Politics, unions, and such
 

There is some pretty entertaining reading on the baseball board regarding the strike by the minor league umpires, the hiring of amateur umpires as fill ins, and the taking of amateur umpire assignments by out-of-work minor league professional umpires ("amateur" and "professional" refers to player status, not umpire status). Quite a bit of hostility over there.

As far as I'm, and the NLRB, is concerned, anyone who chooses not to work over any issue other than safety, does so at their own peril. That's a freedom they enjoy by living in this country.

That same freedom is what allows others who are capable of doing the job to fill that position if they so choose. Considering some of the umpiring I've seen in the Carolina League the last few years, many of the locals in my area do a comparable job.

To each their own.

I went to a Florida State League
game here a couple of weeks ago and
the 2 man crew were "replacement umpires".
An older guy working the plate was all
over the place with his strike zone-- some players
complained a bit. I usually give the men in blue
the benefit of the doubt- but this was a classic
example of inconsistancy.

On the other hand, here in the Texas League, the replacements seem to be doing an excellent job.