Tribune News Services
Major League Baseball and its umpires have reached an agreement on a five-year labor contract running through December 2014.
Management has been seeking to gain increased flexibility on postseason assignments as part of the agreement, which could allow umpires to work the World Series in consecutive seasons. Following a series of missed calls during the playoffs, MLB went with an all veteran crew of six umpires in this year's World Series.
Major League Baseball and its umpires have reached an agreement on a five-year labor contract running through December 2014.
Management has been seeking to gain increased flexibility on postseason assignments as part of the agreement, which could allow umpires to work the World Series in consecutive seasons. Following a series of missed calls during the playoffs, MLB went with an all veteran crew of six umpires in this year's World Series.
The sides worked into Tuesday evening to reach the deal and announced it this morning.
Owners and the World Umpires Association hope to ratify the agreement next month. Owners meet Jan. 14 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the umpires hold their annual gathering a few days later.
This marks the second straight agreement between the sides reached without acrimony. In September 1999, 22 umpires lost their jobs as part of a failed mass resignation ahead of bargaining. Half of them were eventually rehired.
Joe West, rehired in 2002, replaced John Hirschbeck as WUA president in February. The WUA took over as the bargaining representative before the 2000 season, replacing Richie Phillips' Major League Umpires Association, which was headed by Jerry Crawford.
Owners and the World Umpires Association hope to ratify the agreement next month. Owners meet Jan. 14 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the umpires hold their annual gathering a few days later.
This marks the second straight agreement between the sides reached without acrimony. In September 1999, 22 umpires lost their jobs as part of a failed mass resignation ahead of bargaining. Half of them were eventually rehired.
Joe West, rehired in 2002, replaced John Hirschbeck as WUA president in February. The WUA took over as the bargaining representative before the 2000 season, replacing Richie Phillips' Major League Umpires Association, which was headed by Jerry Crawford.
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2009 was the worst year of umpiring in the 45 years I've been following baseball. It is getting as bad as the NBA, with certain umps known to harbor grudges against certain teams and taking those grudges to the field. How many Yankee baserunners were called safe at second this year without even reaching the bag? The Washington Nationals could have had a winning season if they got the same brakes that certain other teams got. I've never seen calls so lopsided and obviously wrong. I could call a better game from the upper deck!
Next year, I am watching the umps carefully. If the umpiring continues to be poor and unbalanced, I'm sticking to minor league ball.
Expected, since the 1999 job action showed that they were expendable (especially Ken Kaiser).