Are you telling me that you are as fresh and alert/aware at your sixth game?? Of course not. The simple fatigue that sets in is enough to cause more mistakes to be made, IMO. The ideal tournament schedule for me would be to work 3 games on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. I know it isn't going to happen, but I wish it would.

If I'm going to drive out to a tournament, spend all day from 7 or 8 AM until 8 or 9 PM at the field, I'd want more than just 3 games. Otherwise, I can just stay home and call 3 games in a row and be done in 3 hours.

I agree, of course not. You've asked a "hobson's question" (so to speak). Unless you are standing still as a stump, you are not as fresh in the second inning as you were in the first. "Simple fatigue" is not enough to cause mistakes. Significant fatigue will, but people have differing levels of stamina.

I have definitely been overworked at tournaments, but usually it is the result of not enough breaks rather than number of games in total.

For a local tournament, I would consider only 3 games spread out over a day as wasting my time.

How about:
05/03/08 10:30 AM
05/03/08 12:00 PM
05/03/08 1:30 PM
05/03/08 3:00 PM
05/03/08 4:30 PM
05/04/08 9:00 AM
05/04/08 12:20 PM
05/04/08 2:00 PM
05/04/08 3:40 PM
all 12&U

I still don't see the savings with the housing and food for a normal local tourney. Still same amount of games and same amount of umpires. No cost difference between spreading it out or "bunching up" games on two umpires.

Myself, I prefer a 2 games on and 1 game off spreadout from start of day to end of day.

I've gotten to the point where I prefer 4 games/day, working 1-on & 1-off.
This keeps me fresh for every game and able to give each game the full intensity & effort it deserves.

Obviously referring to a tournament that wants the better umpires or are required by code to use so many outside umpires. For every two local umpires used, the tournament saves $75-$100 dollars a day in housing two outside umpires.

Gotcha!

(Dear Lord...THANK YOU for the fact that Andy was out of town this weekend and not in the great city of Phoenix...It was ONE less call that I had to answer....

Sincerely,
Your slave....)

Yeah....I was Alexander's headache last weekend.......:cool:

However, I know that you did have to answer a call about the other Phoenix umpire you sent......;)

:D

I am not talking about spread out over a day. As I stated earlier I am an advocate of working crews in two shifts. However, as I also stated, with the lack of officials in most areas I know that this is pretty much a pipe dream.

Andy, he's pulling your leg. Damn near every time I saw Darrell, he had a phone to his ear.

Or a beverage in his hand :eek::D.

He seemed very concerned that I was doing my share to eliminate bad beer from general availability.

You know what? Now that you mention it, there were even times when he had the phone in his ear and a beer in each hand!! :eek:

If you had gotten the phone calls I was, you would have also...

and Steve....

Thats just BAD beer...

Im gonna edumacate you in feb.....