We Have too many umpires

[BaltimoreUmpire]

I always hear people talking about a "shortage of qualified umpires", well clearly that isn't true here our UIC sent out an email announcing that there aren't enough games to give out some to all umpires. My entire spring schedule, a tournement double header, thats all..... Does this happen elsewhere? I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, just venting, but really too many umpires? Is this something happening elsewhere or just here in PA?

[Tksjewelry]

Move here, we have a few hundred slots open this week.

[HuskerUmp22]

I think there are some umpires that want to do High School level only and there seems to be enough to cover here. I wouldn't say there are too many umpires though. At the select and youth level here, you could say we have a shortage of "quality" umpires. The problem in our city is there are so many select baseball teams that it's hard to cover. 

[BaltimoreUmpire]

I'm seriously condering(and frankly have been for a long time) moving south after college, warmer and more games.

[Jimurray]

I always hear people talking about a "shortage of qualified umpires", well clearly that isn't true here our UIC sent out an email announcing that there aren't enough games to give out some to all umpires. My entire spring schedule, a tournement double header, thats all..... Does this happen elsewhere? I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, just venting, but really too many umpires? Is this something happening elsewhere or just here in PA?

How do you get to be a qualified umpire there?

[BaltimoreUmpire]

I always hear people talking about a "shortage of qualified umpires", well clearly that isn't true here our UIC sent out an email announcing that there aren't enough games to give out some to all umpires. My entire spring schedule, a tournement double header, thats all..... Does this happen elsewhere? I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, just venting, but really too many umpires? Is this something happening elsewhere or just here in PA?

How do you get to be a qualified umpire there? I wasn't talking about any offical qualification, just guys who have been proven capable in game situations.

[Jimurray]

I always hear people talking about a "shortage of qualified umpires", well clearly that isn't true here our UIC sent out an email announcing that there aren't enough games to give out some to all umpires. My entire spring schedule, a tournement double header, thats all..... Does this happen elsewhere? I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, just venting, but really too many umpires? Is this something happening elsewhere or just here in PA?

How do you get to be a qualified umpire there? I wasn't talking about any offical qualification, just guys who have been proven capable in game situations.

Who proves them capable?

[BaltimoreUmpire]

I always hear people talking about a "shortage of qualified umpires", well clearly that isn't true here our UIC sent out an email announcing that there aren't enough games to give out some to all umpires. My entire spring schedule, a tournement double header, thats all..... Does this happen elsewhere? I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, just venting, but really too many umpires? Is this something happening elsewhere or just here in PA?

How do you get to be a qualified umpire there? I wasn't talking about any offical qualification, just guys who have been proven capable in game situations. Who proves them capable? Generally older partners, sometimes the UIC or Deputy UIC evaluates umpires, honestly your considered "capable" here if you don't start numerous $#itstorms by blatantly missing calls.

[MB_Ump]

Are there more associations you could join? I belong to 3. I am as busy as I want to be-umpired 140 games last year on top of my real job.

[pnewton]

We had a similar problem when the economy tanked a few years ago. Lots of guys looking for supplemental income and more leagues struggling so they dropped to one umpire. It got better but still don't get the number of games I once did.

Up here in the north there isn't anywhere near as much ball as the warmer climates.

[johnnyg08]

We have a shortage of qualified guys.  There are first year guys getting lots of varsity opportunity.  Good matchups too.  

 

It's a good year to be a new umpire in our area.

[LRZ]

What part of PA? There is a fair amount of work around here, in the Philadelphia, Phila suburban and Lehigh regions. I'd be happy to connect you to some assigners, if you're in this area.

[grayhawk]

Our numbers are down this year and I know the assigner sometimes struggles to get games covered by an umpire qualified for that level of play.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

I live in York, I'm being trained to advance into mens ball and HS where there is a shortage.

[kylehutson]

I could be working just about every night and every weekend if I wanted to (in Kansas) and I've only got about 5 years of rec ball and 2 years of high school under my belt.

[LRZ]

York is probably a county or two away from the western-most work I know about. Maybe the nearest is in Garnet Valley, PA. it's tournament ball, probably involving multiple games, so it might be economically feasible for you on weekends. Want a contact? PM me and I'll send you a name and email.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

York is probably a county or two away from the western-most work I know about. Maybe the nearest is in Garnet Valley, PA. it's tournament ball, probably involving multiple games, so it might be economically feasible for you on weekends. Want a contact? PM me and I'll send you a name and email.

I appreciate that but I'm not really able to do traveling, thanks though.

[midtnump]

@BaltimoreUmpire some UIC's think they have to spread around the games evenly, which is ok if all the umpires are good, but don't continue to send bad ones out there. The other problem I have is that the weekend travel ball league that I work, I got no scheduled games this past weekend because HS season is winding down and alot of the average joes are swooping in and starting to take these games away from me and a few others.I had one of these so called "good HS umps" as my partner tonight and he botched 3 really easy plays on the dish that he changed the call on after confrencing with me. I had a hard time keeping the HTHC calm. He was thanking me after the game for helping get he calls right.

[catsbackr]

@BaltimoreUmpire some UIC's think they have to spread around the games evenly, which is ok if all the umpires are good, but don't continue to send bad ones out there. The other problem I have is that the weekend travel ball league that I work, I got no scheduled games this past weekend because HS season is winding down and alot of the average joes are swooping in and starting to take these games away from me and a few others.I had one of these so called "good HS umps" as my partner tonight and he botched 3 really easy plays on the dish that he changed the call on after confrencing with me. I had a hard time keeping the HTHC calm. He was thanking me after the game for helping get he calls right.

