Baseball fans and umpires don`t always see eye to eye. For precedent, review St. Louis vs. Denkinger, ninth inning, Game 6, 1985 World Series.
But these are desperate times, with the spring-training lockout and all, and desperate times band together desperate people. When it comes to the current baseball situation, umpires and fans are right in tune.
”Isn`t this awful?” said umpire Dave Phillips. ”We should be in Florida.”
Phillips, an American League umpire, is also superviser of basketball officials for the Missouri Valley Conference. He also keeps tabs on officiating for the NCAA. He`s staying busy with basketball, but he`d rather be calling balls and strikes.
”I`m really surprised that it went this far. I thought they would get it resolved by now, and I think now it`s gotten to the point where there is a little personality involved.
”I think the players are probably a little miffed at the owners for putting so many ridiculous things on the table-the pay-for-performance and those kind of things-that wasted a lot of time early.
”Now, it`s at the point where they locked them out, and that didn`t sit well, either. I think the players have gotten the feeling of, `Well, you want a lockout? OK, here`s a lockout.` It`s unfortunate, because I really think that they could come to an agreement.”
Umpires are the odd men out in the stalemate. They need to shake off the rust before the regular season. But they can`t do much serious training until training camps open.
”Spring training for umpires is like it is for the players,” said Phillips. ”You have to do a minimum of 10 games if you`re in the league more than four years.”
The situation isn`t catastrophic, Phillips said, but it`s far from ideal. ”I like to have three or four games in,” he said. ”Certainly you can go back there and do it, but it`s like anything else. If you`re going to be good and proficient at it, you`ve got to work at it. It`s just a confidence factor. You`re getting back into the swing of things.”
Phillips is also anxious for baseball to begin because of what the lockout is doing to others.
”The people in Florida are suffering because of it. That`s what a lot of these communities in Florida actually live for. It`s really incredible. In the 20 years I`ve been in the big leagues, I`ve seen nothing but this type of an atmosphere in regards to negotiations.”
Umpires have hands-on experience at bargaining with baseball owners.
In 1979, umpires went on strike for several weeks while trying to hammer out a new contract. On opening day, Phillips was outside Busch Stadium carrying a picket sign.
”It used to be absolutely brutal with us,” he said. ”It`s gotten better in the last couple of negotiations. But that was after we were on strike for six weeks in 1979. That`s the atmosphere that is created. It`s unfortunate. You`d like to see a better atmosphere in negotiations.”
Phillips does not link the players` position with the stance the umpires took in 1979.
In terms of issues, there is little comparison between the umpires`
strike and the current stalemate.
”We had some definite issues that were absolutely ludicrous,” he said.
”We were so grossly underpaid at that time and our working conditions were really bad. So when we went on strike, it was a situation where we weren`t coming back until they resolved it. Certainly our situation has improved drastically.”
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The umpires` contract expires at the end of this year. Considering what has transpired, Phillips is concerned.
”And we have some issues that we have to resolve next year or we`re going to be in the same boat that the players are in. Hopefully, we won`t be in this same posture this late. But historically, it`s the way the baseball executives seem to deal. It`s always much later than it needs to be.
”It seems like it`s getting down to where innocent people are being hurt by it. I guess the real blood starts flowing from both sides on Opening Day.
”There`s going to be some big economic hard times all over the country. It`s a trickle-down effect.
”You`re not just talking about owners and players and fans. You`re talking about advertisers, companies, hotels, planes, restaurants and other things. There`s a lot that trickles down to the economy from baseball.”
Umpires could feel the pinch.
If the season is canceled, the umps are guaranteed only half-pay. Checks would stop in June.
”I`m hoping they`ll get it done,” Phillips said, ”regardless of whether I get paid or not. A lot of other people in this country depend so much on baseball.”