outside protector

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Rich

There's no way in hell I'd stick around for 9 games and only get paid for 6 of them.

Easiest way to get on my scratch list is when a team forfeits in the middle of a string of games and the TD doesn't want to pay the umpires for that game, thinking that they'll just pocket that extra money.

Rich:

If I were a coach (and I have no desire to go over to the Dark Side) and I had my choice between an umpire who was umpiring his sixth game in a row as opposed to an umpire who was umpiring his sixth game of the day but was in a three umpire rotation where each umpire did not umpire more that two games in a row, I would definitely choose the latter. And as an umpire I would choose to be the latter umpire too.

MTD, Sr.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Rich:

If I were a coach (and I have no desire to go over to the Dark Side) and I had my choice between an umpire who was umpiring his sixth game in a row as opposed to an umpire who was umpiring his sixth game of the day but was in a three umpire rotation where each umpire did not umpire more that two games in a row, I would definitely choose the latter. And as an umpire I would choose to be the latter umpire too.

MTD, Sr.

I couldn't possibly care what the coaches want.

I do two or three of these marathon days a year, usually before I go on vacation. On those days, I'm there for the money, nothing more. In June I did 7 straight baseball games -- the first 4 on the plate. I was there to make $350 to take with me on vacation. And I'm arrogant enough to note that even in my fourth plate, I'm still better than 90% of the people they get working their first plate.

If they want me to sit a game, they'll have to pay me for it. Otherwise, I'm sure there are other umpires willing to work. (Actually, I'm not so sure, because by the time I agree to do it, they're usually saying that there's nobody else -- could I please do it?).

With the exception of those 2-3 days a year when I whore myself out, I don't work anything but single games and doubleheaders.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Rich

I couldn't possibly care what the coaches want.

I do two or three of these marathon days a year, usually before I go on vacation. On those days, I'm there for the money, nothing more. In June I did 7 straight baseball games -- the first 4 on the plate. I was there to make $350 to take with me on vacation. And I'm arrogant enough to note that even in my fourth plate, I'm still better than 90% of the people they get working their first plate.

If they want me to sit a game, they'll have to pay me for it. Otherwise, I'm sure there are other umpires willing to work. (Actually, I'm not so sure, because by the time I agree to do it, they're usually saying that there's nobody else -- could I please do it?).

With the exception of those 2-3 days a year when I whore myself out, I don't work anything but single games and doubleheaders.

Rich:

It is nice to know that you don't care about your physical and mental condition at the end of the day, just so you can make a bucket load of money in one day.

MTD, Sr.

[Dakota]

Actually, Rich's view is rampant around here.

Not so much the "whoring" himself out part, but the unwillingness to sit. It seems getting umpires assigned to tournaments has a lot of dealing with whiny umpires and their "special" needs... can't work before noon, must be done by noon, want to do 4 and out, short of money, so want to work 7 in a row, yadda, yadda.

You couldn't PAY me enough to be an assignor and have to deal with this crap. Too much babysitting and appeasing of umpires than I have the patience for.

I don't know Rich, but I don't know anyone who is better after 4 games than 90% of the other umpires on their first game. He must be working with some set of crappy umpires.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Actually, Rich's view is rampant around here.

Not so much the "whoring" himself out part, but the unwillingness to sit. It seems getting umpires assigned to tournaments has a lot of dealing with whiny umpires and their "special" needs... can't work before noon, must be done by noon, want to do 4 and out, short of money, so want to work 7 in a row, yadda, yadda.

You couldn't PAY me enough to be an assignor and have to deal with this crap. Too much babysitting and appeasing of umpires than I have the patience for.

I don't know Rick, but I don't know anyone who is better after 4 games than 90% of the other umpires on their first game. He must be working with some set of crappy umpires.

I'm sorry I'm going down this path -- one more post, I promise. I don't even work softball, so it's probably just a bit different for you folks.

Most top-notch college/HS baseball umpires don't touch that crap around here. So you end up with guys who are not very good on their best day. Calling balls and strikes at the youth level isn't exactly heavy lifting if you have good timing and call a good, aggressive zone.

