Bust a move!

[yawetag]

Note my avatar - mask in right hand - as an old F2, I've been working to correct that for 2 years, and have gotten to where I use my left hand about 80% of the time, but still slip up now and then

Fixed! :cheers:

[catoblue]

Why, thank you!!!!!!!

All that concentration finally paid off!!!!!:cheers:

[spiritumpa]

If you really want to talk about "holier than thou" attitudes - you just might want to look in the mirror. From the way you talk, just because I am content to call at one level for the time being, and that level happens to use volunteer umpires and involves 9-12 year old kids, I am somehow a lesser umpire. Pay and/or the level of play does not mean an amateur umpire is good or bad. I know I can always improve my skills, mechanics, and knowledge of the rules as covered in official interpretation publications. That's why I continually work to get better and find ways to improve. (Note my avatar - mask in right hand - as an old F2, I've been working to correct that for 2 years, and have gotten to where I use my left hand about 80% of the time, but still slip up now and then)

I go to clinics, I show up in a clean pressed uniform, I know the rules backward and forward for the level of ball I'm calling, I always critique my performance looking for things I can do better, I work regular season and district tourney games - in fact, more likely than not, I do all the same things that you (a paid umpire) do. Somehow, just because I don't get paid for what I do, because I volunteer my time, because my uniforms and gear are completely out-of-pocket, I'm a lesser umpire?

I know paid guys that call HS and men's summer league games, who suck and don't care that they suck, as long as they get their pay checks. I also know guys that work those same games, who are role models for umpires who want to get really good.

I enjoy umpiring, I enjoy learning to do it better, in the case of LL games, I enjoy being the one professional acting person on the field, and most of all, I enjoy the game of baseball.

Personally, I have no reason to look down on anybody that does the job the way it is supposed to be done - regardless of what level they are calling or if they are paid or not. I've seen tons of paid "association" guys and unpaid volunteer guys alike, that are piss-poor enough that I'd rather work solo than to have them as partners. I've also seen outstanding umpires of both the paid and unpaid varieties. The reality is, that regardless of the pay status of an umpire, they come in every flavor from outstanding to absolutely horrible.

Good for you! You're doing the levels you want to do. That is what you should be doing. As for what levels someone is willing to work, that is up to personal preference. "To each their own" is a good way to think about it. Umpires who work diligently at being the best umpire they can be, regardless of what levels they call or how much or little they might or might not get paid, do not deserve to be belittled.

Here's a different "take" on volunteer umpires in LL. People volunteer for all sorts of things in order to contribute to their communities. There are tons of things to volunteer for. I chose LL (and so do many others) because baseball is something I enjoy. I have two kids that played up through LL. It is an organization that I am familiar with and have a long history of involvement with. I kill two birds with one stone - be around a game I love, doing something I enjoy, while at the same time volunteering my time to give back to the community. That is a win-win situation.

When I have better availability after our youngest child (who is involved in multiple sports) graduates, I'll be getting into higher level ball and paid games, but for right now, I'm content with what I'm doing.

Even when I do move into calling higher levels for pay, I'll still volunteer for LL games when I am available to do so. That's just my personal preference.

Now, to the item regarding the LLWS umpires doing the chicken dance... the LLWS is a kids baseball game. LL is supposed to be fun, and when it gets to the level where these kids have played through multiple rounds of the tourney, have done tons of fund raisers to travel to where the games are, the parents have taken a bunch of time off work and traveled a bunch, and everyone is thinking WIN, a little thing like the umpires doing the chicken dance between innings, might just be the thing that is needed to bring everyone back to job number one - having fun playing baseball. It's not for everyone, but again... to each their own.

as long as you are on the field working the best game in the world--at the level you are happy with--life is GOOD

[T-Rav]

Let the little league umpires have fun, they have video replay to correct them. So dance all night my LLWS umpire friends! :cheers:

[yawetag]

Why, thank you!!!!!!!

All that concentration finally paid off!!!!!

The only bad thing is that all the batters are lefties now.

[catoblue]

as long as you are on the field working the best game in the world--at the level you are happy with--life is GOOD

AMEN!