SHOULD UMPIRES BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE TOUGHER TESTING???

[Silsbee92]

well this guy is sure not going to join an umpire chapter..I know the HE** you guys take from fans, coaches, etc...:-) and if what you say is true then I rest easy knowing our umpires are up to date...but some of the ones I have witnessed in varsity HS games had no business even being the park much less umping it...overall a great job by the blues...just wish small schools could get 4-5A umpires..i know i know just a dreAm

Has nothing to do with classification (3A, 4A, 5A) etc.  All umpires are independent contractors.  We all get rotated as long as we have the training to do 3-Man mechanics.

If you do not have this training then you will stay on 2-man games.  Much more organized than you think.  Some of us go to clinics, South Texas, Arizona, Florida, etc.  These cost good money and time away from families.  Most can't afford this training but still are good umpires.  Game gets much more mental if fans, coaches and player comments are absorbed.  You want a better game then my advice would be to stay quiet, encourage players to persevere and wait until there is a real reason to complain (It will be obvious to everybody, not just the affected team.)

[elhector1]

I have taken to saying, from the stands,...come on blue, you know they always look pretty from here...kind of twists the blue's tail, but in a fun loving way...I respect that they are out there for very little pay...

As far as LL goes...LL states that the umps should be a volunteer, taken AND TRAINED according to LL rules...but try to find one of these "armchair youth sports semi-pros" to actually go through the training.  Naaawwwww...they like to call the game from the stands...that way they can impress everyone around them with the sheer volume of baseball knowledge...hold on...HACK, CoUGH...sorry, had to bring up a sarcasm hairball.

My idea when I was a part of Little League, was that parents would get a "complaint card"...For every hour of service that they completed, be it field maintenance, concession stand, or umping, they would get one complaint.  Want another complaint?...Serve another hour!

Back to the subject at hand...

Little League has a training program, pretty extensive, that is provided for by LL International.  However, it takes parents to volunteer...and I don't see them,....

Pony Ball is different as they have different rules in effect.

HS...most of the TASO guys do a good job...

[The Voice]

Respect authority! Try it sometime. It sure makes a game more enjoyable for everyone. 

[bleacher_bum]

I agree about respecting authority.  But I also think, umpires should be humble, respectful, and professional, at all times.  I can't stand an umpire, (volunteer LL, or HS) with a power trip.  The type who wants every one in the park or stadium to know he's running the show.  The absolute best umpires I can think of, I often don't remember after a game.  Fans should shut up if they don't know the game, but good umps seem to always ignore those fans.  That's a good umpire imo.

[besbolbenbedygud]

Umpires def should be held to higher standards than parents, fans, etc...so lets not go there! Yes we are human and we make mistakes but if you take a job that you are paid for it, you should be held accountable for your actions...

Should not a person who gets paid for their job be held accountable by their employer only....yet parents and fans feel they should have a say...When is the last time 200 to 1000 people showed up to your job wating for you to make a small mistake (with no effect of overall outcome) just so they can say how terrible you are at what you do...........coaches get the same rap from parents all the time.

I will agree on one point......In any job setting your always going to have people who can get all the job training in the world but it will never make them any better then what they are when it is time to perform...........It's Life