Comment: Umpires Need a Fair Deal

Comment: One Year Later, Umpires Need Fair Deal

New York, June 30, 2000 -- Joe Brinkman and John Hirschbeck, representatives of the World Umpires Association, know exactly what former chief of the umpires union Richie Phillips felt like when he was negotiating a settlement for Major League Umpires with Major League Baseball last August. Then, the owners played tough, as many know [click here] and the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement continues to be no easy task one year later. As Pat Campbell, the lawyer for the Major League Umpire Association (MLUA) has stated " I’m not saying it is impossible. I’m saying they would have some convincing to do because of the way it went down last time."

The MLB umpires were told in contract negotiations that if they accept a salary agreement similar to the new agreement reached by NBA officials, some of the 22 umpires who lost their jobs will be reinstated. On the surface this seems to help the umpires, but in fact, baseball works a much more grueling schedule as umpires work day in and day out and work twice as many games as do the NBA referees. Would it not be logical to pay the umpires more than their NBA counterparts? Umpires are not asking to be overpaid they are just asking to be fairly compensated for the jobs the jobs they do.

Brinkman remarked "we work 58% more games than basketball does, and we’re asking for 30% more in money." This is a request I do not think is unreasonable. In fact, the base salary for baseball umpires is between $ 75,000 - $225,000, while in contrast NBA officials are making between $81,000 - $256,000, making them the highest paid officials in sports. How can NBA officials be making more than MLB umpires? It is like if Kurt Abbott is making more than Sammy Sosa what would we think? Bob Manfred, the vice president of baseball’s labor relations feels MLB's offer is fair. Evidently he does not fathom that they are completely underpaid. As he has stated " They don’t want to do that, they want more" referring to the umpires asking for a wage increase.

Umpires are an integral part of our favorite pastime and for the tough job they endure they deserve to be adequately compensated. If not, the national pastime will be like a Mark McGwire home run: gone and goodbye.

Brad Berfas