UMPIRES

[UMPIRE]

Is the decrease an actual drop in the number of umpires statewide or due to umpires leaving TASO? Wondering if it's a TASO issue.....

You could very well have a very good point! I'd have to say the vast majority of umpires are unhappy with the UIL due to the pay issues. In my personal opinion TASO hasn't represented it's membership very well over the last couple of years either. There's a very good reason why Steve Ellinger is no longer TASO's Executive Director...

 

It's very difficult to recruit HS or college students to umpire baseball because how many of them have an extra $500 or more for uniforms, equipment, dues and/or etc? In 1998 our chapter had about 43 umpires and now we have not quite 24 members.

 

Now back to the original purpose of this thread. This is my 19th year of umpiring HS baseball and 5th year of college. I've umpired several Regional Championship games and the UIL State Tournament the past 2 years in Austin and Round Rock and hope the return this June. I've called out of the Corpus Christi, Dallas and Corsicana TASO Baseball Chapters. Each chapter has good and bad umpires. Some try really hard by attending all the meetings, clinics and read the rule book but just aren't very good umpires. The guys who can quote the rules and everything is black or white then can't utilize common sense typically aren't very successful umpires in my opinion. Sadly enough umpires are just like coaches and players...we make errors. Umpires can't get in a rhythm or get-in-the-zone if the pitcher isn't "on". In most situations if a game is played sloppy, it'll be umpired sloppy. Maybe the level of play is down this year not just the umpiring... I realize everybody believes their lil Johnny is a good baseball player, but that's obiviously not true just like not everyone makes a good umpire.

 

Thank for reading!

 

Michael Middleton

Secretary/Treasurer

TASO Baseball-Corsicana Chapter

[wantabe]

You could very well have a very good point! I'd have to say the vast majority of umpires are unhappy with the UIL due to the pay issues. In my personal opinion TASO hasn't represented it's membership very well over the last couple of years either. There's a very good reason why Steve Ellinger is no longer TASO's Executive Director...

 

It's very difficult to recruit HS or college students to umpire baseball because how many of them have an extra $500 or more for uniforms, equipment, dues and/or etc? In 1998 our chapter had about 43 umpires and now we have not quite 24 members.

 

Now back to the original purpose of this thread. This is my 19th year of umpiring HS baseball and 5th year of college. I've umpired several Regional Championship games and the UIL State Tournament the past 2 years in Austin and Round Rock and hope the return this June. I've called out of the Corpus Christi, Dallas and Corsicana TASO Baseball Chapters. Each chapter has good and bad umpires. Some try really hard by attending all the meetings, clinics and read the rule book but just aren't very good umpires. The guys who can quote the rules and everything is black or white then can't utilize common sense typically aren't very successful umpires in my opinion. Sadly enough umpires are just like coaches and players...we make errors. Umpires can't get in a rhythm or get-in-the-zone if the pitcher isn't "on". In most situations if a game is played sloppy, it'll be umpired sloppy. Maybe the level of play is down this year not just the umpiring... I realize everybody believes their lil Johnny is a good baseball player, but that's obiviously not true just like not everyone makes a good umpire.

 

Thank for reading!

 

Michael Middleton

Secretary/Treasurer

TASO Baseball-Corsicana Chapter

 

BEFORE ANYONE REPLIES TO THIS, NOTICE HE WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO PUT HIS NAME AT THE BOTTOM AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT. BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE ON THIS SIGHT RUN THIER MOUTH BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHO THEY ARE.

[headn4home]

My reply would be that it is a well written piece. There are some really good umps and there are some really bad umps all working on Tuesday and Friday nights. We have seen both the good and and the bad. I also agree with others statements.... in the very best games you don't even know the umps are there because they are not the focal point. It's just like everything else. When people get on forums like this they only focus on the bad....it's things people are unhappy with that cause them to speak out.....happy people are quiet people.....so even though we have seen many more good umps this year than bad ones we tend to remember only the bad ones. I don't expect an ump to be perfect, but I do expect for him to try his/her best to be consistent BOTH ways. Another question of mine is why would an assigning secretary assign the SAME umpire to work on ALL the HOME games of the same team? When you play a team 4 years in a row and have the same blues all four times it leads people to thing that they are there to be HOMERS for the home town. Ironically....most of these aren't the kind of umps that you don't even know they are there when the game ends. I tip my hat to the good umps out there. You are a credit to your profession and are in a no win situation. Every call will make 50% of the people happy and the other 50% unhappy. I hope the good umps keep it up and I wish the bad ones would hang up there sneakers or work to get better.

[Beanbag]

I hope the good umps keep it up and I wish the bad ones would hang up there sneakers or work to get better.

 

We can all agree that anyone doing a job, whatever it is, should work to get better or find another line of work. But, let's expand that to include coaches. There are some pitiful excuses in the coaching business that need to shape up or ship out.

[headn4home]

We can all agree that anyone doing a job, whatever it is, should work to get better or find another line of work. But, let's expand that to include coaches. There are some pitiful excuses in the coaching business that need to shape up or ship out.

 

 

Guess I've been blessed in that department. While I don't always agree 100% of the time with them....the ones I've been associated with are hard working, knowledgeble, and furthermore great role models for our kids. Personally I think we don't give them enough praise either....happy people are quiet people.