Fellow Officials,
Well, the end of the season is upon us and this is the final episode of the Blue Crew News. I can’t go any further without saying a big THANK YOU to our editor- in- chief, Robert Fobian, for all of the hard work he put into these publications.
Earlier this year, while sitting at Glory Days saying goodbye to one of our umpires who was moving out of the area, I started to talk to Tim Strutzel about some things that my first year as association president should include. He was adamant that one of the things I needed to do was re-start the Blue Crew News. He was so right! I then asked both Robert and Tim to bring it back to life and, the rest as they say, is history. I couldn’t have dreamt that Blue Crew News would be as phenomenal as you saw this year. Very well done, sir! Not long after the first set of emails started flying about the publication, Mike Chmar got involved and they started assembling their team. I can’t wait to see what you guys do next year!
Please make time to enjoy an adult beverage with us on the 6th of December to celebrate our achievements this year. I look forward to the banquet every year, especially because I’m able to catch up with the friends who I haven’t seen in a year or since the spring season. I’ve heard from some folks who aren’t able to make it and while that makes me sad, it really just means we’ll be able to spend more time with the folks who will be there! I encourage everyone to make an effort to be there! We’re putting more time in our agenda this year for just socializing, so please take advantage of this opportunity and meet as many of our brother umpires as you can. I really hope to see you there!
Once the banquet is over, we’ll start to get ready for next season. Believe me, there is plenty to do in the coming year.
One of my first goals for next year is to reduce the number of turnbacks that the assignors have to deal with. To that end, I will let you know as soon as I know when you can set your blocks in Arbiter for 2026 because it’s not yet open. I know that properly setting blocks can be a bit of a pain, but it really is the only way to make sure the assignors know your availability.
The offseason is not only a great time to spend with family and friends, but it’s also a great opportunity to brush up on things like rules knowledge, mechanics study, and getting your equipment ready for next season. Make sure everything fits, is in good working order, gets cleaned up and set aside so that it’s ready for next year.
That’s it for me in 2025; in the immortal words of Tony Kornheiser, we’ll try to do better next time!
Dave