Hey, I'm the one who's the independent contractor. Either I work the way I want to work OR I shrug and spend the day with my family. I don't *need* the money (it's nice to have on vacation, but a day at my day job pays more than even the longest day of umpiring could) -- they need me more. So either they use me the way I want OR they have more slots to fill. Supply and demand and all that.

We have leagues where they'll call at 11AM and say that the field won't be ready (usually because they don't show up at the field before 11AM to check the condition) for the 1PM start -- they're moving the game back to 2 or 3PM. I take 1PM games so I can have dinner with my family on Sundays. When they move the start time, I always tell them I can't do it and to find someone else.

I hear a lot of people complain about assignors and all the power they have in the assignor / umpire relationship. That's simply not true. It's because the umpire allows the assignor to have that power. But you have to be willing to not work once in a while....

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Rich:

It is nice to know that you don't care about your physical and mental condition at the end of the day, just so you can make a bucket load of money in one day.

MTD, Sr.

Physically, I was quite fine. A bit sore the next day, but nothing that didn't go away in due time.

Mentally, I was tired at the end of the day. It's hard to focus for that long.

But I'm not kidding myself. My father worked in a steel mill for 30 years. Umpiring for 12-14 hours compared with that is child's play.

(And we did get breaks -- the games were scheduled 2:15 apart and when you turn in 4 plate jobs all less than 1:38, you get some time to relax. It was strange putting on the plate gear at 7:30AM and removing it almost 8 hours later, though.

The odd thing? I didn't hear a word from anyone in 7 games and only had one coach visit to ask about a rule that he didn't understand.)

I only did one day like that this year. Won't be any more. I'll work another 8-10 baseball games and then it will be football season for me.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rich

(And we did get breaks -- the games were scheduled 2:15 apart and when you turn in 4 plate jobs all less than 1:38, you get some time to relax. It was strange putting on the plate gear at 7:30AM and removing it almost 8 hours later, though.

I suppose if things were spaced out such that we had 30-45 minutes between games, scheduling several back to back wouldn't be as much of an issue.

Space them 10 minutes apart, and you might change your mind.
Work them in Texas, when it's 100 heat index on a good day, and you might change your mind.

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by Rich

With softball games being so short, I guess I don't see the problem with working 3-4 in a row. Seems like a short day to this baseball guy.

Originally Posted by Rich

...the games were scheduled 2:15 apart and when you turn in 4 plate jobs all less than 1:38, you get some time to relax.

Were your baseball games on a time limit? 1:38 seems pretty quick. If on a time limit, maybe it's more realistic to compare actual innings worked instead of "number of games".

And how do you figure that softball games are so much shorter than that? 1:30 is a fair average for a full seven inning fastpitch game.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BretMan

Were your baseball games on a time limit? 1:38 seems pretty quick. If on a time limit, maybe it's more realistic to compare actual innings worked instead of "number of games".

And how do you figure that softball games are so much shorter than that? 1:30 is a fair average for a full seven inning fastpitch game.

The games were on a no-new-inning after 2:00 time limit (hence the 2:15 spacing), but all 4 of those plates went 7 innings.

It was good quality baseball on field turf. Lots of ground ball outs.

[CecilOne]

It seems the most important parts of this topic are:

There's no way in hell I'd stick around for 9 games and only get paid for 6 of them.

I'm there for the money, nothing more.

I'm arrogant enough
followed by
Mentally, I was tired at the end of the day. It's hard to focus for that long.

Not so much the "whoring" himself out part

I don't even work softball

top-notch college/HS baseball umpires don't touch that crap around here.

.................................................. .................

OR maybe it was this:

three weeks ago, I bought a chiller vest from GlacierTek Concealable Cooling Vest

What I read about RiteTemp is that the cooling would only last 4 or 5 innings requiring a quick change out mid-game.

The GlacierTek cooling elements will stay 59 degrees for 2.5 hours in 100 degree temps. The cooling elements are "charged" in ice water in a cooler for 20 minutes. Re-charging is same.

Simply, it works great.
Your core temp is reduced by 10%, along with your heart rate reduced about the same. It does not fool you into thinking it is cooler outside, but your perspiration is reduced by about 99%.