Full Statement
The Issue
The BBF Board and BSUK Ltd for over ten years failed to do anything regarding the development of umpires and were informed by BSUK that they would work with the ABUA GB and the BBF including financial support if the ABUA GB submitted a working document and plan based on the funding cycle of BSUK. The ABUA GB Board worked tirelessly from September 2010 and submitted their proposal to BBF Board Official James Pearce who is the Game Development Officer on the BBF Board and he is also a director with BSUK Ltd.
James Pearce with his vast expertise in the baseball world initially liked the concept of our Umpire Development plan but asked the ABUA GB to expand it into what we eventually submitted as the 35 page plan to help British Baseball. At no time during our many meetings did we see this decision coming from the BBF Board. It is fair to say that this plan in three years would have seen all British Baseball Clubs and Teams have either trained club umpires working games knowing they were properly trained. They could have had an assigned ABUA GB Umpire working alongside club umpires and at the higher levels two ABUA GB assigned umpires. Read the Umpire Development plan (UDP)
The BBF Board felt that the ABUA-GB was deliberately targeting one National League team for political reasons is just not the truth or the facts of why this happened. The BBF Board including its former Secretary failed to act on what was a serious breach of the BBF Disciplinary procedures which dates back to last August 2010. On a least 8 occasions the ABUA GB asked the BBF President to deal with this before the start of the 2011 season. The BBF President ignored this serious issue even though he has sent numerous emails in support of the position and concerns the ABUA GB raised as a Member of the BBF. The position of the ABUA GB Board was that if the BBF President would not protect umpires from abusive players then our Members would not participate in games involving the two players on whatever team they played for. The BBF President was notified by email weeks before the season and again one week before the new season but failed to even reply. The new Southern Commissioner did respond and agreed with the position taking by the ABUA GB.
Fees
How can the BBF now state that they have issues with the proposed fees the ABUA GB submitted last October as part of the Umpire Development Plan? This proposal was accepted by James Pearce and the ABUA GB was told by James Pearce that the fees were a good incentive to recruit and retain new umpires and would still be not in-line with most European countries. The Fee proposal was also email to the BBF President who knew the fees would be higher in 2011 because he was informed in early September 2010. The same fees were also sent to Dan Lally who by all accounts prepared the AGM pack. The fees were presented to the Membership with little or no discussion. At no time did the ABUA GB take the position these fees were not negotiable; fact is the BBF were told they were negotiable.
The Current Situation
As it stands, all ABUA GB Board Members and our registered umpires are willing to work with the BBF Board but it cannot happen if the BBF Board is making decisions that are not in the best interests of its Members. The ABUA GB simply asked the BBF Board to formalize our relationship by signing an agreement. This is normal as the ABUA GB provides a service to a customer. The ABUA GB was asked to sign a formal joint ABUA GB/BBF statement written by James Pearce, this statement was completely written as a one sided agreement that we as an Association could not sign in good faith. We then asked the BBF to clarify some of the statement and answer some legitimate questions and concerns only to be told by the BBF President he did not like the email we sent to him. These questions and concerns remain unanswered. The ABUA GB wanted to release a joint statement but not the one presented.
The ABUA GB also offered to umpire may 1st 2011 as a goodwill gesture only to be turned down by the BBF President. The ABUA GB also retained the services of former GB Manger Gary Roberts, a solid and respected baseball person who offered to help resolve our differences only to be turned down by the BBF President. Gary Roberts has no affiliations to either the ABUA GB or the BBF and could objectively help each side to reach an agreement. The ABUA GB and Gary Roberts remain hopeful that discussions can resume as quickly as possible.
What is the BBF doing now?
Meanwhile, the BBF is working as hard as it can to get some short-term solutions in place. With the support of BaseballSoftballUK,
The BBF President and CEO of BSUK Ltd were actively working against the ABUA GB during our negotiations as they tried to secure umpires from within CEB to come and train umpires in the UK. This is fact as one of the ABUA GB Members attended the CEB Congress was asked directly “what would happen if we got rid of the ABUA GB?”
BSUK are now involved which can only mean one thing, more money being spent by BBF Members to attend umpire clinics run by non qualified people. You will now be expected to pay for all umpire clinics or courses.
The ABUA GB is still the best source for umpires and umpire training unless you attend a Professional School in Florida. The ABUA GB remains committed to helping any BBF club or team wishing to develop their umpires. This service will still be free as our Members are not in it for the money.
