It appears at this point that both sides of minor league baseball, in regards to the umpires, is far apart. No telling what will happen but the starting season is close, April 2, 2006.
In giving their best and last offer, the league gives this as their position.
“Every umpire hired into the major leagues came from the minors. It’s like being paid to go to school for the diploma and training you need for the chance at a very well-paid job,” George Yund, a lawyer for the Professional Baseball Umpire Corp., said.
It is seasonal work. Nothing like being on the road constantly for 7 months of the year (April – Start of October) and then finding real paying work so you can go back at it again next year. All in the hopes of making it to the big time.
There is a decent article on the background for minor league umpires. It also has their benefits.
# Pay raises for Minor League umpires (the starting monthly salary for a rookie umpire is currently $1,800 (compare this with the $175 per month before the establishment of UDP). All Minor League Baseball umpire salaries and expenses are paid by the league which employs the umpire.
# Group medical, dental, and life insurance is provided free of charge for all umpires in all full-season leagues.
# Hotel lodging is provided free through the league offices for each umpire while on assignment within the league.
# Local courtesy transportation (generally a complimentary rental car) is provided through the league offices for Class AAA umpire crews in each city.
# Uniforms are provided to each umpire [years ago, umpires were on their own in obtaining uniforms].
# Three-umpire crew system used in AAA and AA leagues [until the late 1970's, both the IL and PCL used the two-umpire system].
The goal is the big league and here is CNN money on that.
The competition is stiff just to get into the profession, let alone the majors.
Aspiring umpires must first attend a recognized umpire school for a 5-week training program. Top graduates then go to an evaluation course run by the Professional Baseball Umpire Corp. (PBUC), which will hire some of them and put the rest on reserve.
Those hired are assigned to the lowest of four levels in the minor league system, where starting salaries range from $1,800 to $2,000 a month during the season. The most you can make in the minors, officiating AAA ball, is $3,400 a month.
Umpires who aren’t promoted to the next level every two years are usually expected to leave. If they make it to the AAA level, they have three years to impress the major league clubs. If they don’t, they’re out.
But even for great umps, the chances of making the majors is “slim,” said Tom Lepperd, director of umpire administration for Major League Baseball.
There are 229 umpires in the minor leagues, but only 68 in the majors, and they can enjoy careers of 20 years or more. You do the math.
If you do snag a job in the big leagues, your salary would range from $90,000 to over $350,000, plus benefits and a pension.
Well, I doubt I will be getting any calls soon. They can tap the schools and the Big College umpires if they get desperate. We shall see soon if it will be averted or not. In any case it won’t be like the strike in the majors. Few people will even notice.
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