BaltimoreUmpire 68 Posted December 4, 2020 Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 Hi everyone. Not new here but returning, with years of college and working retail being an umpire fell to the side, but now that I’m working a 9-5 I’m picking it up again. I’m excited to hit the field again and to be back in this community again! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LRZ 383 Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Will you be getting PIAA-certified? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BaltimoreUmpire 68 Posted December 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 3 minutes ago, LRZ said: Will you be getting PIAA-certified? I’m considering that, I probably need at least one season of rec ball/travel ball back before I would do that. I umpired from like 15-18 I was basically a kid my whole time as an umpire. So I think getting my feet wet is gonna be important. Why do you ask? Is there a shortage? And when do PIAA games happen? I work 8:15-5 so i don’t know if I’d be in a position time wise for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LRZ 383 Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 I am familiar with Bucks and Montgomery counties, but if York is anything like them, there is indeed a need caused by not enough umpires and an aging crew, at that. If York is similar to Bucks/Montgomery, school ball is a weekday/afternoon affair, so your work schedule would be an obstacle. But you might consider umpiring summertime junior American Legion, which, again assuming it's the same, involves evenings and weekends. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BT_Blue 1,621 Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 Dude, welcome back! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aging_Arbiter 1,629 Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 On 12/4/2020 at 7:15 PM, BaltimoreUmpire said: I’m considering that, I probably need at least one season of rec ball/travel ball back before I would do that. I umpired from like 15-18 I was basically a kid my whole time as an umpire. So I think getting my feet wet is gonna be important. Why do you ask? Is there a shortage? And when do PIAA games happen? I work 8:15-5 so i don’t know if I’d be in a position time wise for that. YAIAA (York Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association) baseball games start at 4:15pm. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stevis 161 Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 5 hours ago, Aging_Arbiter said: YAIAA 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
conbo61 773 Posted December 7, 2020 Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 Here in PIAA District XI we are CRTICALLY short of umpires. (Somewhere around 100) We will see how things shake out after last spring was lost due to COVID. Most games start in the 3:45 to 4:15 range, so that is often a common issue in getting new officials. Their jobs just don't allow them to leave early. Welcome back and good luck!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Umpire in Chief 1,651 Posted December 7, 2020 Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 2 hours ago, conbo61 said: Most games start in the 3:45 to 4:15 range, so that is often a common issue in getting new officials. Their jobs just don't allow them to leave early. Once leagues and school districts realize this half the problem will be solved. Schools don't schedule football games for 3:30, they're in the evening. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MadMax 2,261 Posted December 7, 2020 Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Umpire in Chief said: Once leagues and school districts realize this half the problem will be solved. Schools don't schedule football games for 3:30, they're in the evening. Won’t be solved. Identifying the problem doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. There is no financially justifiable way to fund the installation of lights and other accoutrements (locker rooms / changing rooms) for a sport wherein the season of sanctioned competition is only 2-3 months. Then, if you install any of those features, you must double it because of Title IX (I’m not against equal treatment & opportunities for both sexes; I’m against Title IX’s draconian enforcement on a near line-item to line-item basis). Football benefits from being played on a surface that can be shared – year round – with not only other sports for both sexes, but other activities as well (marching band, drum & bugle corps, etc. ). The unique layout of baseball, and the presence of that 18-foot-wide small mountain in the middle, present a challenge to cash-strapped districts. This is where we need to see more flexibility in all parties involved, and some enterprising support from the communities (plural). Oh, I’ve got more to wax on about this topic... But alas, I’ve nearly hijacked @BaltimoreUmpire‘s Welcome Back party! Good to see ya back! You’ve missed a lot of posts and some really good threads, so you’ve got some catching up to do. Ask @Thunderheads for a key to the Library so you can do some after hours searching... and pick up your Freshman Pool Pass from him too. Ha, yeah, we don’t have a pool here at the U-E campus. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Umpire in Chief 1,651 Posted December 8, 2020 Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 @MadMax agreed on the cost an single use aspect. From my experience working at the waterpark, I do know lighting is expensive, but the prices are coming down significantly. So with the costs going down, that could possibly help, but with school budgets being what they are in the pandemic I doubt we'll see much capital investment for any purposes much less athletics. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
conbo61 773 Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 On 12/7/2020 at 10:46 AM, Umpire in Chief said: Once leagues and school districts realize this half the problem will be solved. Schools don't schedule football games for 3:30, they're in the evening. Understood. However, there are very few schools around here that have lighted baseball fields. All of the football fields have lights (natch), but not the diamonds. Still not enough light in early in late March through April for a 6 PM start. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BaltimoreUmpire 68 Posted December 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Thank you everyone for welcoming me back so warmly! I'm excited to learn more and become a better umpire. On 12/7/2020 at 8:10 AM, conbo61 said: Here in PIAA District XI we are CRTICALLY short of umpires. (Somewhere around 100) We will see how things shake out after last spring was lost due to COVID. Most games start in the 3:45 to 4:15 range, so that is often a common issue in getting new officials. Their jobs just don't allow them to leave early. Welcome back and good luck!! Yeah that'd be the issue for me too. I work an 8:15-5 job in the insurance business and am already the newest guy in my division so that kinda flexibility isn't available to me. That's what I love about the little league, recreation and travel games I'll get to work, nothing but 6pm starts and weekdays only. It'll let me work the day job, get a solid chunk of games and do my continuing ed requirements on the weekends. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aging_Arbiter 1,629 Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 are you already connected with your local little league? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BaltimoreUmpire 68 Posted December 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 20 hours ago, Aging_Arbiter said: are you already connected with your local little league? I am, two little leagues around here have informed me I can join them in the spring. And I’m waiting on the travel league to get back to me, I’m hoping they do because that’s the bulk of the work at these levels. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aging_Arbiter 1,629 Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 7 hours ago, BaltimoreUmpire said: I am, two little leagues around here have informed me I can join them in the spring. And I’m waiting on the travel league to get back to me, I’m hoping they do because that’s the bulk of the work at these levels. Sounds good. Just wanted to make sure I got you a contact person, if you didn't have one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FranklinT 101 Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 On 12/4/2020 at 3:33 PM, BaltimoreUmpire said: Hi everyone. Not new here but returning, with years of college and working retail being an umpire fell to the side, but now that I’m working a 9-5 I’m picking it up again. I’m excited to hit the field again and to be back in this community again! Welcome again! Umpiring as much as one can handle during their college years and then trying to fit it in while balancing a professional full-time career is really really hard and something I struggled with as well. Best of luck to you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aaluck 91 Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 On 12/7/2020 at 9:46 AM, Umpire in Chief said: Once leagues and school districts realize this half the problem will be solved. Schools don't schedule football games for 3:30, they're in the evening. They are going to need to do something. Our HS baseball association is turning down contracts because we do not have enough guys to send out. I cannot imagine we are the only ones having to do this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cyclonehokiece 205 Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 I know here, they are having issues with sub-varsity ball (the level I choose to pursue this year because I am coming off a back injury and didn't want a setback to tarnish my reputation with conference commissioners) as many officials are opting out due to a certain disease that everyone should know about by now. I wonder how many of those guys will just say "I haven't done it for two years now why will I go back". I know if my work schedule wasn't so flexible, I would be out of high school ball because 4:30 games are hard to get to. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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