One man vs Two man

[grayhawk]

I've seen lots of talk about working one man versus two man games recently, so instead of hijacking those threads, I decided to start a new one.  It's clear that the opinions on this subject are driven, in large part, by regional differences in how games are assigned.  In many areas, almost all baseball is two man at a minimum, and the idea of working solo is patently absurd.  In other areas (like here in southern California), most of the ball is one man, with only certain higher levels of ball being two man or more.  Here's a breakdown of the baseball that I have called:

 

HS:  Everything below varsity is one man.  There is a private school league that pays for 3 man, but you have to be pretty highly rated to get those games, and even then you may get 2 per season.  There is no middle school ball.  Playoffs start at 3 man, and then move to 4 man for the finals (not sure about semis).  JV and below is $74.  Varsity is $75 per umpire.

 

Travel ball:  I've called for USSSA and AAU.  All games are two man.  AAU pays $40 per game + $10 gas money.  USSSA pays $44 for 12U and below, and $49 for 13U and above.

 

Pony:  Different everywhere, but almost all is one man.  In general, $65 for Bronco and below, and $75 for Pony.

 

HS Prep and HS Summer leagues.  All one man.  Average is $60-$75 per game.

 

CCYB (California Competitive Youth Baseball):  I have not worked CCYB yet, but it's all one man, and average, net assigning fees, in the $60-$70 per game range.

 

I've done 36 games so far this year, and when you take out 3 LL games and one unpaid scrimmage, I have averaged $62 per game before assigning and membership fees.  Here is the breakdown of one man versus 2 man fees:

 

One man average:  $73 per game (18 games)

Two man average:  $46 per game (14 games) - This would be higher if I had more varsity games.

 

Curious to know how it shakes out for your region.

[mstaylor]

In my area everything is two man. Even 60 ft LL is two man. The only one man is if somebody no shows

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[AmackNH]

70% two man with the exception of lower level rec ball and regular season little league being 1 man. At playoff/tournament time it's all at least 2 man.

[bam]

My chapter was two-man every game, no matter what, until this year. MS this year is 1-man and I had my first game tonight. 3.5 hours, 42 degrees with a wind chill of 35. Debacle. I called everyone I could out. Everyone. There were maybe 5 walks and the pitchers weren't very good. 8 innings. Dear Lord. Parents on both teams were singing my praises for those strike 3s on pitches a foot outside. Hypothermia set in. There was an Ice Age... Oh, where were we?

Anyway...

Varsity 2 man - $88 a man

Jv and below, $56 a man

MS solo - $84

[grayhawk]

JV and below here has no new inning after two and a half hours, and I don't recall ever having to invoke it.

[bam]

JV and below here has no new inning after two and a half hours, and I don't recall ever having to invoke it.

We have have a board meeting Thursday, and don't think for a second that's not going to brought up during "new business".

[pnewton]

All HS games are assigned as two man (might get the occasional 1 man Fresh game but that's abnormal) $77 per man for Varsity, $55 per for Fresh/JV.

 

Spring league "in-town" Babe Ruth is now all one man for $75, Summer league and tournament Babe Ruth are two man at $55 per.

 

AAUs are 2-man @ $60 each for 13U and up, $50 each for 11U and 12U.  One man $60 for 9U or 10U. <These are always double headers>

 

Legion has been $65 each for two man.

 

I don't work a lot of spring Babe Ruth so I don't work much one man but I will do 15-20 per year, the baseball tends to be pretty bad and the coaches are just volunteer dads that don't complain too much because at least they realize they don't know what they are talking about.  I don't really mind those games as solos because I don't have much trouble.  In the rare event of a no show partner in a competitive 16U AAU double header it can be a real pain in the backside so I understand both sides of the one man argument.  I think the caliber of the game including player ability and coach/player knowledge contribute to the real need of the second guy.  In the leagues where the expectations are fairly low one umpire is fine, where they are higher you really do need a partner.

[CentralOhioUmp30]

My lord. I knew Central Ohio rates were low, but reading this really puts it in perspective.

Middle school and high school games are all two-man.

$38 for Middle School and Freshman

$40 JV

$50 Varsity

9U and 10U are one man ($60)

11U and 12U are two man ($45)

13U+ ($50)

[T-Rav]

Middle School & JV: $52 (MS: 1:45 Time Limit; JV: 2 Hour Time Limit)

Varsity: $62 (3-Man= $57)

 

LL/Travel/Pony: 

9-10: $30

11-12:$35

13-$40-$50

 9 Inning Game $75

 

All is two man except coach pitch.

[Sayhey]

If you refuse to work a baseball game one man it will stop. There is no such thing as a one man crew. It is not fair to any hard ball umpire to be required to work a game alone. If you stop the teams will magically find the money to pay another umpire. If it is lack of umpires then recruiting would be helped by a pay raise.

If you have a great day behind the plate do you buy yourself a beer? Maybe you work behind the mound.

[scrounge]

If you refuse to work a baseball game one man it will stop. There is no such thing as a one man crew. It is not fair to any hard ball umpire to be required to work a game alone. If you stop the teams will magically find the money to pay another umpire. If it is lack of umpires then recruiting would be helped by a pay raise.

If you have a great day behind the plate do you buy yourself a beer? Maybe you work behind the mound.

