And you call yourself a real umpire!

[Old Nr 24]

Several years ago I had a cousin with a 10-year-old playing ball down in Virginia, and during a family visit we were discussing that topic when he told me it was a community league, and they used only volunteer umpires. You know, the guys who have had no training, little experience, and would not know a uniform outside of the army. My cousin said it would be "so cool" if I could come visit some weekend, bring my "real umpire stuff" and do a game for the team. Silly me....I agreed. So I drive down for a visit on a Friday night preceeding the big game on Saturday, hauling gear and uniform. The next morning we're getting ready to head for the field and my cousin tells me, "Oh, we got you a partner to do the bases. He's been around a long time." I tell that's not really necessary, but he insists it's "to help you out." I feel it coming, but I guess I am just too trusting to stand up for myself.

As my cousin and his son head for the field, I begin to get ready in the parking lot (read that "umpire dressing room"), putting on my gear, making sure my shoes are glistening, pants pressed and creased, and everything in order. About 10 minutes before game time I head for the field, still looking for this elusive partner, but he's nowhere to be seen. So I go on the field and all the players and coaches and fans are properly wowed by my professional appearance and demeanor. I ask about my mysterious partner, and am told, "Oh, he'll be here. He's almost never late." Okay, now I know I'm gonna get zapped by this game, but still I smile and go on with it.

As the pitcher is warming up, onto the field comes my partner, laughing and joking with everyone he sees, stopping in the home team's dugout to put his arm around the coach and whisper something, followed by a huge guffaw. He is wearing shorts, an old AC/DC tee shirt, a red cap that had seen better days, and sneakers with no socks. I say to myself, "Uh-huh, this is going to be a LOT of fun!" I head in that direction to introduce myself and do some quick discussion about coverages, but the guy says a quick hello as we exchange names, and waves me off, telling me "Aw, we know what we're doing. Besides, you're a real umpire!" Oh yea, this is really going to be great!

As the game begins all goes pretty smoothly, but I see my partner has horrible mechanics, bad positioning, and spends much of his time exchanging jokes with fans behind the fence and playing grab-ass with the players he knows! In fact, about the second inning he really kicks a call at first because he was busy watching a hawk circling lazily over the field as it happened, then jerked his head around and yelled, "He's out!" when the runner had beaten the throw. There is not a lot of static, so I keep my mouth shut.

But an inning later it happens. A batter laced a rope to right center with a man on first. I watch the ball as it falls fair, watch the batter-runner hit first, then automatically fall into the mechanics I had used for years, calling to my partner, "I've got third," and moving up the line as the man from first tears for that bag with the throw not far behind him. The kids make a fantastic play, but the running slides in a fraction of a second before the tag and I emphatically call him safe. That's when I heard it. My partner, who had not moved all game long, was running across the middle of the diamond, right fist in the air, yelling, "He's out! He's out!" See, it was coming right for my nose and I never flinched. I just let it hit me full in the face!

I call time and move to my partner, whose fist is STILL in the air like he's damning some aircraft flying over, and I quietly tell him I was on the play and the runner was safe. It's my call. I informed him I had it. His response is that he is the base umpire and he makes all the calls on the bases. I said, "Yes, but in this situation it's easier and faster for me to go to third for that call. It's umpiring 101." I'm doing my best to maintain a low key, but my partner is getting louder by the second, as well as angrier. I finally told him, "Look, the safe call stands, now let's get on with the game." But no, that's WAY too easy!

The guy explodes in my direction, telling me so all could hear that I didn't have a clue about that call, and that he refused to work with me any longer! He walked off the field! But as a parting shot from the dugout he yells, "And you call yourself a real umpire! Hah!"

[mazzamouth]

See thats were I would wanted to beat his azz....

[Umpire in Chief]

One of the many reasons I will not let my son play in a league which does not use real umpires (when he gets old enough).

