Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

quote:
Originally posted by dash_riprock:
I'm a bit embarrassed.

Varsity $118 JV $99 JH $81.50

All two-man. Work alone (rare) and it's 1.5 fee.

PLUS limo to and from the field, $7.50 dry cleaning allowance and a post-game massage.

The fees are accurate.


Does the $118 include mileage? Do you work V/JV doubleheaders or just one game?

This area of Missouri is $55 for a V game and $45 for JV, and they always play doubleheaders. They add mileage of .40/mile on as well, usually split between the two umpires (One way mileage each).
quote:
Originally posted by zam989s:
quote:
Originally posted by dash_riprock:
I'm a bit embarrassed.

Varsity $118 JV $99 JH $81.50

All two-man. Work alone (rare) and it's 1.5 fee.

PLUS limo to and from the field, $7.50 dry cleaning allowance and a post-game massage.

The fees are accurate.


Does the $118 include mileage? Do you work V/JV doubleheaders or just one game?

This area of Missouri is $55 for a V game and $45 for JV, and they always play doubleheaders. They add mileage of .40/mile on as well, usually split between the two umpires (One way mileage each).


No mileage allowance, but generally, we don't have to travel far to our games.

No V/JV DHs. When the varsity is home, the JV is away. There isn't enough daylight to play a DH, and most (just about all) HS fields do not have lights.

Economic conditions have resulted in the elimination of Saturday games, shortened schedules and the merging of programs. Some large school districts used to have 2 JV teams and 2 JH teams. Those days are over, at least for now.
quote:
Originally posted by zam989s:
Does the $118 include mileage? Do you work V/JV doubleheaders or just one game?

This area of Missouri is $55 for a V game and $45 for JV, and they always play doubleheaders. They add mileage of .40/mile on as well, usually split between the two umpires (One way mileage each).


In my part of Missouri, there's no mileage except to a few select schools that are "farther out." Usually, these games are given to the umpires near that location, so they're getting extra pay for little travel. So be it.
We get no mileage, and usually its one varsity game. However at some of my smaller schools, we do the varsity game first to conclusion then as many JV innings as we can get in.....

At those schools, its usually a 7 inning varsity game for $55 followed by 4-5 innings of JV for $45....

I really dont mind those at all and with my regular partners, the Plate Umpire usually stays behind the dish for all 11 innings so we can get started fast so the JV's can get as many innings in as we can...
I frequently leave work two hours early to keep the book. I have to make up the time I miss at work.

I get paid nothing to keep the book, but frequently am awarded with a long drive there and home after a three hour game.

I get to watch a HS baseball game, so it's all good.

Besides my kid is usually chasing foul balls which makes it all worth while. He has no sense of direction so watching him try and figure out where the balls are is quite humorous.

For you guys its a job, for some of us its an obligation.
quote:
Originally posted by JMoff:
For you guys its a job, for some of us its an obligation.


Certainly there are umpires who are motivated by the financial return.........

I do not condem them for being motivated by the money, However I find money to be an incomplete motivation for me, as I have so much $$ invested in registrations, clinics, reference materials, camps, unforms etc....to make umpiring not a very valid profit center.....

That being said..... I do not umpire for free

After I deduct all the costs for uniforms, registrations, clinics and insurance, I start off the every season $300-$400+ in the hole...

If you are in umpring ONLY for "the money" well....financially, you could do better as a greeter at walmart......
Last edited by piaa_ump
quote:
I do not condem them for being motivated by the money, However I find money to be an incomplete motivation for me, as I have so much $$ invested in registrations, clinics, reference materials, camps, unforms etc....to make umpiring not a very valid profit center.....


I talked to an umpire here a few years ago who said he put his kids through college umpiring and officiating. Was making ~$10k a year in addition to being a high school teacher. He was a decent umpire; not the best in the world but not terrible. He put in A LOT of hours umpiring in order to do it...
quote:
Originally posted by Bulldog 19:
quote:
I do not condem them for being motivated by the money, However I find money to be an incomplete motivation for me, as I have so much $$ invested in registrations, clinics, reference materials, camps, unforms etc....to make umpiring not a very valid profit center.....


Was making ~$10k a year in addition to being a high school teacher. He was a decent umpire; not the best in the world but not terrible. He put in A LOT of hours umpiring in order to do it...


Availability, Availabilty, Availability......

Like "location" in the business world, availability is the trump card....

many times in umpiring , you do not get the best umpire, just the most available one....

For those of us who have 9-5 jobs getting off at 2;30-3:00 for a 3:30-4:00 game start severly limits our availablity....couple that with rain-outs and cancellations makes it a less than dependable revenue stream.....

High school teachers, the self employed and retirees can umpire most every day...again, I do not condemn anyone for umpriting for the money as each person has his own financial needs..(childrens college) .... its just that in my situation, ONLY "for the money" is a poor motivation and an even less sound financial strategy
Sorry piaa, wasn't meaning to disagree with you! Just giving an example of one who was able to make it happen and it seems to have worked well enough for him.

I think one reason he wasn't a better umpire is that he was probably burnt out from doing it so much. During the summers, he'd routinely do 3+ games a night if he could find them..
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmy03:
Those who do not wish to compensate me are welcome to engage someone who will work for free, or more accurately, at a loss.


I didn't mean to imply umpires shouldn't be paid. In fact, if the quality increased with compensation, I'd vote for paying you all more. EDIT: I should also note that in these parts, the overall quality of umpiring is very good and I'm not complaining. Sometimes at the HS level you get BU's who are 'new' but in general we're well served(especially if you split time with softball and see the disparity in quality).

Certainly there has to be some love in it for coaches, umpires and the volunteers or it just wouldn't be worth it. I look at my work load and think, dang I can't do this right now. But when it's over its going to leave an empty spot.

I'm constantly amazed at just how many jerseys (blue, black, red, different affiliations, etc) you guys have and that's before the cost of the rest of the equipment. It must cost you guys close to a grand just to get started.
Last edited by JMoff
quote:
Originally posted by dash_riprock:
I'm a bit embarrassed.

Varsity $118 JV $99 JH $81.50

All two-man. Work alone (rare) and it's 1.5 fee.

PLUS limo to and from the field, $7.50 dry cleaning allowance and a post-game massage.

The fees are accurate.
You shouldn't be embarrassed, the market is what it is and you didn't make the cost of living high there. Plus you can't really put a ceiling on charging to umpire games for a bunch of yankees (fans).
quote:
Originally posted by Bulldog 19:
I think one reason he wasn't a better umpire is that he was probably burnt out from doing it so much. During the summers, he'd routinely do 3+ games a night if he could find them..


At this point, I'm severely asking myself if it's better to do all that umpiring or to actually spend time with my kids.

Personally, instead of doing 3 games a night, I'll be home for dinner to talk to my children and be a part of their lives, not just someone who is paying the bills.
We get $59 for HS V. $53 for JV. College JC ball is $130 a game.

One day, I calculated how much the gear and cloths cost that I had on for a cold plate game. It came close to $900. Now that's just what I was wearing. I must have at least $1000 of other gear and cloths in reserve.

On top of that, almost every umpire must pay association dues. My HS group cost $170 per season. That includes NASO insurance. You must have insurance to umpire. I belong to three associations and each one charge dues to be a member. That cost me $310 a year. I also go to clinics each year. I'm going to two clinics this year at a cost of about $750. That doesn’t include other cost associated with going to a clinic. By the time I walk out on the field, I'm deep deep in the hole. I guess I must be crazy or just love being on the field.

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×