Umpire needs to hang it up

... or time to start umpiring.

 

Look, even as a winning coach, I'll call it like I see it. we pay you for a professional service. Don't come out and do a hack job and expect me to go along with it. I'll be in your ear ALL NIGHT- and LOUD.

He was bad- both games we had him- doesn't make up for the fact we stunk it up on defense, but it does not sit well with me.

 

Durhampost7, I hear ya about getting in an umpire's ear during a game, but I'd be willing to bet you've never come on TBR and made many posts about the "blue" after one of your wins. I think thats what Tools was implying, and my point also.

We agree the umpires need to be better trained, but all I ask is that they know the rulebook, call balls/strikes the same both ways, be in position and make all the close calls the way they see it and not make the call too early.

 

TJ, If they go to $90 that will be a $25 jump over a seven inning game. $25 for additional 2 innings, that's a lot. I have had one prominent program approach me about pulling out of current Area III umpiring situation because of the $80 and poor performances, I can't wait until he here's it is going to $90. Now I doubt that the powers to be will allow anyone to pull out, but if enough complain the $90 may not happen. They just went up last year to $80. Plus you are having to pay 2 booking fees if you have Junior & Senior. The booking agent is the one making the money, plus I am sure the umpires have to pay him a fee also.

Then they slap you in the face and send an umpire to work a series that is on our mark-off list, excuse is mark-offs not honored in the playoffs. I guess they think we have kissed and made up with him since it is the playoffs.

 

Mark off list? I want to make sure I am hearing this right, in your area you can tell the assigner you won't take a certain umpire for the entire regular season? That seems a bit surprising to me. It seems like that makes it much more likely for teams to pick umpires that are partial to them and mark off umpires who are impartial. I guess I need some clarification on this one.

 

Tools, I've heard 90 is already a done deal for next year, but that could be wrong.

And Trianglebaseball, yes I believe you can mark one ump off to where he wouldn't do any of your games. Tools, isn't it just one?

 

Actually it is 2, don't think I could be handpicking my umpires though, the list of umps I received at the start of the season had about about 50 umpires on it. Most booking agents in all sports, including high school allows mark-offs. In this area Football can mark off 5 or 6 I believe.

 

Well, I think Doctors, Lawyers, Auto Mechanics, and ANYBODY that I am paying, or someone that makes more than me, makes too much money.

Lets think about some of the un-thought-of expenses.
Booking Fee (to the assigner) $100.00
Pants $50.00
1 Shirt $32.00
Plate Shoes $100.00
Base shoes $70.00
Mask from $70.00 - $239.
Chest Protector from $70.00 - $189.00

Those are just a few of the expenses, and lets not forget, the price of gas, and in some cases you must travel 150-200 miles round trip, get to the game an hour before game time, and spend the nest 3-3 1/2 hours getting yelled at and criticized by people that wouldn't have ANY idea that there are more than one set of rules for baseball.
Just to note:
Official Baseball Rules
NCAA
NAIA
National Federation of High Schools
Add in a series of "Local Rules" used in a lot of "local leagues"

And while I am at it, those Rule Books are not free either.

Now some Umpires don't go the extra mile in attire, but please keep in mind that ALMOST ALL umpires do it FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME and not for the money.

Lastly, a wise man once said, "Umpiring is the only business where you are expected to be perfect on the first day, and get better every day thereafter."
Just My Thoughts

 

u-r-out, you did say "almost all" do it for the love of the game, but the problems are usually with those very few that you're not referring to.

I will agree however, for those who have never umpired and think its just easy money,,,,, u-r-out just pretty much explained in detail why the lesser umps usually get out of the business. Because for anyone who has ever wore the "blue", you know all about the sacrifices and getting yelled at. Even idiots know when they are in too deep and when you add it all up, this is why some hang it up. Fortunately the ones who stay with it, are usually the ones who do love the game.

The problem folks run into from time to time, is that "new ump" who's just starting, and don't have the experience of the rules or how to handle certain situations. This is where more training would be nice, but you could say that at every level, going all the way down to little league.

 

There have been a few good points on all sides about this issue. As someone who is on an American Legion umpire roster, I'll add a few more to consider.

1) u-r-out's point about cost is valid. You can take a look at Honig's or Gerry Davis Sports, or any other umpire supplier to see what it costs to get into umpiring. But more importantly, it's not so much about the money spent for me and other umpires I know. We spend an 1 hour on average driving to the game site. We are usually there 45 minutes early to get changed and go over our field coverages with our partner. AL games go between 2.5-3.0 hrs on average. Then we spend 15-30 minutes after the game undressing and going over what went right and wrong. Then another 1 hr drive home. Tack on the off the field meetings and rules study and you've got more time (which is unpaid). This isn't meant to be a woe-is-me take on the job, it's meant to illustrate that we don't just show up, work a game, get paid, and are magically transported home.

2) Umpiring is like any other profession, there are varying degrees of talent and anyone can have a bad day/night on the job. Assignors want the best guys they can get and they don't put up with consistently poor performances for long, particularly at the AL level. I would be lying if I said every night I went out there, I had a great game. But that is my intent on every nigth. I hustle and look sharp, and try to get in the best position possible to make the right call.

3) Umpires probably feel worse than any fan, coach, or player about making the wrong call. At least the good umpires do. I don't take my mistakes lightly. I try to figure out why it happened and what I can do to minimize the chance of it happening again.

4) Like someone said, you don't see all of the good calls in the big leagues replayed on ESPN and hyped up like you do the mistakes. Coaches make mistakes, players make mistakes, and so do umpires. We need to be held to a higher standard with judgement and decisions, but I think in many cases the expectations are too high and unfair.

5) I would just ask someone who is critical of umpires to consider becoming an umpire themselves. It's not nearly as easy as it looks. And if it does turn out to be that easy, you are someone that needs to be on the field ( I say this with all seriousness, we can never have too many talented officials).

6) Finally, I am not suggesting anyone stop criticizing umpires for poor performances or missed calls. What I would say is that the total picture (as outlined above) needs to be factored in before you start blasting someone. It's not always as clear-cut as it seems...