While the struggles of minor-league ballplayers - long bus rides, poor pay, second-rate facilities - are well-documented, the day-to-day life in the minors for the men in blue includes many of the same struggles.Brandon Misun is Thompson's partner in umpiring. His story?
In act, in addition to being a similarly challenging life, the umpires have perhaps even more miniscule chances for opportunity awaiting them. In the past three years, Major League Baseball has hired just one full-time umpire.
“I've heard stats quoted to me from publications that you are more likely to become a Hall of Fame baseball player than you are to sign a major league baseball umpire contract,” said Midwest League umpire Nate Thompson.
Brandon Misun, a UW-Madison graduate and Ashland, Wis., native attended the Hunter Wendelstedt's umpire school while Thompson, originally from Attica, Mich., and a graduate of Western Michigan, attended the Jim Evans Umpire Academy.Why the interest in this pair of umpires?
Just before graduating with his political science degree, Misun was unsure of what he wanted to do with his future and thought umpiring would be a good way to spend his summers.
“Toward the end of my time there, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do,” said the 26-year old Misun. “I had umpired Little League and high school baseball throughout my life and decided to give it a shot.”
During the game between Peoria and Clinton, Chiefs manager and Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg instigated a fight that netted him a three-game suspension from the league. While fights are never expected, especially in a game that was a blowout, the umpires always have their guard up.That's all that is mentioned about that incident, by the way.
“It was interesting to say the least,” said Thompson. “You never expect anything like that to happen. It's part of the game and something happens different each game.”
Other items in the article: Salaries and cockiness vs. confidence
No comments:
Post a Comment