Infield Fly runner kept running - interference?

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Jul 19, 2021
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it isn’t about more money. More money is the answer that brings in more “bad” umpires because people think it is easy money.
This flies in the face of most generally accepted business theories. Interesting take.

Depending on "the love of the game" to be the driving force behind stocking umpire rosters is Pollyanna thinking in my opinion. This country revolves around the good ol' American dollar. Always has and always will. You want better umps, you offer more money. Simple as that.

Thinking that people won't do a good job if they are incentivized by money is a wild opinion.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
This flies in the face of most generally accepted business theories. Interesting take.

Depending on "the love of the game" to be the driving force behind stocking umpire rosters is Pollyanna thinking in my opinion. This country revolves around the good ol' American dollar. Always has and always will. You want better umps, you offer more money. Simple as that.

Thinking that people won't do a good job if they are incentivized by money is a wild opinion.

We are not incentivized by money. After 13 years and working my rear off, the schmucks I work with make the same money I do. The guy that keeps dodging plates makes the same thing I do. That’s why money is not “THE” answer.

That is because most business theories are improperly based on the influence of Jack Welch. People are not a plug-and-play commodity. If you think they are, you get what you pay for.

More money buys bodies. Well-invested money (thank you @marriard ) develops minds and talent.
 
Jul 19, 2021
630
93
We are not incentivized by money. After 13 years and working my rear off, the schmucks I work with make the same money I do. The guy that keeps dodging plates makes the same thing I do.
Yes that is the current model, which we all agree is broken and short on numbers. Hummmmmm................ but let's not change anything?

I say treat it more like a business. Put in a hierarchy. Have Tier 1, 2, 3, and 4 umpires. Base their pay on those tiers. Gives young umpires something to shoot for and rewards those guys who have been in the game a long time.

There you go marriard. There's my solution.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Yes that is the current model, which we all agree is broken and short on numbers. Hummmmmm................ but let's not change anything?

I say treat it more like a business. Put in a hierarchy. Have Tier 1, 2, 3, and 4 umpires. Base their pay on those tiers. Gives young umpires something to shoot for and rewards those guys who have been in the game a long time.

There you go marriard. There's my solution.
Do the parents get to know the Tiers…..?
 
Apr 1, 2017
535
93
Do the parents get to know the Tiers…..?
The local assignor by us has a tier system. It's based completely on # of games completed, and pay does bump up a few $$ for each tier. Starts at Tier 1, and I think goes to 5 (maybe 4). The person that requests the umps (coach, org, etc.) does see what tier the assigned ump is.

In theory, the higher the tier, the better the ump. I will say, we have had some awful tier 4, and some great tier 1. It still comes down to training, and how much the ump wants to study/learn vs. just showing up.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
A seniority system doesn't pay any better dividends. I watched a game with over 80 years of umpiring experience on the field. I like both of the guys and enjoy working with them, but they weren't moving anywhere to get any angles. They should be the highest paid?
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
As I have also said, there is enough ex-umpires out there - good ones - that have been run off, to make a significant amount of dent in the current deficit. But even they wont make a long term difference.

I'm not saying no good umps have been run off by bad parents/coaches or whatever. Surely it's happened. But when I think of the umpires I've had who have taken the worst "abuse" (I rarely see what I would consider abuse, but we'll use that word), they're never, ever the good umps. They MIGHT sometimes be young/inexperienced umps who aren't given a chance.

Almost always, they're veteran umps who are terrible at the job, have poor attitudes, and don't seem to want to be there. They also happen to be the most thin-skinned.

It surprises me when I hear that good umpires are being chased away. My experience is that people may disagree with the good umps, but they tend to respect them and the disagreements, even arguments, don't get nasty. Those men and women also aren't quitting just because of a couple questioned calls.
 

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