MLB Umpires who perform poorly should be demoted

MLB umpires are protected through their union, but those who perform poorly should really be demoted to the minors just like the players. Here’s why.

Referees in the NBA or MLB umpires, any official in any professional or amateur sport has both its risks and its rewards.

I personally was a minor league hockey referee for 7-years in Alberta, Canada and during that time, it was not always sunshine and rainbows. I had good games, and I had bad games; I had coaches who were very professional and I had others who threatened to ‘meet me in the parking lot’ after the game as well.

To become an MLB umpire is no small task, given that you have to toil in the minor leagues for years and finding a spot in a job that normally does not see a lot of turnovers is no small task.

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There are MLB umpires who have been around for many years and it can be tough to break through the barrier, especially given that minor league baseball umpires do not get paid well and you are working the entire summer, day in and day out.

Like any other occupation, there are standards that you have to meet in order to keep your job, and MLB umpires are represented by their own union in the MLB Umpire Association. The agreement between the MLB and the MLBUA is set to expire after the 2019 season, so a new deal will need to be hammered out before the start of baseball in 2020.

One thing I would like to see added to this particular CBA can be summed up in one word: accountability.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that being an MLB umpire is a tough gig.

Nobody is there to see the umpires when two teams play and I can guarantee that each umpire is trying to do their best each time they step on the field. They are there to uphold the rules and they are very knowledgable on the inner works of the game, and I highly doubt any umpire has a hidden agenda against particular teams within the league.

My issue is when you see certain MLB umpires consistently get calls incorrect day in and day out, the game they are making calls in can have a totally different outcome based on their mistakes. Whether it be a foul ball called fair or a strike three called a ball four resulting in a game-winning run, these incorrect calls can have a huge impact on the outcome of the game.

I am not going to name any particular umpire, but there are some who just don’t have any consistency when they get set behind the plate. There are a few umpires who are a bit ‘past their prime’ and keep getting calls incorrect, resulting in numerous coaching challenges or arguments that just delay the game and see your favorite players get ejected from the game.

We also run into the issue where umpires hold themselves a little too high in regards to their task on the field. The kind of umpires who won’t allow players or coaches to argue calls that they believe are incorrect, throwing out players who fans paid good money to see because some self-centered umpire had his ego hurt and decided to take it personally.

A good example came last year when Adrian Beltre was told by an umpire to stand on the batting circle before his at-bat and playfully moved the circle to where he was standing. The umpire, feeling that he had just been shown up in front of the fans, kicked Beltre out of the game. The significance of this ejection was that Beltre was a few hits shy of 3000, a mark that fans paid to see but instead saw a veteran umpire get pissed off and ruined that moment for the fans.

That is why in the next CBA, I want to see MLB umpires be held accountable if they consistently make incorrect calls. If you perform badly on the major league level, you should be demoted back to the minor leagues. Plain and simple.

I’m not saying that once an umpire gets sent back to MiLB that he has to stay there forever, but it allows a mental reset on the particular individual who may be struggling to find that consistency but also allows MiLB umpires to prove that they can play with the big boys in the MLB.

It keeps the best umpires in the top level of baseball and makes the calls and outcomes of the game dictated through the players, not through a missed call by the official. It also allows younger umpires vying for a spot in the MLB (sort of like an audition) but also keeps veteran umpires on their toes, knowing that missed calls will not be tolerated.

In the long run, it is very unlikely that both the MLB and the MLBUA would adopt the ‘demotion’ policy, but I think fans of baseball would agree that if certain umpires keep making incorrect calls every game they are a part in, they should be demoted for another umpire who may prove to be a better asset to the game of baseball.

Its time that the league kept the best MLB umpires and demote some officials who need to sharpen up their game.