Celebrating 10 Years

[Umpire in Chief]

I just want to put out a huge thank you to all of you for your support. January 1st marked out 10 year anniversary. 

Umpire-Empire wouldn't have made it without your support. So I want to thank all of you whether you were here for day 1 with me or just joined today.

[LMSANS]

Congratulations Warren...if you knew then...

[Aging_Arbiter]

an informative site with outstanding members! 

 

Great Job Warren!

[Majordave]

So who are the original members please Warren?  I joined on 18 FEB 2008 your personal invite to me from either the umpire.org or officiating.com baseball forum site. I simply  cannot remember now.  So glad you did.  Have thoroughly enjoyed you and our members and the friends I've made from here, both virtual/online as well as those I have had the pleasure and good fortune to meet in person and work with over the last ten years.  A true umpire community is what you have created.  I am proud to be a part of it.

[Umpire in Chief]

4 minutes ago, Majordave said:

So who are the original members please Warren?

Here are the people who joined in 2008 and are still active (visited the site in the last 6 months)

• @LMSANS
• @sri8527
• @MarkTDeNucciSr
• @Ump29
• @Tony B
• @HokieUmp
• @smoyer
• @Majordave
• @Scuzzyfeller
• @semperfiguy
• @celt62
• @UMP45
• @StoneyK
• @LeoDev
• @conbo61
• @rcjhyman
• @NovaScotiaBlue
• @bluetick48
• @blue32
• @Stan W.
• @BrianC14
• @AllanA
• @Matt
• @bbman
• @jjb
• @JimKirk
• @jim knight
• @UmpJM
• @SJUMBA93
• @David3
• @Radwaste50

If I left anybody out I apologize. Over the past 10 years I've changed systems a few times.

 

[Majordave]

Thanks. Counting you I have the "Dirty Thirty-Two!"  Excellent!  Thanks for having a vision, for following through with it and giving us a place to share and learn.  

[Stan W.]

Proud to be in that company of umpires!

 

[lawump]

You "original 32" can bite my a$$.

Seriously, congrats Warren!  Quite an accomplishment considering the number of umpire and officiating message boards that have come and gone over the years.

[Majordave]

1 hour ago, lawump said:

You "original 32" can bite my a$$.

Seriously, congrats Warren!  Quite an accomplishment considering the number of umpire and officiating message boards that have come and gone over the years.

Hahahaaaa. It’s the Dirty Thirty plus two to you Bucko!  You’re right on the remarkable. I went and looked at officiating.com baseball forum and umpire.org forums the other day. Dead. Almost zero activity on either in the last year. This site literally ate the competition. 

[conbo61]

1 hour ago, lawump said:

You "original 32" can bite my a$$.

Seriously, congrats Warren!  Quite an accomplishment considering the number of umpire and officiating message boards that have come and gone over the years.

Wow. 0 to "Get off my lawn" in record time...

[conbo61]

On 1/2/2018 at 5:00 PM, Majordave said:

Thanks. Counting you I have the "Dirty Thirty-Two!"  Excellent!  Thanks for having a vision, for following through with it and giving us a place to share and learn.  

I used to visit the other sites, but they were so incredibly negative. Participants showed absolutely no respect to one another.

That is what (IMHO) set U-E apart. Respect and a GROUP effort to help everyone improve.

For that, I thank you ALL.

[jjb]

You really had to be here for the McGriffs' days to understand the difference. ETeamz was only marginally better. 

[lawump]

12 hours ago, jjb said:

You really had to be here for the McGriffs' days to understand the difference. 

That is where I started my internet umpiring career.  LOL.  I remember them well.

[Replacematt]

13 hours ago, jjb said:

You really had to be here for the McGriffs' days to understand the difference. ETeamz was only marginally better. 

Oh yes...

Remember the Jim Porter meltdown?

[Stan W.]

2 hours ago, Matt said:

Oh yes...

Remember the Jim Porter meltdown?

Ol McGriffs, the Dodge City of Umpire Sites...................Jim Porter, Buttsnuffler war, CARLS, umptalk?............ 

[jjb]

UMPTALK! I was trying to remember. Wasn't it the site where, if you didn't post, like 12 times a month, you were kicked off and banned? It lasted about 45 days and melted away.

[Ump29]

Glad to be one of the originals

[Razzer]

Made Logo for you Warren..congratulations 

[Ump29]

Lost power just after my previous post. Storm yesterday and last night with hurricane cat 1 winds. No snow but lots of rain and wind. Power back on early this am.

[Umpire in Chief]

Thanks Ray I have already uploaded it.

[BT_Blue]

I am pretty sure I am on that list of 30+2. If not... then it wasn' long after.

So... going to my profile, it says January 2009. So not far off.

On a personal side note... January 10th also happens to be the birthday of my wife. Tall about happy coincidences/random personal notes.

[blue32]

Congrats, Warren, and thanks for the recognition! You have done a tremendous job with this site. What appealed to me was the fact that you were very emphatic about keeping negativity off of the site. That was a an extremely important move on your part, and you should be commended. 

I can't think back to origins of this site without also thinking about @mstaylor As far as members are concerned, Mike was another major reason why this site was so appealing to the masses. He was an outstanding wealth of knowledge, and a better human being. I think I speak for us all when I say he is missed.

On the lighter side, how about a list of humorous posts/threads/posters over the years? (In good fun, not mean spirited, of course). 

The first one that comes to my mind is:

"Umpire number (XX), what is that mask he is wearing? I must have it."

[Scuzzyfeller]

2 thumbs up to all...

Scuzz