baseballrules

This is the last post in this category that has appeared on an off during the year. Well, it will be the last post unless some other bright idea comes along that suggests ways to improve MLB umpiring.

All the items posted to date offer a variety of suggestions to improve umpire performance. The objective is to improve it to the highest degree so that the calls for video replays will be silenced. Should MLB fail to take drastic action by making considerable improvements to the state of umpiring, the calls for replay will continue to be heaerd and they gradually will become louder.

Any of the previous suggestions can fall under the category of MLB taking over all training of professional umpires. Right now, MLB does not maintain any oversight to enact policies for umpires who are not already in the major leagues. If MLB dug deep down into the minor league systems, implemented uniform training for those eager to break into the majors, and implemented guidelines and levels of achievement, the umpiring would significantly improve from Rookie League right up to MLB.

MLB needs to take control of oversight and implement a plan so that umpires several years from now will have the proper training to perform at the top of their game.

Major League Baseball and its umpires are close to finalizing a new contract, according to baseball officials.

Management has been seeking to gain increased flexibility for postseason assignments as part of the agreement. It would allow umpires to work the World Series during consecutive seasons.

If all goes well, this would mark the second straight agreement between the sides reached without acrimony. Recent deals between baseball and its umpires have run for five years.

Much more, however, should be on the table. In the How To Improve MLB Umpiring posts on this site, a number of improvements — from mandatory retirement age to better oversight and training of umps on all pro levels — have been suggested to prevent some of the poor officiating during recent years.

For years, certain umpires have had mobility issues. Some of it had to do with weight. While most MLB umps seem to be in shape and have good agility to cover the bases, so to speak, several remain outside the norm for an umpire who needs to stand for four hours, hustle, wear equipment behind home plate and sweat under the sweltering summer sun.

Controlling weight will contribute to the health of umpires. Umps who shed pounds easily can hustle to see a play and get in position to make an accurate call. Some of the missed calls during recent years can be attributed to poor positioning, and some of this can be attributed to out of shape umps.

Since umpires tend to remain in the game at a much older age than players, MLB needs to make provisions that guarantees the health of umpires. Weight issues also must not affect the outcome of a game by resulting in a wrong call. Coupled with all the other suggestions provided in earlier posts, umpires must be in shape to perform this job at the best possible level.

One fresh way to look at umpiring in major league baseball is to value them as an asset to the game in the same way players are considered.

Umpires should have individual contracts similar to players. The should not be part of one group agreement. Umpires would be paid based on ability and performance. Contracts can run one or multiple years. Certain guidelines, or protections, however, would need to be set in place to avoid MLB from refusing to negotiate with an umpire during a contract renewal. These guidelines would need to be included in performance appraisals developed by senior umpire directors and reviews conducted by technology. They would need to be approved by the umpires union and assessed fairly across the board year-to-year.

All of this would need to be set into place under a complete overhaul of the umpiring system throughout professional baseball from MLB down to the rookie leagues. The other components, or suggestions to be included in the overhaul, can be found in related posts on this subject.

Part of the plan would include demotions for umpires not performing at the level agreed upon with MLB. Demotions only would occur for newer umpires. They go back to the minors for seasoning and are allowed one, two, or three opportunities to remain in the majors. This would be enacted in a similar way to players who are on the AAA to MLB shuttle. More senior umpires who begin to falter for any reason can be given the opportunity to complete additional training during the off-season and couple the knowledge with a stint in the Arizona Fall League or a winter league. If an umpires decides not to go this route, then it is possible he would not have any recourse should his contract to umpire in the majors not be renewed.

MLB needs to begin to think out of the box and get the umpires on par with the level of play in the majors.

The objective is to ensure that only the best umpires and those will to work to remain MLB umpires are calling the games.

contracts like players, demotion for poor performance

I plead ignorance on this. I could not find anywhere if MLB has a mandatory retirement age for its umpires. So, I will assume, for this argument, that it doesn’t.

MLB needs to set a retirement age that is no later than 55 or when an umpire has 25 years in the major leagues. To do this, MLB needs to take over more responsibility for umpire training, minor league umpire promotions and letting go the umpires who don’t meet the high standards that MLB needs to enforce.

If an umpire gets to MLB at age 28, he would be 53 after his 25 years of service. Arriving in the big leagues at 30 takes the umpire to 55.

Beyond the age of 55, umpires instincts slow down. Players don’t make it past the early 40s so why does MLB think that umpires can get on the field every day and react quickly with their eyes and by processing information to make a call as they get up in age? The only ones on the field as old as the umpires are the managers and coaches, and they spend most of the time on the benches discussing strategy that someone else needs to execute.

The issue is that MLB needs to get involved and ensure that umpires are trained to major league standards, that outstanding umpires are promoted through the minors and to the major leagues quicker so they can arrive by age 28 or sooner, and that those umpires who perform well remain while those who don’t meet the challenges can go back to the minors for seasoning (just as the players do) and then given another shot before they are terminated.

