Two ends of the spectrum

[The Man in Blue]

As a kid, my son was always scrawny, unathletic, and left in his sisters' shadows.  He was always more interested in how sports worked than playing them.  After he had given up on playing any sports, he finally hit a growth spurt and became a "strapping young lad."   

I had been umpiring for a while when he decided he wanted to get into it.  I think we worked a few games together, but he wanted to do things on his own.  So I made sure UICs did not schedule us together.  I wanted him to be exposed to other people, other opportunities, and a chance to make his own way.  He worked his butt off.  He started working college games a few years ago.  Then he started working collegiate summer wooden bat league games . . . 

In about 10 days, my son will be leaving for Wendelstadt in Florida.  I'm really hoping it works out for him!  If anybody has any advice for me to pass along to him while he is there (living advice, eating advice, course advice) . . .  Or suggestions for when he comes back if he doesn't go further?  (I'm thinking I need to encourage him to move somewhere south or west so he can umpire longer through the year -- he doesn't seem to want to work a "regular job.")  He's not a very "emotional" type of person, so I don't think he realizes how proud of him I am.

On the other end of the spectrum, it may be a little early to say this, but . . . I don't know if I will be coming back in the spring.  I usually have this feeling from the end of the season (once again, I declined fall games for about 6 weeks) through this time of year, but it feels different right now.  Without getting into politics, the world is headed in an "interesting" direction that I am unsure of.  Getting into personal stuff, it has been a rough semester at school (student suicide, behaviors are off the chain, administration is "losing the battle", student attitudes are disheartening).  I don't see myself running out the door right away to get to a game, and I don't have that energy in me right now.  

I'm not @wolfe_maning my gear . . .  yet . . . 😋

[wolfe_man]

TMIB, you'll know when it's time.  For me, it was the atmosphere of course and I'd been having some lower back and sciatica issues.  Several factors played into my decision with some being more important than others of course.

In August, I tweaked my back unloading my pickup.  The item wasn't overly heavy, but I just lifted it wrong. Since then, I've had three MRIs and found out that I have severe congenital stenosis (who knew?) which is going to require two separate surgeries (1. neck and 2. back) with fusion to fix. 

I said all that to say this, listen to your body and to your heart. The doctor told me if I were to be in a car accident or simply just fall wrong and bang my head, then I could do irreparable damage to my spinal nerve and neck.  As umpires it's not that hard to imagine what a low-90s fastball to the neck or mask might do to someone in this condition.  Evidently instincts are very good to listen to occasionally.

I do not want to hijack this thread and make it about me, so I will ask that any well wishes be sent through IM please so we stay on topic here.

And for the record, congratulations to you and your son!  He sounds like a great, young man with his head on straight and God knows that we can use more like him out there.  You should be proud Dad.

[834k3r]

@The Man in Blue, Career 1.0 for me was 21 years in the Air Force. As @wolfe_man mentioned, one of my Air Force supervisors told me that very thing when I was about at the 10-year point. "You'll know when it's time," he said. It took another 11 years, but I did finally know when it was time. Career 2.1 was working for an aircraft manufacturer, and again I knew when it was time.

All to say, you will know. And the umpiring avocation/profession/hobby will worse off for it. Maybe that time is now, maybe it's not--but only you will know.

When it is time--and it will be sooner or later--please make sure you hang around these parts. You have no idea how impactful the information you (and everyone else here at U-E) provide can be for a newcomer. I seem to have a good reputation in my association, mainly because of the folks here and the experiences you all share.

[BigBlue4u]

On 12/19/2024 at 7:00 PM, The Man in Blue said:

n about 10 days, my son will be leaving for Wendelstadt in Florida.  I'm really hoping it works out for him!  If anybody has any advice for me to pass along to him while he is there (living advice, eating advice, course advice) .

Go online type in "umpire schools," and you'll find a wealth of information.  I can tell you from experience, that anyone who enters the school will be watched by the instructional staff for everything, how he gets along with fellow students, does he try to help out others, personal habits, how he handles criticism, etc. Good luck.

