Umpire union has new contract

[logan82]

I know many like myself were irritated with all the bad calls in the playoffs last year. They made 4 changes that I really like. Link ESPN Link

- The new contract lats MLB put in more use of video replay without negotiating with the union first.

- It also allows video to be used to evaluate umpires.

- It looks like they can buy out aging and ineffective umpires. I wish that was a little stronger and let them outright fire them. Probably a pipe dream since we are dealing with a union here.

- Umpires can now work consecutive World Series. Before a umpire couldn't work a World Series for 2 years after being in one. This was of course instituted this year but now it is in the contract.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I know many like myself were irritated with all the bad calls in the playoffs last year. They made 4 changes that I really like. Link ESPN Link

- The new contract lats MLB put in more use of video replay without negotiating with the union first.

- It also allows video to be used to evaluate umpires.

- It looks like they can buy out aging and ineffective umpires. I wish that was a little stronger and let them outright fire them. Probably a pipe dream since we are dealing with a union here.

- Umpires can now work consecutive World Series. Before a umpire couldn't work a World Series for 2 years after being in one. This was of course instituted this year but now it is in the contract.

 

As seen a few years ago the umpires union is not that strong. They were broken before.

[Funketown]

A little bit off-topic, but does anyone know how much MLB umps typically make?

[logan82]

Until umpires can be fired or let go for being poor, their union is strong enough. As of right now, umpires are set with that job until they decide to retire.

[1992casey]

I wonder about the capability of the evaluators. When the last union was replaced, it seemed that firings were done without regard to how good or bad an ump might have been.

[endaround]

Yep last time the firings were much mroe poltically based than performance based (whichi s why many got their jobs back after they said they were sorry long enough, which is why the union exists). Baseball though is rich enough to have a mandatory retirement age for umps of 55 and still pay retired umps low 6 figures to have the union agree.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

A little bit off-topic, but does anyone know how much MLB umps typically make?

I've heard before that the average ump gets paid $200,000 per year. I have no sources to back that up, though. I wonder if they still have that stupid clause in the contract where they can't show replay in the stadium on close plays. That really irritates me.

[Funketown]

A little bit off-topic, but does anyone know how much MLB umps typically make?

I've heard before that the average ump gets paid $200,000 per year. I have no sources to back that up, though. I wonder if they still have that stupid clause in the contract where they can't show replay in the stadium on close plays. That really irritates me.

That's not a half bad haul, if it's accurate. I understand why the umps have that clause in the contract, but I for one think umpires deserve to be ruthlessly heckled when they make asinine calls. Nothing drives productivity like a little good ol' fashioned public humiliation!

[1992casey]

Yep last time the firings were much more politically based than performance based

 

That would seem to make sense, although it would seem that any politics involved would be stuff that wasn't apparent to those who weren't in the know. It certainly wasn't union involvement; union leaders tended to keep their jobs.

 

I wonder if they still have that ... clause in the contract where they can't show replay in the stadium on close plays.

 

I thought that was a league rule intended to keep the crowd under control rather than a collective bargaining thing.

 

I for one think umpires deserve to be ruthlessly heckled when they make asinine calls.

 

Sure, why not? We've had our debates about booing around here in the past, but I have to say that booing the umps is (generally) just fine.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, supposedly the "no replays thing" is to protect the umpires and keep the crowd under control. It doesn't seem to be an issue in the NFL, though.

[Funketown]

Yeah, supposedly the "no replays thing" is to protect the umpires and keep the crowd under control. It doesn't seem to be an issue in the NFL, though.

Wrigley Field does not host football games.