Another reason I don't like youth baseball

[Umpire in Chief]

First I do realize that youth leagues are run by volunteers who do the best they can with what they've got. But things like today tick me off.

From about noon it was obvious that there wasn't going to be a game today due to the weather. I checked my association's cancelation website and Arbiter every half hour or so. But no word from this league. Then just before I have to leave (early might I add) I called the assigner and they have not contacted him and he'd tried contacting them with no luck.

So now I'm leaving work early "because of a baseball game" while it is pouring it's ass off. So I'm sure my credibility took a slight knock due to them.

I had half the mind not to even attempt to make it to the field, but that has the potential to blow up on me too so it's a no win situation.

Just under 20 minutes until first pitch and I'm about 2 miles away. I get the call that they finally decided to cancel the game.

People use your common sence. Everyone with even the IQ of a Walmart employee knew there was no chance in hell of having a game. I not only had to leave work early, feel like a liar to my boss, drive far out of my way to the field. Only to nearly arrive at the field to be told what I already knew.

This is just plain rude and disrespectful. I made a greater effort than they did for their own league.

Sure I'll get a few dollars for a travel fee, but it's not about the money.

Here is part of what I had to drive through.

[grayhawk]

Is your car a submarine?

[Tksjewelry]

That is downright rude!

I had the opposite problem this week. Bright sunny perfect baseball weather, yet rained out!? Luckily some of our contracted associations can see our phone numbers so I've gotten rain out calls real early, which I appreciate.

[Rich Ives]

Can't win for losing sometimes.  We can fix out fields quickly so we wait. 5:30.  Raining. Radar shows more rain on the way. Really dark clouds coming out way. Call the games. Sun breaks out. Beautiful evening. Empty park.

[ZebraStripes]

My games Monday were rained out.  The closer I got to the park, the heavier the rains.  I had the plate but I thought I would just walk down to the field before gearing up.  Standing beside the Field Supervisor when he called the games.  10 minutes later the fields were under water.  

 

Thought I would get cancelled again yesterday.  A county to the west cancelled their games but we got ours in.  Field was a little soft but it's not like there was much hitting in the game.  13-1 final and probably 2 hits in the entire "softball" game.

 

Tonight's game doesn't look promising, but I'm holding out hope.

[GoodOldGus]

Had the same thing happen to me two years ago.  Rained all day, contacted the AD and he said they were going to "try to get it in".  Poured all the way to the game.  We get a call (partner and I travelling together), when we're literally pulling into the school that the game had been cancelled.  It took a little convincing, but we did end up getting full pay for the game.  Our contracts state if we show up before the game is cancelled, we get paid. 

[RichMSN]

I'm a HS assigner and I've encouraged schools to make early decisions, especially early in the season.

If umpires drive to the field, they get full pay even if they never get dressed.

[MadMax]

I liked @Rich Ives 's comment because it happens way too often here. Too many of our fields are not – or barely – maintained, and some are in low-lying areas, so any rain in the morning challenges an otherwise perfectly good evening game.

 

Now, we are getting a new phenomena of night games – under lights and everything – being rescheduled because starting a game at 7:30 is "too late / cold / much of an inconvenience". So when do they reschedule them to? Oh yeah, 5:15 pm... on the same freakin' day I already have another game scheduled on!!! 

 

Kills my doubleheader income action.

[RingEmUp]

Here is part of what I had to drive through.

IMG_20150414_172747.jpg

 

I think part of your problem is that your car  along with the cars in front of you, appears to be on its side.  I don't remember the roads being this tilted when I was in NC.

[ajrivera1986]

I think the real problem is being in a place where it rains.... LOL Southern California does not believe in rain... Just ask our water resevoirs lol....