had a 8-7 game and a 9-4 game. (Our scores: 3-0, 2-1)

Comparing Fast Pitch to Slow Pitch is different. With me, Slow Pitch depends on the level of competition. Good defenses make the game fun, because as Mike said there is a lot of offense. So if there is no defense, the game will take forever.

I like his thought on the ball being able to be hit to any part of the field, but a good fastpitch batter will be able to do the same thing. Granted, she/he won't be able to decide to hit the ball to an exact location, but he/she will be able to hit it to left/right/etc.

But then again, bunting in FP kind of takes the place of the short "dink" in SP, doesn't it?

Yet how many fast pitch beer leagues are there?

Concluding in a short period of time? Depends on the level. We all now that without time limits some beginners games would take forever. I remember keeping track of time in fast pitch this year...I averaged around 1:20 minutes, with some going 2+ and some barely 1 hour. When I did SP regularly, we were going 1:20 a game (70 minute time limit, finish inning). Levels were C, D, E, F, and Z. (Yeah, some bad teams, but they had fun, so it was fun)

Best SP game I did was my last one: 6-5 in 65 minutes. Shortstop was pro baseball player who was cut from team (Single A ball) but not released from contract. First baseman for other team was about 6-10 and could stretch all the way to second (or so it seemed). Had seven double-plays and 4 leaps by shortstop to catch line drives. He played about 10 steps onto grass.

But if you enjoy what you are officiating, does it really matter what game it is?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by FUBLUE


But if you enjoy what you are officiating, does it really matter what game it is?

I agree.

BTW, you are taking too long on your SP games. Even the ZZZ level can be faster. They are more susceptable to following your instructions, so you can often get them to hustle a bit more. My shortest 7-inning game on the plate was 44 minutes at the Men's Major Church NC in Mobile, AL. Final score was like 7-5 or something like that. Of course, this was after my travelling partner closed out the previous night on the dish with a 2 1/2 hour, 12 inning, 42-38 marathon.

OTOH, I've had JO & HS (V) games go over 2 hours for 7 innings and most of that time was taken up with chasing the runners back to their bases before returning the ball to the pitcher, the rah-rah after every out and inning and team meetings every half inning. Fun for the girls, boring for me and the two teams waiting to get on the field.

But, FUBLUE is correct. Whatever you are happy working is fine.

[greymule]

Skahtboi, I'm surprised at the low fees you mention. Where are you umpiring?

Here in NJ (at least in this and adjoining counties), baseball and softball pay exactly the same. (Equal rights stuff.) Do a HS varsity baseball game that takes 3 hours or a HS FP softball game that's over in 1:10, and you get the same pay. (Guess which game people would rather do.)

I stopped doing Fed a few years ago, but I believe each ump gets over $60 now. JV pays less, but I think each ump gets about $50.

If you do a one-man game (JV FP or middle school only), it's now around $70, maybe more. All but varsity games have a time limit.

The disadvantage to Fed is that the public schools send you a check later. Often much later.

The best money to be made is in the FP travel tournaments. You can do 5 quick games in a day and make $200 cash on the spot.

The worst money is in the high-level slow-pitch tournaments, where you get $25 to do an 85-run game that seems never to end. Plus the whining.

[whiskers_ump]

Originally posted by greymule
Skahtboi, I'm surprised at the low fees you mention. Where are you umpiring?

Here in NJ (at least in this and adjoining counties), baseball and softball pay exactly the same. (Equal rights stuff.) Do a HS varsity baseball game that takes 3 hours or a HS FP softball game that's over in 1:10, and you get the same pay. (Guess which game people would rather do.)

I stopped doing Fed a few years ago, but I believe each ump gets over $60 now. JV pays less, but I think each ump gets about $50.

If you do a one-man game (JV FP or middle school only), it's now around $70, maybe more. All but varsity games have a time limit.

The disadvantage to Fed is that the public schools send you a check later. Often much later.

The best money to be made is in the FP travel tournaments. You can do 5 quick games in a day and make $200 cash on the spot.

The worst money is in the high-level slow-pitch tournaments, where you get $25 to do an 85-run game that seems never to end. Plus the whining.

WOW Scott, we need to chat with TASO, we not getting enough money.
We get 30.00 per varsity, 25.00 JV and 35 cents per mile round trip.

Oh and did I mention - went to bed, temp was 61, got up to a cool 31 with ice and rain mixed. Think from the lookds of
things Scott, your weather is worse. Crazy weather, been high 70's, now low 30"s

[SC Ump]

Originally posted by greymule
Skahtboi, I'm surprised at the low fees you mention.

Shhhh! This is just what they pay him.

Just kidding. The rates he gets is about what we get here. The rates you are getting in NJ... sounds like a sweet deal, depending on what part of the state you are in.

[FUBLUE]

Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA

I agree.

BTW, you are taking too long on your SP games.

We were playing time limit, no matter what the inning it was, so if we went 9 innings in 70 minutes, that's what we did. (Leagues were practice for the tournament at the end of the season). Stupid, I know.

[bkbjones]

Here in Seattle, we are making $48 a game for varsity, and $40-$45 for JV. CC (Juco) ball is $50-$55 per game, and D2 and D3 is $60 per game. We fold in the travel money (a paltry sum, but we don't have to drive as far as I used to in TX) into the game fee.

For ASA ball we make $22 a game, fast and slowpitch.

But, didn't get into it for the money...not that I'd do it for free.

[Skahtboi]

We get $30.00 for both JV and V Glen. Sounds like you need to talk to whoever makes the contracts for your association. Also, good news from the state meeting...next year we will all get a $5.00 a game raise.

Greymule, around here we only get $60.00 for a college game, or $100.00 for a double header. You can guess what most colleges schedule, can't you? I would certainly like to see the pay in Texas a little more like the pay that you are getting, but I don't see it happening anywhere in the near future.


[Edited by Skahtboi on Jan 10th, 2005 at 09:41 AM]

[Skahtboi]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SC Ump

Shhhh! This is just what they pay him.

I have always secretly suspected that!