My life-long affiliation with and enjoyment of baseball and basketball has included decades of coaching the games I love. Those years have also included several seasons of umpiring games at various levels of play. While coaching decisions are sometimes questioned by the game’s fans, such differences of opinion are often greatly overshadowed when it comes to disputed calls made by umpires and referees.
Those in positions of sports authority are indispensable to the games. No officials, no game; it is as simple as that. Having spent time on both sides of the spectrum, a shared understanding of the responsibilities of both roles is necessary for the orderly flow of the game. Game officials have a tough job, and these days, fewer and fewer are coming forward to fill those roles. While disagreements will occur, respect is needed for the job they do.
That said — what is going on with the interpretation of the MLB strike zone by the masked men behind the plate?
Perhaps with the exception of weathermen, no other occupation may be more scrutinized than a home plate umpire. While the MLB rulebook defines the strike zone as “belt to the knees, across the 17-inch-wide home plate,” in truth, the strike zone on any given pitch is what the umpire decides it to be. Fans watching the game on TV get the opportunity to view that defined strike zone aided by the graphic strike box appearing on the screen that often disagrees with the arbiter’s call.
According to a recent article on ESPN, MLB umpires are graded by the league on correct and acceptable calls, which in addition to the defined strike zone definition, includes the caveat of giving the umpires a 2-inch leeway on either side of the plate.
The league-wide average for umpires on correct and acceptable calls during the 2021 season was 97.4%, according to MLB. The highest-ranked umpire graded out at 98.5%, while the lowest was 96%. The umpiring union negotiated for a lenient grading system, which makes it nearly impossible to hold any umpire accountable for poor performance.
Any individual performing their job with a 96% efficiency ranking would be going to their boss asking for a raise. But umpiring is not any job, and the modern technology, speed-up rules added to the game, and the coming reality of some type of an automated ball/strike system may have the boys-in-blue a tad bit edgy as they go about their daily job.
Experience counts in any job, and this season has seen ten rookie umpires brought aboard to replace retiring umpires. It is MLB’s largest first-year class of umpires in more than 20 years.
MLB uses 19 four-man umpiring crews along with AAA replacement umpires to cover vacation time. MLB employs eight umpire supervisors and nine umpire observers who evaluate the umpire’s performance. Umpires receive a report card the day after each game and can review video for themselves if they wish. They also receive a mid-year and post-season evaluation. The league doesn’t demote umpires for poor performance; however, they do monitor reports and retain them on an individual level where they see a tendency to consistently make errors.
The league also watches for bad ejections. Umpires do get disciplined, but those actions are usually kept under wraps to preserve privacy. On occasions, umpires have been fined or suspended for repeated violations by the Commissioner’s office as to how situations should be handled.
Getting to the top of the umpiring profession can be a long journey. While MLB ump requirements aren’t too steep, competition for the jobs is fierce. Physically, an individual must be at a reasonable body weight and have 20/20 vision with or without glasses or contact lenses. Quick reflexes, physical coordination, some athletic ability, and good health are important as umpires travel constantly during the season.
Prospective umpires must attend a professional umpire school, paying a cost of $2,450 to do so. Each school runs three to five weeks, after which only the top graduates are selected to attend an MLB umpire evaluation class. Those then selected are recommended candidates for hire to the presidents of the Rookie and Class A leagues. From there, similar to players, individual performance determines advancement to higher levels.
Once an umpire makes it to Triple-A baseball, MLB begins the consideration process for the Major Leagues. The league has 25 to 35 openings for umpires in the minor leagues each year, but, except for this season, turnover at the MLB level is low. However, for those that do make it to the MLB level they can expect a starting salary of $140,000 a year. Senior MLB umps can take home as much as $280,000.
Baseball managers know that balls and strikes should not be argued. But the combination of so many new umpires, the ever-present strike zone box, the permissible MLB 2-inch leeway, and quick-triggered umps has led to many heated conversations recently. Seated on their couches at home, fans can reach their own conclusions as to the umpire performance they are watching.
