Umpires that "coach" players

[marriard]

That would tend to offset the gas I use to drive to and from a single game, the $375 worth of protective gear and uniforms I have to wear to step on the field and the couple of hundred I spend every year on registration fees and clinics.

But, yeah, it does put enough in your pocket for a couple of Mickey D's and a few cold ones!

Not to mention the following:
- You have to make ball/strike calls 200 times per game while someone throws a wildly spinning ball at speeds up to 65mph directly at you which you are NOT allowed to catch or dodge and may glance off a bat at you. Oh and everyone is looking at you while you do this.
- A good chance that people wont like you after a close call, or you will get in an argument or abuse you or... you get the picture. Oh and you will be back to umpire there again shortly and they will remember 'the last time you umpired our game'
- The only other person there to support you is the other umpire.
- You might not know everything about the rules but you damn sure know more than that person in the crowd questioning your last call
- It is hot with all that equipment on (and you can't take it off)... it is 95 degrees out and you are doing 6 games today

I used to umpire basketball up to D1 NCAA level and I always considered softball and baseball a MUCH harder game to officiate with all the judgement calls with strikes/balls + swing/no swing + plays at bases + tags. I could sell most calls in Basketball and there is some grey area - not so much in softball/baseball. I once did a game where the home team lost by one on a charge call I had to make against them with 1 second left - 13,488 people all hated me at that moment and I am sure most of them still do (even though the call was right).

 

[MTR]

It would be great money if it was your full-time job and you were getting eight hours every day, five days a week!

That would tend to offset the gas I use to drive to and from a single game, the $375 worth of protective gear and uniforms I have to wear to step on the field and the couple of hundred I spend every year on registration fees and clinics.

Then there is always the possibility of being confronted or cut off in the parking lot by an irate parent, being followed to the parking lot and physically threatened by a parent who is dumb enough to believe you just cost their child a scholarship, repairing/repainting vehicles damaged during/after a game....... Yes, these may sound extreme and to some ludicrous, yet they occur every year and I'm not just talking travel ball. It is absolutely absurd, but it happens.

 

[MTR]

I was referring to the normal 75 min time limit used in tournaments in my area. $30 equals $24/hr that is pretty good money.

Thanks for making my point. Too many people don't understand that just because something is one way in their area doesn't mean it is that way everywhere.

 

[chinamigarden]

I was referring to the normal 75 min time limit used in tournaments in my area. $30 equals $24/hr that is pretty good money.

$24 per hour is not a lot of money. Its a nice hourly rate, but its not "a lot of money". Assuming its declared income as a contractor and not an employee the ump is also paying both halves of the social security and payrolll tax that an employer usually pays. So take out that and its going to be less.

 

[Quake Softball]

$24 per hour is not a lot of money. Its a nice hourly rate, but its not "a lot of money". Assuming its declared income as a contractor and not an employee the ump is also paying both halves of the social security and payrolll tax that an employer usually pays. So take out that and its going to be less.

Seriously??? Most people don't make $24 at their jobs and STILL have those deductions. I was by no means suggesting that umpires are millionaires, I was just point out that they get paid fairly well.

 

[MTR]

Seriously??? Most people don't make $24 at their jobs and STILL have those deductions. I was by no means suggesting that umpires are millionaires, I was just point out that they get paid fairly well.

And most people don't make hundreds of split-second decisions,none of which are allowed to be wrong, and then gets to be screamed at with constent questioning of his heritage by what is quite often some putz who really doesn't have a clue.

Rates are relative to location and demand, yet the conditions seem to be the same, but it is NOT good money for the job at hand. If you think it is, I can hook you up with the local UIC if you offer me a zip code.

 

[howellhandmade]

Seriously??? Most people don't make $24 at their jobs and STILL have those deductions. I was by no means suggesting that umpires are millionaires, I was just point out that they get paid fairly well.

I'm thinking about this seriously. What people with an umpire's expertise and responsibility make less? I have a chimney sweep coming Monday, it's going to cost me $139 for less than an hour's work from him and an assistant. This to provide his experience, labor, insurance and equipment, and to assume a certain level of physical risk to do a job I don't care to do myself. Sure, lots of people make less per hour, but they work more hours and/or have less responsibility. If a ball game were a job site the umpire would have to be foreman, or maybe project manager. The free market assures that we don't pay more for umps than we have to -- if it were a great payday there would be more of them. If it didn't pay enough we wouldn't have any.

 

[chinamigarden]

Seriously??? Most people don't make $24 at their jobs and STILL have those deductions. I was by no means suggesting that umpires are millionaires, I was just point out that they get paid fairly well.

You do realize that your employer pays into your social security and medicare at the same rate as what comes out of your check? When you are self employed, you pay both halves. So its a big difference.

 

[Quake Softball]

Wow could you guys blows out of proportion any further???? No one said they are independently wealthy, just merely paid fairly to work a GAME. You guys can thumb your noses at $24/hour, but it still is a nice wage. Let's see $30 times 8 games a weekend times at least 16 weekends...comes to $3840. There aren't too many part time gigs that are going to pay you that. Or pay you in cash....tax free.

 

[Quake Softball]

And most people don't make hundreds of split-second decisions,none of which are allowed to be wrong, and then gets to be screamed at with constent questioning of his heritage by what is quite often some putz who really doesn't have a clue.

Rates are relative to location and demand, yet the conditions seem to be the same, but it is NOT good money for the job at hand. If you think it is, I can hook you up with the local UIC if you offer me a zip code.

Been there done that. Now, I coach and still have to make decisions and have people get mad at me for whatever reason they can come up with. You know what the difference is???? I don't get paid $24/hour.