The county where I live has a bastardization of youth ball and I've heard just awful things about it. So I talked to some of the administrators of a close PONY organization my umpires association serves about having him play there; not is it just a different county, it's a different state. I was initially told that he could play there but would just be ineligible for all-star play. But another board member told me that he would be eligible for all-star because he wouldn't be coming from an area with a competing PONY organization and our area boarders their boundary. He would have to check into that for me. Right now I'm really not worried about all-star games at the Shetland level next year, or probably the Pinto or Mustang after that. But if he were to earn that I wouldn't want to take that from him.

[scobes7]

Would have been awesome to dump him....LOL:BD:

[BrianC14]

I simply wouldn't have done the game - especially if the request had come from a member of my family.

Just my $0.02.

[buddywilshire]

That stinks.

I hear you guys talk about umps doing it for free and it always make me wonder who wants to do it for free? I love the game and enjoy umping but not sure I love the game and enjoy it enough to do it for free.

You had the right call and you know it. Guess that is all that matters.

[ukce1861]

only volunteer umpires. You know, the guys who have had no training, little experience, and would not know a uniform outside of the army.

Don't mean to be petulant, but I resent that (and the comments in a similar vein through this thread). Our LL is all-volunteer, but we've got several guys that care. We dress up, we're trained, shoot, one of the guys even went to Wendelstedt. Just because we don't have the time and flexibility to do high-school or whatever level of ball doesn't mean we're a bunch of hayseeds wearing our hat on backwards... I'm not putting myself up with a lot of the guys on this board, but you paint with a pretty broad brush when you slander all volunteer umpires...

[Umpire in Chief]

Ukce, You are correct there are many great volunteer umps out there who give a darn and a lot of paid HS umps out there who just plain suck and don't care.

Payment is not correlated to ability or level of effort. On these boards we sometimes paint al LL umps into the same corner which is unfair, but unfortunately a common point of reference.

[semper_fi_72]

Don't mean to be petulant, but I resent that (and the comments in a similar vein through this thread). Our LL is all-volunteer, but we've got several guys that care. We dress up, we're trained, shoot, one of the guys even went to Wendelstedt. Just because we don't have the time and flexibility to do high-school or whatever level of ball doesn't mean we're a bunch of hayseeds wearing our hat on backwards... I'm not putting myself up with a lot of the guys on this board, but you paint with a pretty broad brush when you slander all volunteer umpires...

Paid or volunteer. Trained at a Pro School like Wendelstedt or not.

These do not make a good umpire. In my experience it is a passion for the game that makes the difference.

I know one individual who has been to JE School, works High School as well as Adult Ball. We have been asked to not send him to work games at two of our LL Leagues. He may know everything but is a arrogant over bearing A**H**e. I also will not work a game with him as with several other good umpires. While we have several volunteer umpires who love the game and are always looking to learn and improve.

It is not always about the money and the money does not make them any good. I would venture to say there are more bad paid umpires out there than bad volunteer umpires.

[Stan W.]

I simply wouldn't have done the game - especially if the request had come from a member of my family.

Just my $0.02.

agreed.........as umpires, often, the old addage that "no good deed goes unpunished" is good to remember...............

[Big Red]

Paid or volunteer. Trained at a Pro School like Wendelstedt or not.

These do not make a good umpire. In my experience it is a passion for the game that makes the difference.

I know one individual who has been to JE School, works High School as well as Adult Ball. We have been asked to not send him to work games at two of our LL Leagues. He may know everything but is a arrogant over bearing A**H**e. I also will not work a game with him as with several other good umpires. While we have several volunteer umpires who love the game and are always looking to learn and improve.

It is not always about the money and the money does not make them any good. I would venture to say there are more bad paid umpires out there than bad volunteer umpires.

Couldn't be said any better!

[HokieUmp]

I would venture to say there are more bad paid umpires out there than bad volunteer umpires.

Well, math being what it is, and all, I guess I'd have to agree with that statement. But only because the there are more paid umpires than there are unpaid umpires.

However, I'd hazard a guess that there are more of the AC/DC shirt-wearing, yukking-it-with-the-coaches, back-slapping volunteer guys - as in the OP - than there are (all of those descriptions) paid guys.

[willv28]

Well, math being what it is, and all, I guess I'd have to agree with that statement. But only because the there are more paid umpires than there are unpaid umpires.

