What Levels Use 3-Umpire Mechanics?

[ilyazhito]

I'm curious to know which levels use 3-umpire mechanics on a consistent basis. Right now, I am a high school umpire who gets occasional 3-umpire experience through playoff games and camps. I would love to move up to eventually work Division I games, but before I reach that level, I will need to have experience working 3-umpire games (and at least a basic working knowledge of 4-umpire mechanics, since some conferences at the D1 level use 4 umpires for regular season conference games, as well as all D1 postseason games outside of the College World Series).

The $64,000 question is where I can get that experience. AFAIK, junior college, like high school, uses 2 umpires for the regular season, with 3 in the playoffs. Do Division III or Division II use 3 umpires in the regular season? If so, I'll ask the local DIII and DII conferences about trying out in the next few years. 

Is there any non-scholastic baseball (preferably in the Mid-Atlantic region), such as Babe Ruth or American Legion that consistently uses 3 umpires? AFAIK, all of the rec or travel leagues I have serviced use 2 umpires, and I haven't gotten any invites to work as an unpaid 3rd. 

Of course, if I get hired to call affiliated professional baseball, this will be irrelevant, because I will be exposed to 3-man at the lower levels for postseason assignments, and consistently at the AA level.

Is the 3 umpire crew standard in independent professional baseball, or is it a league-by-league thing (ALPB uses 3, but the Can-Am League does not)? 

[grayhawk]

I'm sure it depends on the region of the country, so I can only comment on what we see here in Southern California.  In Orange County, there is one high school league that pays for 3 umpires.  We also have a few regular season tournaments that use three umpires.  Of course, all CIF games (HS playoffs) use at least 3 umpires, with the semis and finals being 4 umpires.

On the collegiate level, Junior College currently uses 2 umpires, as do the NAIA conferences.  We have one D3 conference here that moved to 3 umpires for their conference games this season, and will be using 3 umpires for all games next season.  I hear that the NAIA conferences may be moving in that direction next year as well.  I hear one of the JC conference may do so as well.  All D2 games here are 3 man.

Can't comment in professional baseball - just have no knowledge of it.

[JSam21]

I know that NCAA Division 2 in the Midwest (GLVC and MIAA) uses 3 man and one D3 school in the St. Louis area's conference which is based on the east coast is 3 man for all conference games as well. JUCO and NAIA in my area is all 2 man as well as high school until the play offs.

[kylehutson]

In my area, NAIA uses 3-man for conference games. HS uses 2-man except for during playoffs - however I know at least one of the bigger schools in my area is pushing their league to use 3-man for their league games as well. It hasn't happened yet, but it very well might in the next few years.

[yawetag]

The other option is to find two other umpires that want experience in 3-man, then work 2-man games as a 3-man crew. You'll take a pay cut, but you get the experience.

[Aging_Arbiter]

You guys get paid for this?

[noumpere]

19 hours ago, ilyazhito said:

 If so, I'll ask the local DIII and DII conferences about trying out in the next few years.

IMO, you should do this (and JuCo) regardless of the 2-person or 3-person answer.  And, when you are working these levels, you will pick up hints about the process for moving up in your area -- you don't need to be or want to be the guy who is constantly asking questions about this to them (it's a balancing act between being aggressive and getting the information, and being a pest.)

[grayhawk]

5 hours ago, yawetag said:

The other option is to find two other umpires that want experience in 3-man, then work 2-man games as a 3-man crew. You'll take a pay cut, but you get the experience.

Absolutely.  We do this all the time in the summer, fall and winter.  Also, find and attend a good 3-man clinic.

[JSam21]

@ilyazhito what area of the country do you live in?

[ilyazhito]

I live in the DC Metro Area, more specifically Montgomery County, MD. I call high school baseball all over the Metro Area (Northern Virginia [Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church], Prince George's County, Montgomery County, the District of Columbia). 

[Kevin_K]

@ilyazhito....You might want to take a look at this group: Mid Atlantic Collegiate Umpires

They work in congress with United Collegiate Umpires

[umpstu]

On 3/20/2019 at 1:37 PM, grayhawk said:

I'm sure it depends on the region of the country, so I can only comment on what we see here in Southern California.  In Orange County, there is one high school league that pays for 3 umpires.  We also have a few regular season tournaments that use three umpires.  Of course, all CIF games (HS playoffs) use at least 3 umpires, with the semis and finals being 4 umpires.

On the collegiate level, Junior College currently uses 2 umpires, as do the NAIA conferences.  We have one D3 conference here that moved to 3 umpires for their conference games this season, and will be using 3 umpires for all games next season.  I hear that the NAIA conferences may be moving in that direction next year as well.  I hear one of the JC conference may do so as well.  All D2 games here are 3 man.

Can't comment in professional baseball - just have no knowledge of it.

It would be nice to work more 3 man at the high school and CC levels.  Doesn't matter how many clinics you go to.  If you work 3 games a year 3 man mechanics it's kind of hard to retain what you have paid a great deal of money to learn.  That's why I think Gary is doing a great job in his assigning for you guys.

[grayhawk]

10 hours ago, umpstu said:

It would be nice to work more 3 man at the high school and CC levels.  Doesn't matter how many clinics you go to.  If you work 3 games a year 3 man mechanics it's kind of hard to retain what you have paid a great deal of money to learn.  That's why I think Gary is doing a great job in his assigning for you guys.

After Gary became assigner, the number of 3 man games increased dramatically.  I think we've had about 100 3 man games in each of the last two years.  I had over 20 in HS last year before the playoffs began.

[tpatience]

11 hours ago, grayhawk said:

After Gary became assigner, the number of 3 man games increased dramatically.  I think we've had about 100 3 man games in each of the last two years.  I had over 20 in HS last year before the playoffs began.

I have a few 3 man HS games and 15 D3 games that are 3 man. And then off to the NWL which is 3 man for the summer