umpires shrink in height and weight in last 25 years

[justwin]

ever notice todays umpires have changed drastically in size over the last 25 years..read in an article the other day, that back in 1983 the AVG height of a major league umpire was almost 6-2..the AVG weight was 225...and in 2010 the AVG height of a major league umpire is 5-11 and a half...the AVG weight is 202..that is a big difference... and also the article said in today s game a lot more complaints against the strike zone and calls on the bases...i think a good reason for the complaints is the scrutiny the umpires have to deal with in todays game...more cameras more high tech makes everything more visible...also game is faster...but i think the umpiring 20 years ago was a bit better than it is today...what do u guys think

[johnnyg08]

I think the umpiring is much, much better than it was 20 years ago.

[Umpire in Chief]

I love watching old games on MLB network and seeing the mechanics they used. Umpiring has certainly evolved.

[mstaylor]

I certainly do not think the umpiring is not as good as 20 years ago. As somebody that started umpiring in the seventies, the mechanics are much better now than then. The umpires are in much better shape now than then. All that said, there were some great umpires in past decades but the entire thought process is different now. Back then umpires were much more confrontational. The thought of getting together was almost unheard of. Today they are taught to be the cool head in a confrontation. Now the getting together process has gone too far the other way. They get together too much and usually get it wrong when they do.

[Richvee]

I think the umpires today are just as good, if not better than 20 years ago. It's all due to the higher tech camera work like super slow mo hi def. These days, when they find a play the umpire missed, it's all over ESPN News and 50 other regional sports highlight shows for the next 4 days. Doesn't matter if it happened in the Astro/Padre game n the 7th inning of a 12-2 game on a Tuesday night. We're gonna see that blown call in prime time highlights coast to coast, and on shows like PTI so ESPN can further endorse expanding replay. Don't even get me started on the "k-zone". :rantoff:

[johnnyg08]

Great post. Couldn't agree more. :clap: