Ump Schedule

[Getpaddled]

My google/yahoo skills are sub par and I can't find an Ump schedule anywhere http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

Could anyone help me out and link me to a place that can tell me what Umps will be at what ball parks?

[lcbj68c]

The schedules are not released to the public and are not typically made much farther than three weeks in advance.

[Patrick425]

The schedules are not released to the public and are not typically made much farther than three weeks in advance.

Hmmm, interesting. I never knew this.

 

Does anyone know the reason behind this? Does it have anything to try to avoid gambling schemes? Or, is it for the safety of the Ump?

[lcbj68c]

From a buddy who went to the Jim Evans MLB academy, it's for the gambling and integrity of the game. Plus the flexibility to make changes due to fatigue, injury, or otherwise as you are generally 99.9999% of the time prohibited from working your the game of your favorite team or hometown team. Few exceptions when the Milwaukee umpire (name fails me) was retiring and got to work Milwaukee for his farewell game.

[piccione88]

That was Bruce Froeming, sorry if the spelling is wrong.

[Patrick425]

Wow, this thread is very educational. Bruce Froeming never worked a Brewer game (other than the farewell game)? I did not know that!

[pitchleague]

I find it unlikely that over his career big Bruce never did a Brewer game except the final game umping in his career. I suppose that it is possible but over a 30+ year career the guy never umped in Milwaukee or in a game with the Brewers on the road? Was he an NL or AL ump before the designation disappeared a few years ago? That could explain it a bit better maybe. My gut feeling is that he had to have been an NL guy, then.

[Mike2k33]

Bruce Froemming did a number of Brewer games every year.

 

You can go to retrosheet.org and look up his game log. There are plenty of Brewer games to be found.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

He was an NL ump and never did any games until the Crew switched to the NL.

 

Just from watching the strike zones it sure seems like a couple umps out there have it in for the Brewers. These guys have huge egos and Ned's meltdown (although somewhat justified IMO) last year seems to have carried over with Layne and Cuzzi (correct me if I am wrong on those 2 umps).

[brewcrewreview]

The NL and AL only ump crews ended a long time ago. Any umpiring crew can work in the either league. It's like how they used to have NL (black) and AL (blue) only baseballs, but now they have the standard baseball signed by Bud Selig.

[lcbj68c]

There are certainly exceptions to the rule, but they make every effort to avoid it.

[Mike2k33]

I don't know, maybe it was a rule back when the leagues had their own umps(pre-2000). However, if you look it up, there are plenty of umps who work near/in their hometown multiple times in a season(I'm talking series not individual games). Maybe it is unavoidable that they have to work those games but I don't think MLB has a very strong policy in place to keep umps out of their hometowns.

 

I'm not saying they don't have something in place to keep these occurrences to a minimum but it doesn't seem like a hard rule to get around.

[whizkid]

As stated the umpire crews were separate by league through 1999(not a long time ago to me) so as mentioned Bruce wouldn't have worked Brewer games until they switched leagues. And I do remember Bruce working Brewer series all along since then. I think umps are expected to be professionals and not influenced by home town team etc.

[pitchleague]

well, also, I would think an umpire wouldn't mind the opportunity to "perform" in front of friends and family just as much as a player would.

[MickeyDavis]

The NBA also used to keep the refs identities a secret until game time. After the Donaghy arrest they started releasing the names the morning of the game.

 

I don't know why MLB doesn't just let you know ahead of time who the umps will be for a series. After game 1 you know the umps for the rest of the series anyway.