Replacement Umps

[He gone]

When I was in Toledo yesterday, there were several Umpires with picket signs around the ball park. I talked to a couple and was told they were on Strike against their employer the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation, a subsidiary of Minor League baseball. They told me their pay ranges from $4,000 to $17,000 a year and the were striking for a fair contract.

I've got no problem with them standing up for what they believe they deserve, but I was a little skeptical when they told me their replacements would be inferior to them.

They were not wrong. The SCABS blew a couple of calls and were out of place at times. There was one time when there were runners on 1st and 2nd and Rogowski wasn't holding the runner on. Well Casey snuck in and Phillips picked the runner off by a good foot (my seat was right by 1st base, so I got a good look). The Ump called him safe. Another time the Home-plate ump couldn't get out of the way of catcher Chris Stewart on a pop-up at the plate. Chris made the play, but he had to push the Ump to make it.

Tonight in the 6th Bentz threw strike 2 to a Clipper's batter and the Home-plate Ump range up the batter. After a brief arguement it was reversed. Razor Shines has been tossed 2 out of 6 games already.

I know we all give the Umpires a rough time, but after seeing these replacements I might think twice about giving the real Umps a rough time. Well, probably not :D:

[goofymsfan]

When I was in Toledo yesterday, there were several Umpires with picket signs around the ball park. I talked to a couple and was told they were on Strike against their employer the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation, a subsidiary of Minor League baseball. They told me their pay ranges from $4,000 to $17,000 a year and the were striking for a fair contract.

I've got no problem with them standing up for what they believe they deserve, but I was a little skeptical when they told me their replacements would be inferior to them.

They were not wrong. The SCABS blew a couple of calls and were out of place at times. There was one time when there were runners on 1st and 2nd and Rogowski wasn't holding the runner on. Well Casey snuck in and Phillips picked the runner off by a good foot (my seat was right by 1st base, so I got a good look). The Ump called him safe. Another time the Home-plate ump couldn't get out of the way of catcher Chris Stewart on a pop-up at the plate. Chris made the play, but he had to push the Ump to make it.

Tonight in the 6th Bentz threw strike 2 to a Clipper's batter and the Home-plate Ump range up the batter. After a brief arguement it was reversed. Razor Shines has been tossed 2 out of 6 games already.

I know we all give the Umpires a rough time, but after seeing these replacements I might think twice about giving the real Umps a rough time. Well, probably not :D:

I've seen the replacement umps at the AAA level in Tacoma. They have been absolutely brutal. The calls have been horrible on both sides. Some of the ones we have had wouldn't be acceptable at even the High School level. I hope they get a contract soon so we can get some professional umpires.

[Gee]

Does anybody know whats going on with the union?
If its close to settlement?
Not much about this in the news.:angry:

[dakuda]

Does anybody know whats going on with the union?
If its close to settlement?
Not much about this in the news.:angry:

I do not think it will be settled soon. that is the impression that I was given by someone who would know.

[maurice]

Razor was livid after the pickoff play and came out to argue with the 1B ump.

Stewart was angry as well. I've never seen a pro catcher get on an umpire like that. At one point, after a strike 3 was called ball 3, Stewart held the ball for at least 10 seconds and actually turned around to argue the call before throwing it back to the pitcher.
:o:

Then again, I've never seen a home plate ump actually impede a catcher from trying to catch a popup before. It looked like Keystone Umps. They might have been distracted by the union umps with a bullhorn outside the LF wall or the predictably pro-union crowd in a manufacturing city (Toldeo).

[Fenway]

I saw them in Pawtucket the night David Wells pitched. Hard to say if the home plate ump was brutal because Wells either missed the plate or they hit the ball :tongue:


Really the money minor league umps get paid is horrible ($20 a day meal money?)