The ABUA GB has no idea what BIBUF is but can only assume the BBF just made it up to make you think they are working hard on your behalf. Fact is the only clubs that benefit from our services are the National League and two AAA teams in the North. The rest of the paying BBF Members are on their own and will remain on your own because the BBF can’t help you. The ABUA GB Umpire Development Plan would have helped every Member Club
The BBF would also like to extend this invitation to any current members of ABUA-GB who wish to continue umpiring within British baseball, as this will be the only way to do so going forward.
The ABUA GB will continue to offer their services but as it stands the BBF do not want the ABUA GB to provide any services.
The BBF won’t be assigning umpires because don’t have any
Please check the new fees because the BBF have in fact lowered them from the 2010 set fees which will also mean many umpires will quit officiating altogether.
But haven't teams already paid for umpiring?
At least the BBF have finally put the argument to rest by discrediting the only two BBF Members who actually believe this to be the case.
The BBF Membership approves the BBF Budget and again for the 2011 season approved funding to the ABUA GB and Clinics have been taken place at the expense of the ABUA GB Members and this money should in good faith be paid to the ABUA GB for services rendered and agreed.
Long-Term Solutions
The BBF has no solutions and what they are offering as a solution will see even more games become a circus and will lead to a decline of paying Members
In the longer term, the BBF will establish an Umpires Commission headed by the Board's Technical Commissioner. This Commission will administer all operations related to umpiring, including assignment and fee handling.
This even more misleading as the BBF had an Umpire Commissioner only to replace it at the last AGM. The ABUA GB was informed as was the Membership of the BBF that the new Technical Commissioners role on the BBF Board was to work with the ABUA GB to negotiate an agreement. We have never had any of these negotiations because the BBF never filled the position.
This will provide a much more stable platform for baseball officiating across the country that will be able to tie assignments, scheduling, development and disciplinary matters together under one operation.
This will not create a stable platform and will see a decline of a crucial element of the game, right now the majority of BBF Members are playing the game without qualified or trained umpires which has become the norm, it isn’t the norm and you are being duped and asked to be patient while the BBF sorts this out. The BBF has no intention of dealing with serious disciplinary issues and they have already proved this by not acting in the best interests of the sport regarding the two players mentioned above. What the BBF have created is an environment where no game official will want to work knowing the BBF will do nothing about the abuse of game officials.
To view the emails between the ABUA GB and the BBF Board where you can make up your own mind if the ABUA GB is really doing what the BBF Board and President said regarding abuse of officials.
For more information or if you have any questions contact ABUA GB Commissioner Darrin Muller
The BBF Board and BSUK Ltd for over ten years failed to do anything regarding the development of umpires and were informed by BSUK that they would work with the ABUA GB and the BBF including financial support if the ABUA GB submitted a working document and plan based on the funding cycle of BSUK. The ABUA GB Board worked tirelessly from September 2010 and submitted their proposal to BBF Board Official James Pearce who is the Game Development Officer on the BBF Board and he is also a director with BSUK Ltd.
James Pearce with his vast expertise in the baseball world initially liked the concept of our Umpire Development plan but asked the ABUA GB to expand it into what we eventually submitted as the 35 page plan to help British Baseball. At no time during our many meetings did we see this decision coming from the BBF Board. It is fair to say that this plan in three years would have seen all British Baseball Clubs and Teams have either trained club umpires working games knowing they were properly trained. They could have had an assigned ABUA GB Umpire working alongside club umpires and at the higher levels two ABUA GB assigned umpires. Read the Umpire Development plan (UDP)
The BBF Board felt that the ABUA-GB was deliberately targeting one National League team for political reasons is just not the truth or the facts of why this happened. The BBF Board including its former Secretary failed to act on what was a serious breach of the BBF Disciplinary procedures which dates back to last August 2010. On a least 8 occasions the ABUA GB asked the BBF President to deal with this before the start of the 2011 season. The BBF President ignored this serious issue even though he has sent numerous emails in support of the position and concerns the ABUA GB raised as a Member of the BBF. The position of the ABUA GB Board was that if the BBF President would not protect umpires from abusive players then our Members would not participate in games involving the two players on whatever team they played for. The BBF President was notified by email weeks before the season and again one week before the new season but failed to even reply. The new Southern Commissioner did respond and agreed with the position taking by the ABUA GB.
Fees
How can the BBF now state that they have issues with the proposed fees the ABUA GB submitted last October as part of the Umpire Development Plan? This proposal was accepted by James Pearce and the ABUA GB was told by James Pearce that the fees were a good incentive to recruit and retain new umpires and would still be not in-line with most European countries. The Fee proposal was also email to the BBF President who knew the fees would be higher in 2011 because he was informed in early September 2010. The same fees were also sent to Dan Lally who by all accounts prepared the AGM pack. The fees were presented to the Membership with little or no discussion. At no time did the ABUA GB take the position these fees were not negotiable; fact is the BBF were told they were negotiable.