However, I'd hazard a guess that there are more of the AC/DC shirt-wearing, yukking-it-with-the-coaches, back-slapping volunteer guys - as in the OP - than there are (all of those descriptions) paid guys.

I can attest to that. I can't tell you how many times I've seen umpires look just awful since I started calling LL. I don't mind it if you're only calling a few games and aren't involved in the tournament. I just don't work with them.

Then there are those in positions of power in addition to umpiring, that think they know everything and look awful, they're the damaging ones. For a while I though I was awful. Though a long time ago, I realized I'm not that bad and will only get better. Plus I dress well too. But apparently I "take it too seriously".

[mstaylor]

The paid/unpaid debate rages every year on every board I have ever been. I don't care whether an umpire is paid or not, I care if he wants to learn and improve. I will take as much time as possible to help this person. I work both paid and unpaid games every year. I don't do as many unpaid as I used to simply because it is a hard sell to my wife.

I refuse to enter a debate on which is better or how many bad umpires are in each catagories.

Many times bad umpires are simply untrained or poorly trained. I try to offer training to anybody that I think needs it. Now if guys train and refuse to improve then I have nothing for them.

[yawetag]

The paid/unpaid debate rages every year on every board I have ever been. I don't care whether an umpire is paid or not, I care if he wants to learn and improve. I will take as much time as possible to help this person. I work both paid and unpaid games every year. I don't do as many unpaid as I used to simply because it is a hard sell to my wife.

I refuse to enter a debate on which is better or how many bad umpires are in each catagories.

Many times bad umpires are simply untrained or poorly trained. I try to offer training to anybody that I think needs it. Now if guys train and refuse to improve then I have nothing for them.

When I saw a sign at the local park saying "UMPIRES NEEDED" four years ago, I didn't expect any pay -- as far as I knew, the umpires as I grew up at the Little League park didn't get paid.

After taking the test and passing, the UIC stated I would get $12 per game. I was amazed. I get paid for this?

In that time, I've seen good umpires and bad umpires -- all of them paid (minimally, but paid). When I joined the HS association, I saw the same (only getting paid more). Higher pay doesn't always equal higher quality.

[Stan W.]

2 really good statements in this thread.......

MSTaylor: I try to offer training to anybody that I think needs it. Now if guys train and refuse to improve then I have nothing for them.

when faced with a better example or offered training and then they refuse to improve........time to move on......

Yawetag: In that time, I've seen good umpires and bad umpires -- all of them paid (minimally, but paid). When I joined the HS association, I saw the same (only getting paid more). Higher pay doesn't always equal higher quality

In many cases, the umpire assigned has more to do with availability than it does with ability.........

theyre are many high qualty umpires working youth/rec/am legion/msbl because of the start times are more conducive to their schedules because of full time jobs...........I would say that for 99% of us umpiring is our avocation and not our vocation.........

[Mike Prince]

In many cases, the umpire assigned has more to do with availability than it does with ability.........

theyre are many high qualty umpires working youth/rec/am legion/msbl because of the start times are more conducive to their schedules because of full time jobs...........I would say that for 99% of us umpiring is our avocation and not our vocation.........

This is funny because the title of the email I get every week from my assignor is titled "Umpire Availability" whether he is asking for availability or letting us know what the weekly assignments are.

[catoblue]

In many cases, the umpire assigned has more to do with availability than it does with ability.........

theyre are many high qualty umpires working youth/rec/am legion/msbl because of the start times are more conducive to their schedules because of full time jobs...........I would say that for 99% of us umpiring is our avocation and not our vocation.........

Ding ding ding!!!!!! ... And we have a winner at describing my situation to a tee!!!! I'd love to jump in on the association and call HS games, but family and work come before baseball. I can't be to a ball field 20 miles away at 3:30 in the afternoon, because I'm still at work. Later games would work, provided my wife, kids or grand kids don't have something else going on that I should be involved in - AND I love to fish, so I need to set aside a little time for that too (2-3 hours/weekend). That leaves me calling 2-3 LL games each week as a volunteer.