The Prowler
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That’s what all little leagues pay umpires.
This drip wants ppl to think being a umpire is some important job. It’s not.
He sort of dodged the question why he wants to be around little kids when he doesn’t have children.
That is not what umpires get paid around here. I just looked at a pay schedule for an association around here. The lowest pay is $20 for bases for Rookie Ball House League (which is the game for little kids where they use a pitching machine), and the highest is $70 for plate for "Elite Midget" which is a high-level u18 league.
Adult baseball and Junior baseball pays more.
I started umping as a 15 year old (it might have been 14....I forget if I started umping baseball first which would have been 14, or refereeing hockey first which would have been 15) for a part time job. I forget what I got paid for umping back then, but I remember the lowest pay for hockey games was $3.40 for an hour game and you would normally get a shift of three. When you did Bantam house league games, it went up to $5.10 per hour.
I just never gave up umping or reffing. I died take a few years off during university, but I always planned to continue.
There is not enough adult baseball around to keep umpires busy, so most senior level umpires like myself also umpire leagues for 15-18 year olds. Also, experienced umpires are needed for the higher level teenager players.
You would know this if you really played competitive baseball in your teens.
There is a lot of adult hockey in Canada, though, so I only referee adult hockey. We get paid by the hour and the lowest we get paid is $31 per hour.
As far as umpiring being an important job, it is important as far as whatever the level of importance the baseball is. A bad umpire can ruin a game. I take it very seriously when I am on the field because I know the game is very important to a lot of the people there. As a player, I can tell you that playing baseball is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done.
It is different around here than it is in the USA, though. I have been invited to umpire in Cooperstown World Series tournaments and I know a lot of umpires from around here who have done those tournaments and they tell me that it seems the umpires in the USA are abused a lot more in the younger age baseball, so most places in the States are starving for experienced umpires because most of them get frustrated and quit before they get good. I was told that the coaches at those tournaments seem to try to intimidate the umpires and it seems like they are used to getting away with it. We go by baseball rules, so shit like arguing balls and strikes or any other judgement call is not tolerated. One warning and then you are watching the game from the parking lot.