Continuing Education - Umpire Evaluation

[Cannonball]

Wouldn't you just love at that point to catch an umpire wearing, say, the wrong color shirt for an NCAA uniform and tell him he has to take it off to umpire the game.

Thank goodness that these bats were relatively new and the school provided them. Mentally, I think that a lot of hitters who have their bats taken at key conferences or post-season tournaments find it tough to make a drastic change.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Yeah, yeah, we get it...don't question the ump regardless of bad they are or how it appears. Honestly, Youngbuck posed this question in a very fair and reasonable manner and it deserves a decent response. Maybe you truly believe that they should not be held to any standard or evaluated in any way whatsoever? You get what you get and don't throw a fit! If the pay was higher would their standards increase automatically? I get that it's way too often a thankless job, I really do but does that mean we shouldn't measure performance at all?

Can we pay Coaches more? Can we get better video or livestream of these games? How much more can we pay? Technology has improved so much that the video from a Mom at a 10U game is far superior to what some D3 schools put out (that's if it's even available)...do they even care about a silly women's game? When NCAA college athletes have hand me down. torn and stained uniforms, no socks, old, beat up soggy balls and coaches with very little to no real experience, is it time to give up? New administrators on the payroll banging the DEI drums but nothing for women's sports? C'mon man...

You totally missed the point of my posts (sarcasm, although, those were real conversations). I was agreeing with what you say.

As @marriard stated, you are largely going to get retirees, guys who are unemployed and will do any game (machine pitch? Sure!) to make rent, or the exhausted 3rd shifter who just woke up from the power nap in his car. I am not saying any of these make a person a bad umpire, just that you limited your pool.

For the vast majority, this is a hobby (albeit a lucrative one if done right). It is not worth me taking a sick day/vacation day/unpaid time off to make $100 on a weekday. So, you get what you get.

A few years ago I quit chasing the idea of doing college ball because I have bills to pay. I had a job that I could have finagled a good bit of travel and time off, but the opportunities in my area were severely limited. Instead, the assignor would bring in Ol' Smitty and Gary Gamehawk from two hours away because they were retired and he knew they would do it. He NEVER attempted to bring new blood in because the colleges kept paying him despite their complaints. This is not a career, so people do the easiest thing they can for the beer/gas/date night money.

NOBODY was observing them, rating them, offering feedback, or saying "you need to fix this mechanic." They were collecting their checks. Our HS assignors here are getting just as bad. I actually "fired" an assignor two weeks ago. Told him to lose my number as I will NOT work for him anymore. I had a long conversation with two schools. Told them I want to continue to work for them, but they need to contract me directly. Both confided in me and said they will be firing him for next year. If you want to assign, you have to be an assignor. You can't pick up six schools and scrape the best games off the top for you and your friends, then pawn off the rest. You cannot umpire. You must go watch your guys and gals, work with them, AND you MUST RECRUIT new talent.

Sorry, that may be a tangent rant, but it explains why this happens.

 

[Tatonka]

You totally missed the point of my posts (sarcasm, although, those were real conversations). I was agreeing with what you say.

As @marriard stated, you are largely going to get retirees, guys who are unemployed and will do any game (machine pitch? Sure!) to make rent, or the exhausted 3rd shifter who just woke up from the power nap in his car. I am not saying any of these make a person a bad umpire, just that you limited your pool.

For the vast majority, this is a hobby (albeit a lucrative one if done right). It is not worth me taking a sick day/vacation day/unpaid time off to make $100 on a weekday. So, you get what you get.

A few years ago I quit chasing the idea of doing college ball because I have bills to pay. I had a job that I could have finagled a good bit of travel and time off, but the opportunities in my area were severely limited. Instead, the assignor would bring in Ol' Smitty and Gary Gamehawk from two hours away because they were retired and he knew they would do it. He NEVER attempted to bring new blood in because the colleges kept paying him despite their complaints. This is not a career, so people do the easiest thing they can for the beer/gas/date night money.

NOBODY was observing them, rating them, offering feedback, or saying "you need to fix this mechanic." They were collecting their checks. Our HS assignors here are getting just as bad. I actually "fired" an assignor two weeks ago. Told him to lose my number as I will NOT work for him anymore. I had a long conversation with two schools. Told them I want to continue to work for them, but they need to contract me directly. Both confided in me and said they will be firing him for next year. If you want to assign, you have to be an assignor. You can't pick up six schools and scrape the best games off the top for you and your friends, then pawn off the rest. You cannot umpire. You must go watch your guys and gals, work with them, AND you MUST RECRUIT new talent.

Sorry, that may be a tangent rant, but it explains why this happens.

You're right I did not completely catch the sarcasm (and I should recognize it when I see it).