The Current Situation
As it stands, all ABUA GB Board Members and our registered umpires are willing to work with the BBF Board but it cannot happen if the BBF Board is making decisions that are not in the best interests of its Members. The ABUA GB simply asked the BBF Board to formalize our relationship by signing an agreement. This is normal as the ABUA GB provides a service to a customer. The ABUA GB was asked to sign a formal joint ABUA GB/BBF statement written by James Pearce, this statement was completely written as a one sided agreement that we as an Association could not sign in good faith. We then asked the BBF to clarify some of the statement and answer some legitimate questions and concerns only to be told by the BBF President he did not like the email we sent to him. These questions and concerns remain unanswered. The ABUA GB wanted to release a joint statement but not the one presented.
The ABUA GB also offered to umpire may 1st 2011 as a goodwill gesture only to be turned down by the BBF President. The ABUA GB also retained the services of former GB Manger Gary Roberts, a solid and respected baseball person who offered to help resolve our differences only to be turned down by the BBF President. Gary Roberts has no affiliations to either the ABUA GB or the BBF and could objectively help each side to reach an agreement. The ABUA GB and Gary Roberts remain hopeful that discussions can resume as quickly as possible.
What is the BBF doing now?
Meanwhile, the BBF is working as hard as it can to get some short-term solutions in place. With the support of BaseballSoftballUK,
The BBF President and CEO of BSUK Ltd were actively working against the ABUA GB during our negotiations as they tried to secure umpires from within CEB to come and train umpires in the UK. This is fact as one of the ABUA GB Members attended the CEB Congress was asked directly “what would happen if we got rid of the ABUA GB?”
BSUK are now involved which can only mean one thing, more money being spent by BBF Members to attend umpire clinics run by non qualified people. You will now be expected to pay for all umpire clinics or courses.
The ABUA GB is still the best source for umpires and umpire training unless you attend a Professional School in Florida. The ABUA GB remains committed to helping any BBF club or team wishing to develop their umpires. This service will still be free as our Members are not in it for the money.
The ABUA GB has no idea what BIBUF is but can only assume the BBF just made it up to make you think they are working hard on your behalf. Fact is the only clubs that benefit from our services are the National League and two AAA teams in the North. The rest of the paying BBF Members are on their own and will remain on your own because the BBF can’t help you. The ABUA GB Umpire Development Plan would have helped every Member Club
The BBF would also like to extend this invitation to any current members of ABUA-GB who wish to continue umpiring within British baseball, as this will be the only way to do so going forward.
The ABUA GB will continue to offer their services but as it stands the BBF do not want the ABUA GB to provide any services.
The BBF won’t be assigning umpires because don’t have any
Please check the new fees because the BBF have in fact lowered them from the 2010 set fees which will also mean many umpires will quit officiating altogether.
But haven't teams already paid for umpiring?
At least the BBF have finally put the argument to rest by discrediting the only two BBF Members who actually believe this to be the case.
The BBF Membership approves the BBF Budget and again for the 2011 season approved funding to the ABUA GB and Clinics have been taken place at the expense of the ABUA GB Members and this money should in good faith be paid to the ABUA GB for services rendered and agreed.
Long-Term Solutions
The BBF has no solutions and what they are offering as a solution will see even more games become a circus and will lead to a decline of paying Members
In the longer term, the BBF will establish an Umpires Commission headed by the Board's Technical Commissioner. This Commission will administer all operations related to umpiring, including assignment and fee handling.
This even more misleading as the BBF had an Umpire Commissioner only to replace it at the last AGM. The ABUA GB was informed as was the Membership of the BBF that the new Technical Commissioners role on the BBF Board was to work with the ABUA GB to negotiate an agreement. We have never had any of these negotiations because the BBF never filled the position.
This will provide a much more stable platform for baseball officiating across the country that will be able to tie assignments, scheduling, development and disciplinary matters together under one operation.
This will not create a stable platform and will see a decline of a crucial element of the game, right now the majority of BBF Members are playing the game without qualified or trained umpires which has become the norm, it isn’t the norm and you are being duped and asked to be patient while the BBF sorts this out. The BBF has no intention of dealing with serious disciplinary issues and they have already proved this by not acting in the best interests of the sport regarding the two players mentioned above. What the BBF have created is an environment where no game official will want to work knowing the BBF will do nothing about the abuse of game officials.
To view the emails between the ABUA GB and the BBF Board where you can make up your own mind if the ABUA GB is really doing what the BBF Board and President said regarding abuse of officials.
For more information or if you have any questions contact ABUA GB Commissioner Darrin Muller