 

Good in theory, but the end result in some cases may be no games at all. As CentralOhioUmp30 said, most games around here are 2 man luckily, but city league (urban) schools are 1 man for middle school and HS JV. Many of these kids have never played before - even at the "varsity" level. It's bad ball...but considering the circumstances, it's totally understandable.  They have a devil of a time filling their games, even with 1 man. If they had to do 2, they'd just drop the sports. And those kids who desperately need some guidance and role models would lose yet another outlet.

[bam]

If you refuse to work a baseball game one man it will stop. There is no such thing as a one man crew. It is not fair to any hard ball umpire to be required to work a game alone. If you stop the teams will magically find the money to pay another umpire. If it is lack of umpires then recruiting would be helped by a pay raise

If you have a great day behind the plate do you buy yourself a beer? Maybe you work behind the mound.

As I said, this is the first year we've done 1-man on MS.  SO the usual fee was 56 per man, now it's 84.  Each team plays 12 games, 6 at home.  So they save themselves less than $200 a year. 

 

More for the teachers pensions, I guess

[KLAH316]

Middle School through JV - Anywhere from $35-$40 for two man, $50 if you're solo.

The State Association runs Varsity, everything from JV down is contracted out to separate assignors

 

USSSA - $36 for 12U and below, $40 for 13U and above

 

Rec ball, club leagues, etc. - $35-$40

[cyclonehokiece]

All is two man unless noted.

 

High School: Varsity $75/$65 (Plate/Base), Sub-Varsity (includes MS) $65/$55

 

Travel: $40 12U and below, $45 13U and above

 

Summer Middle School: $50

 

Showcase: $75

 

Legion: $60-70 depending on level and plate/base

 

Dixie: $30 one man, but this varies by community

[VAUmp]

All two man here:

 

Varsity:  $75/umpire (base and plate)

JV: $65/umpire (base and plate)

 

Legion:  $75/umpire (base and plate)

 

Babe Ruth 13U:  $70/umpire (base and plate)

14U & up:  $75/umpire (base and plate)

 

We have a 10% assignor fee as well

[pnewton]

 

If you refuse to work a baseball game one man it will stop. There is no such thing as a one man crew. It is not fair to any hard ball umpire to be required to work a game alone. If you stop the teams will magically find the money to pay another umpire. If it is lack of umpires then recruiting would be helped by a pay raise

If you have a great day behind the plate do you buy yourself a beer? Maybe you work behind the mound.

As I said, this is the first year we've done 1-man on MS.  SO the usual fee was 56 per man, now it's 84.  Each team plays 12 games, 6 at home.  So they save themselves less than $200 a year. 

 

More for the teachers pensions, I guess

 

 

 

Don't give me the teacher pension B.S. I pay a higher % of my check into Mass. teacher's retirement system then you pay into Social Sec. 

[Dannytheman]

I do mainly one man. Total for this year with now 17 games under my belt. 14 hot dogs and 13 diet cokes. But I am down 4 pounds.

[MT_Blue]

around here (doing mostly ASA softball) all of the summer league stuff is 1 man, come district tourney we also stay one man, we just dont have the bodies in the immediate area to do more until championship play, travel ball is all two man and some occasional 3 man. High School is all 2 man until the state playoffs, which i think are three man. when it comes to slow pitch, one man all the way until championships. 

[cemyster]

Northern IL/Chicago Burbs.  Two man for Varsity, one man for JV and below.  Rates are similar to those already posted.

I do a lot of travel baseball and rate is $50 per game and working solo.  A few 14U teams will pay for two umps.  Tournaments typically have two, and the pay is $45.  Recently more tournaments have been using one umpire for the pool play games and two umpires for elimination rounds.

[bam]

 

 

If you refuse to work a baseball game one man it will stop. There is no such thing as a one man crew. It is not fair to any hard ball umpire to be required to work a game alone. If you stop the teams will magically find the money to pay another umpire. If it is lack of umpires then recruiting would be helped by a pay raise

If you have a great day behind the plate do you buy yourself a beer? Maybe you work behind the mound.

As I said, this is the first year we've done 1-man on MS.  SO the usual fee was 56 per man, now it's 84.  Each team plays 12 games, 6 at home.  So they save themselves less than $200 a year. 

 

 

More for the teachers pensions, I guess

 

 

Don't give me the teacher pension B.S. I pay a higher % of my check into Mass. teacher's retirement system then you pay into Social Sec. 

 

Ah.  Another teacher heard from.  A MA teacher no less.  We could get into the return on those investments, but I don't have the energy. 

 

If you don't wish to acknowledge the problems with public employee pensions, that's your prerogative.

 

The $200 going to teachers pensions may not be exactly fair, but the point of the value of that $200 per school per year is spot on.

 

Full disclosure - I was married to a CT school teacher, so don't cry poverty to me - I know exactly what they're/you're making.  I wouldn't want that job for any amount of money, but as a supply/demand argument, umpires are in the same boat. 

[NFUA_44]

My chapter was two-man every game, no matter what, until this year. MS this year is 1-man and I had my first game tonight. 3.5 hours, 42 degrees with a wind chill of 35. Debacle. I called everyone I could out. Everyone. There were maybe 5 walks and the pitchers weren't very good. 8 innings. Dear Lord. Parents on both teams were singing my praises for those strike 3s on pitches a foot outside. Hypothermia set in. There was an Ice Age... Oh, where were we?

Anyway...

Varsity 2 man - $88 a man

Jv and below, $56 a man

MS solo - $84

Bam,

What area are you in?  Just curious.

[bam]

Eastern CT.