The Road to the Show has officially changed!

[johnnyg08]

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦: MLB announces at NASO Summit that the path to become an MLB umpire has officially changed. To get a job as a MiLB umpire, you must attend an invite-only no-cost 4-week MLB training program in January after being seen at one of the 1-day MLB Umpire Camps .

[JonnyCat]

Wow! Wonder what prompted that change.

Any more info on this? News stories, press release?

[johnnyg08]

4 minutes ago, JonnyCat said:

Wow! Wonder what prompted that change.

Any more info on this? News stories, press release?

More to come, I'm certain. That's the best I can do for now. 

[JonnyCat]

1 minute ago, johnnyg08 said:

More to come, I'm certain. That's the best I can do for now. 

Thanks. Keep us posted.

[mw94]

 

[maven]

This is a good start. I hope that MiLB umpires's salaries will be slightly less ridiculously low going forward as well. But the economics of minor league baseball are tight....

[The Man in Blue]

Does that make it easier or harder?  I'm not sure ...

I'm also over the hill, so it doesn't impact me.  What does that mean for amateur umpires and umpiring schools?

[JonnyCat]

41 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

What does that mean for amateur umpires and umpiring schools?

I'm sure the schools will still be open for those that want to attend. There are many that want to work higher levels such as college, independent ball, or just want to get better. Not all that attend want to get a job, nor are able to.

Umpire Training Academy enrollment I believe was only about 80-100 students per year. About 87 the year I went. When I went to Wendelstedt in 2013, there was about 180 students. So there are somewhere around 250-300 students from both schools each year. Only a small percentage are invited to the advanced training, and not all of those invitees are offered jobs.

So I still think there is a market for students wanting to go to pro school. I guess we'll have to see how it shakes out.

[johnnyg08]

Some are doubting the story's validity...but I feel strongly enough to know that if Jim's team posted the news on their page, that it's legit. They're at NASO it's very likely that they heard it personally. 

[Thunderheads]

2 posts were merged here ... 

[MadMax]

Raquel (Wagner) is the public face of the MLBU Office, and if she said this at the NASO Convention, then it can be taken as “official edict”. 

Now, how that’s to be interpreted or implemented is certainly to be seen. I have estimates and hypotheses as to the rationale behind this, but to publish them here would be merely speculative. One factor that is very likely at play is “optimized effectiveness” in instruction. If you have it as “invite only”, you can better shape and devote time and resources to effectively and efficiently train up the next class.

[stevis]

On 8/2/2022 at 4:33 PM, maven said:

This is a good start. I hope that MiLB umpires's salaries will be slightly less ridiculously low going forward as well. But the economics of minor league baseball are tight....

At the Richmond clinic, they were trying to sell that the pay wasn't that bad any more.  Ha.  I don't remember the exact number because that's not a path I was focused on. It was not a number that made me think it was more than a small improvement.

[johnnyg08]

7 hours ago, MadMax said:

Raquel (Wagner) is the public face of the MLBU Office, and if she said this at the NASO Convention, then it can be taken as “official edict”. 

Now, how that’s to be interpreted or implemented is certainly to be seen. I have estimates and hypotheses as to the rationale behind this, but to publish them here would be merely speculative. One factor that is very likely at play is “optimized effectiveness” in instruction. If you have it as “invite only”, you can better shape and devote time and resources to effectively and efficiently train up the next class.

For sure.