Monday, November 29, 2004

Board of Directors Announce 2005 Tier Promotions

Gary Coy
Evaluation Chairman

Please join the Board of Directors in congratulating those umpires who received promotions for the 2005 season.

Promoted to the College Tier
Chris Broderick
Bill Fitzgerald
Simon Hirsch
John Mayer

Promoted to the "A" Tier
Ben Fong
Lee Koehler
Chris Martin
Dave Warner
Mitch Wasserman

Promoted to the "B" Tier
Russ Caspe
Eugene Fox
Brian Hertzog
Matt Grimm
Steve Lynch
Dayle Margeson
Mike Massoth
Danny Oliver
Steve Powell
Bill Spaulding
Kim Stover
Steve Wetmore
Ed Wiggins

Please offer your congratulations when you work with them in the 2005 season.

Our current program has evolved from when Tim Stevens put it together several years ago. It used to change dramatically every year. It has changed somewhat over the years through Larry Strunk's tutelage and the three years that it has been under my stewardship. Any success is due to support by the Board and membership and of those who are on currently on the evaluation committee who are dedicated to helping each umpire become more successful and keeping our goal to promote every umpire who is qualified to move up.

We have raised those standards for promotion over the last several years. Especially for promotion to the "A" tier. We now actually demote umpires when their skills deteriorate to the point where they no longer have the skills necessary to remain in a certain tier. This is what the membership told us they wanted. It is not perfect by any means. Yet we strive to make it better each year. There is still much work to be done.