Once umpires reach the age of retirement, then they have achieved the best consistent performance over the years. They can remain as supervisors and or become the umpires who man the replay booth (assuming that replays are used sometime during this century).

Umpire Doug Harvey has been elected to the baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Manager Whitey Herzog also got the nod. Former players’ union head Marvin Miller, who was on a ballot for executives and officials, and who had a lot of support, fell two votes short.

The induction ceremony will be July 25. When told about Harvey’s election, Herzog jokingly said: “I don’t know why he should get in. Doug kicked me out of more games than any other umpire.”

Harvey umpired in the National League for 31 seasons before retiring during 1992. He worked five World Series and six All-Star games, and handled more than 4,600 games overall.

“Ten years into my career, my late father said to me that one day I would realize what I have achieved,” said Harvey. “When I woke up this morning and I received the call from Cooperstown, I realized for the first time exactly what that means. “I accept this election … on behalf of all umpires from the minor leagues to the major leagues and for those who umpire at every level.”

Harvey was distinguished by his shock of silver hair, and players often called him “God” in tribute to his work. He helped develop a new style to umpiring. Rather than make emphatic, instant calls, as was the norm when he began in 1962, he would take a split-second to get a snapshot of the play in his mind.

“He had the players’ respect. He had the pitchers’ respect—most of the time,” said Tommy Lasorda. “Sometime you see umpires and you say that guy’s not giving his best, he’s getting lackadaisical. Not him. He would listen to you and he would admit when he made a mistake. A lot of guys want you to come out so they can give you the heave-ho.”

The El Nuevo Herald is reporting that the latest baseball defector is 26-year veteran umpire Nelson Diaz. He arrived in Miami with his family on Sunday and reportedly made the decision to leave after Cuba did not allow him to travel to Japan so he could work during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Diaz is well-known in international baseball. He worked during the 2006 WBC and also during three different Olympics. He was the home plate umpire during the 1999 Baltimore-Cuba series and he helped restore order after anti-Castro protestors rushed the field at Camden Yards. His “attitude of impartiality” during the incident didn’t go over well with Cuban authorities and he was held back from the 2000 Olympics.

Unlike players, his defection does not mean he will be in the major leagues next year. Unfortunately, MLB has litter umpire turnover and the ump union would not like to welcome a colleague who they think didn’t “pay his dues” in the minor leagues.

But….and it’s a BIG BUT: he toiled in Castro’s Cuba. That is paying “dues.” Also, with a postseason filled with umpiring gaffes, if he is a good one, MLB should give him a look.

With all the criticism about MLB umpiring, baseball needs to look closely at adding more eyes to call the game, including a seventh umpire in the press box. This recommendation makes some assumptions:

1. Replay will be established for certain plays beyond the current home run replay.
2. MLB includes six umpires on the field for all games — the four infield umps and one down each line.
3. MLB is able to decide on who that seventh umpire will be. Should it be a retired umpire? Should it be a seventh umpire on a crew who regularly rotates with the umpires on the field so that each gets a turn with the aerial view? Should it be a former umpire who travels from city to city, or is stationary at a specific ballpark?
4. MLB and the umpires come to an agreement on procedures.

This is assuming a lot. But, MLB needs to start thinking about alternatives to help the men in blue on the field. They are human so they miss calls. Let’s do all that is possible to get the calls right.

Players are not allowed to argue balls and strikes.

But if they were allowed to question these calls quietly without showing up the home plate umpire, it could help defuse situations. Players can get their say such as “That was outside,” or “You missed that one.” The umpire can choose to ignore the comment, or say “It got the corner.” Both should be satisfied.

But, one more thing needs to be in place to make this work. Umps need to call a consistent strike zone and need to adhere to the one in the rule book. Or, at minimum, they need to call strikes close to the one identified in the rule book. Then, catchers, pitchers, batters and managers, along with the umpire, can be on the same page.

The responsibility is with the umpires. Call the game as defined in the rulebook and be consistent. Everything else should fall into place.

Besides going back to umpire school for seasoning or off-season classes to brush up on rules, positioning and call making, some umpires need to take anger management classes.

Umpires need to remain in control of the game and their emotions. They need to explain, in a calm way, some of their calls to players/coaches/managers. They also need to keep on-field activities calm. But, many of them seem ready for a fight when they hear a player mutter.

The players and managers do complain a lot. Maybe this is due to so many inconsistent or just wrong calls. They see replays on monitors that are right behind the dugouts, or they get a call from someone watching the replays in the press box. They quickly learn about the umpire gaffes.

Using replays would help defuse a lot of this. So would consistency with umpires calling the rule book strike zone. Taking anger management classes that would help some of the most hot-headed umps could also calm the game. All three concepts, when combined, might just be the overall answer.