Can't find a partner for this weekend....

[Mike Prince]

Our Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth fall ball season just ended last weekend here and one of the guys who coaches in the spring has organized a 4-game select tournament this weekend. He asked me about a week ago if we (we don't have a formal association, just a core group of about 7-8 umpires who get paid through the local Babe Ruth chapter) would be interested in umpiring. I said sure, let me find a partner. He confirmed the tournament and game fees to me on Monday.

I had mentioned the tournament to most of the umpires last week to see if they would be interested, most of them said sure, let me know when the details are in place.

Here's the problem - of the 4 games on Saturday, I so far have only one guy who can work and he can only do the first two games! I think I probably will have to call the TD back and tell him I will do the last 2 games solo and offer to do those for 75% of the fee he is paying, hopefully he is OK with that.

Just a bit ironic given that a lot of folks here are wishing there were still games to umpire and our local group initially seemed interested. I guess schedules just didn't work out right, because the TD is a good guy and it's supposed to be a beautiful day here Saturday (sunny and mid-60's). Could also be that it's the week before Thanksgiving too.

[JaxRolo]

That's a shame. I would offer to help but it probably wouldn't be worth driving all that distance and staying somewhere.

[semper_fi_72]

The trials and tribulations of assigning.

I hate those that call and text saying "Hey I need some games" and when you call them they can not work the games you offer.

Thank you for your assistance and you are now on the bottom of the list. :violin:

[PeteBooth]

Our Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth fall ball season just ended last weekend here and one of the guys who coaches in the spring has organized a 4-game select tournament this weekend. He asked me about a week ago if we (we don't have a formal association, just a core group of about 7-8 umpires who get paid through the local Babe Ruth chapter) would be interested in umpiring.

Here's the problem - of the 4 games on Saturday, I so far have only one guy who can work and he can only do the first two games! I think I probably will have to call the TD back and tell him I will do the last 2 games solo and offer to do those for 75% of the fee he is paying, hopefully he is OK with that.

The problem IMO is not the fact that you have to umpire 4 games and the last 2 solo but the fact that you only have 7/8 members.

Why not more?

Is it because the other members do not want to "share the wealth" and allow others to join?

I do not know how many games your group does but if you are the assignor you should seriously think about getting more members so that what happened to you this past weekend doesn't happen again.

Pete Booth

Edited November 17, 2010 by PeteBooth

[PeteBooth]

The trials and tribulations of assigning. Thank you for your assistance and you are now on the bottom of the list.

Agreed BUT this group only has 7/8 members so whom are you hurting when you put one of the members on the bottom of the list.

Answer: The assignor

There's not too much you can do as an assignor when you have such a small group other then refuse the game(s) altogether.

Perhaps I am "reading too much into it" but when I hear that there is a core group of 7/8 officials translates into "we want all the games and do not want more officials"

In a nutshell, if you have ample games you need more then 7/8 members otherwise what happened in this OP will happen time and time again.

It's amazing the responses you get when the officials KNOW that the assignor can get someone else in a heartbeat. All of a sudden those NO's that you used to get turn into YES's

Pete Booth

[Mike Prince]

I agree with the points made. I am not the assignor, I got this special request to umpire this special tournament this weekend. Yes our group is small, hopefully it will grow in the near future. We do attempt to recruit new members, for some reason we do not have a whole lot of success - I have been with this group since I started umpiring last fall and we have grown a bit during that time. During the season it takes our full group to work on Saturdays and then we get our share of games during the week. Pete I think you are reading into it a bit too much, but I for one would like to see things here progress a bit more. Our town is the site of the new America's Dreams Park slated to open in 2012 (southern site of CDP) and hopefully that will spur more local interest in umpiring than we seem to have now.

I think this one is just timing. Since I accepted the assignment I plan on honoring it. I have a few more options but they do not involve the group I normally umpire with.

[Umpire in Chief]

Too bad Lake Norman is 6 hours away I'd help you out and visit the NASCAR HOF with my earnings :bang:

[Mike Prince]

Too bad Lake Norman is 6 hours away I'd help you out and visit the NASCAR HOF with my earnings

That would have been great. Good news is that I managed to get all 4 games covered. I am doing all 4 with 2 different partners.

[mazzamouth]

how far away are you from Sanford, NC I have a buddy who worked HS ball in NorCal who moved out that umpires. maybe he can help.

[Mike Prince]

how far away are you from Sanford, NC I have a buddy who worked HS ball in NorCal who moved out that umpires. maybe he can help.

Probably about 3 hours. I am good for this weekend though, thanks for the offer.