[lawump]

On 12/20/2024 at 10:42 PM, BigBlue4u said:

Go online type in "umpire schools," and you'll find a wealth of information.  I can tell you from experience, that anyone who enters the school will be watched by the instructional staff for everything, how he gets along with fellow students,

This.  One of the very top students in my class did not get sent on to the MiLB evaluation course because no one could stand him.  He just rubbed guys the wrong way.  (For the record, I had no issue with him...but a lot a guys did.)  Instructors are very aware that some other person is going to have to live with you night-and-day for five to six months.  If you are a dick, they are not going to put you in the game and ruin some other guy's life for an entire season...no matter how good you are on the field.

[SeeingEyeDog]

On 1/7/2025 at 3:01 PM, lawump said:

If you are a dick, they are not going to put you in the game and ruin some other guy's life for an entire season...no matter how good you are on the field.

I would just like to echo this sentiment. I have spoken with many brothers who have gone to pro school and I will say this is the most frequent thing I have heard. To quote Kurt Russell playing "Herb Brooks" in the film Miracle, "Craig, I'm not looking for the best players. I'm looking for the right ones."

Yes, absolutely skills and acumen and game management and all of those core parts of umpiring are very, very important. And the pyramid the higher you go, gets smaller and smaller so, now it's the intangibles that start to separate people. When you think about the MLB umpire "lifestyle" and what it takes physically and mentally to work that job...it's a challenging, lonely existence. You're working odd hours, you're sleeping at odd hours, you're challenged to maintain a proper diet given your schedule and what's going to be open at certain hours, you're crisscrossing the country...and so on.

I've travelled a bit for non-umpire work and I'm sure many of you have, too. Would you rather be on a "business trip" with someone who is flexible and understanding and easy to get along with and spend a lot of hours with in close quarters? Or would you rather travel with someone who is constantly complaining about a cancelled/delayed flight, complaining about certain cities/teams/stadiums, other guys on the crew and so on? Now imagine, you are on a "business trip" for 5-6 months and seldom coming home...Presuming the job acumen is the same (and at that level it more than likely is), you want the guy who is easier to get along with. Personality and attitude and maturity and conduct absolutely matters.

~Dawg

[834k3r]

11 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

I would just like to echo this sentiment. I have spoken with many brothers who have gone to pro school and I will say this is the most frequent thing I have heard. To quote Kurt Russell playing "Herb Brooks" in the film Miracle, "Craig, I'm not looking for the best players. I'm looking for the right ones."

Yes, absolutely skills and acumen and game management and all of those core parts of umpiring are very, very important. And the pyramid the higher you go, gets smaller and smaller so, now it's the intangibles that start to separate people. When you think about the MLB umpire "lifestyle" and what it takes physically and mentally to work that job...it's a challenging, lonely existence. You're working odd hours, you're sleeping at odd hours, you're challenged to maintain a proper diet given your schedule and what's going to be open at certain hours, you're crisscrossing the country...and so on.

I've travelled a bit for non-umpire work and I'm sure many of you have, too. Would you rather be on a "business trip" with someone who is flexible and understanding and easy to get along with and spend a lot of hours with in close quarters? Or would you rather travel with someone who is constantly complaining about a cancelled/delayed flight, complaining about certain cities/teams/stadiums, other guys on the crew and so on? Now imagine, you are on a "business trip" for 5-6 months and seldom coming home...Presuming the job acumen is the same (and at that level it more than likely is), you want the guy who is easier to get along with. Personality and attitude and maturity and conduct absolutely matters.

~Dawg

Slightly--okay, not slightly--OT, but

[The Man in Blue]

OK, dumb question (and I know the odds are slim) . . . but, since this got bumped and since they are entering the last week . . .  IF a guy gets asked to stay, when do they find that out?

(Yes, this question is coming from the dad perspective.  😁) 

[SeeingEyeDog]

On 1/27/2025 at 9:35 PM, The Man in Blue said:

OK, dumb question (and I know the odds are slim) . . . but, since this got bumped and since they are entering the last week . . .  IF a guy gets asked to stay, when do they find that out?

(Yes, this question is coming from the dad perspective.  😁) 

On Sunday, the top 5 in the class will be assigned to the Taxi Squad and go to Vero Beach in 2 weeks. The top 6-12 get an invite to Vero Beach in JAN 2026.

Good luck, Dad!

~Dawg