​You had to give him help on 3 plays at the plate?  And he changed all 3 after conferencing with you?  WOW!  Details???

[MadMax]

@Tksjewelry, don't be surprised if I take you up on that tempting offer, even though we have a shortage of umpires up here. Our problem isn't a lack of umpires, it's a confluence of three youth baseball leagues and High School all competing for the services of an umpire pool that can only do so much, or more appropriately, be in so many places at once.

The spring season is so ravaged by inconsistent weather that the leagues try to schedule games as soon as they can, as often as they can, and squeeze them in on any field they can find. They are also working with kids (and kids' families) that all want the games to start no earlier than 5:30pm. Not many fields are lit, and those that are come at an expense. Many of the lit fields are on, or used, by high schools and colleges who are first on the pecking order. So, we've got a glut of games, coordinated by three different leagues, all starting at approximately the same time. I would be most agreeable to, and would actually prefer, to do 2 games per weekday – a 5pm and a 7:30pm would be ideal! Even if it meant finishing up the first one, and bombing down the road to work the next one. I currently do that now, but I've already had a few of those "staggered doubleheaders" thwarted by a couple of teams changing their 7:45pm start times to 5:30pm, thus conflicting with games I already have scheduled.

But the weather... lo... the weather is the culprit, mostly. This state is the epitome of the love-hate relationship.

[Tksjewelry]

@Tksjewelry, don't be surprised if I take you up on that tempting offer, even though we have a shortage of umpires up here. Our problem isn't a lack of umpires, it's a confluence of three youth baseball leagues and High School all competing for the services of an umpire pool that can only do so much, or more appropriately, be in so many places at once.

The spring season is so ravaged by inconsistent weather that the leagues try to schedule games as soon as they can, as often as they can, and squeeze them in on any field they can find. They are also working with kids (and kids' families) that all want the games to start no earlier than 5:30pm. Not many fields are lit, and those that are come at an expense. Many of the lit fields are on, or used, by high schools and colleges who are first on the pecking order. So, we've got a glut of games, coordinated by three different leagues, all starting at approximately the same time. I would be most agreeable to, and would actually prefer, to do 2 games per weekday – a 5pm and a 7:30pm would be ideal! Even if it meant finishing up the first one, and bombing down the road to work the next one. I currently do that now, but I've already had a few of those "staggered doubleheaders" thwarted by a couple of teams changing their 7:45pm start times to 5:30pm, thus conflicting with games I already have scheduled.

But the weather... lo... the weather is the culprit, mostly. This state is the epitome of the love-hate relationship.

I just worked this weekend with a WI transfer, great guy. Come on down!  Even if you want to check us out and come in to see the CWS, we have great games and a plethora of them, we bring in out of state umpire for weeks to help us out. I'll get you UIC's number if you want. I think TC even gets the out of towner umps CWS tickets, but don't quote me on that. Tons of NCAA and other college division umps come in to work TC games to fund going to the CWS and they're cool to hang out with and hear their stories. 

The last two weeks I've averaged 17 games a week even with the rain we've had (of which only a handful were under 13s). My schedule averages 3 double headers  and a few singles weekdays and we have tourneys almost every weekend plus regular season games. HS has only one more week left but then there is always Iowa HS, 15 minutes away, plus Legion ball and 16u,18u select ball. Shoot, last I talked to UIC an hour ago, there was still 10 slots open tonight. Almost all our fields have lights except the lower rec leagues but even some of them do. We even have 2 indoor fields for the little guys, which I'm working for the first time tonight. 

Supposedly, we have a new Super complex being built in the next year or two but I haven't seen County approvals yet for it. Fingers crossed though, I heard it's all astroturf w/20 fields but that's all hearsay. 

​Seriously, come down and work TC, go to the CWS while still making cash and having your hotel paid for by TC. Honestly, it's a true baseball lovers dream for three weeks here.

[midtnump]

​You had to give him help on 3 plays at the plate?  And he changed all 3 after conferencing with you?  WOW!  Details???

​Play #1, R1 sliding into F2  bal comes free and rolls about 3' toward 3rd, calls him out, DTHC asks for appeal he "yeah ball was out and on the ground."

Play #2, Batter claims he check swings, he calls a ball, again DTHC asks for an appeal, I was in C, and the batter came around to almost square with me.

Play #3, Batter clearly swings and misses strike 3, it hits the F2 leg guard and bounces right. F2 alertly gathers the ball and throws to !B. Partner calls foul ball, again same DTHC asks for help, I'm in C, I tell him " without a doubt off F2's right leg no contact from batter."

My weekend travel ball tourny schedule went from 6 per weekend to 2. I'm loosing games?

[Umpirechick1]

You could always move to the South - there is a ton of baseball here in GA. I'm a little North of Atlanta and there is baseball from Feb-Nov. There is never a shortage of games, but sometimes umpires. 

[KenBAZ]

More games then we can handle here in AZ.  You can take a couple hundred of the ones I had last year.  I love umpiring and continue to get better with all the experience but the physical grind gets to be fatiguing.   

[JonnyCat]

Whatever you do, don't move to Southern California. The weather sucks, beaches are polluted, no scenery on the beaches either, not enough games, too many umpires, can't work games year round, constant earthquakes, (in fact, I'm feeling one as I write this), gas is $800.00 per gallon. Why anyone would want to live here is beyond me.