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Rainout Hotline:
847-918-2436

Our Assignor, Jeff Collis

Urgent Messages:
   Day E-mail jeff.collis2@ge.com
   Cell phone 815-622-8763
  
Routine Messages:
  E-mail fvb9@yahoo.com
  Home Fax: 847-516-1206
 

JC's Blog:

Photo of Jeff Collis

Thank you for taking the time to visit the FVB website and learning more about the fastest growing, highest quality group of Baseball umpires in Chicago, the Fox Valley Blues Umpires. Over the years we have worked hard to bring a new perception of baseball umpires to the Chicago area. As we enter our 12th year of formal existence, our goals may have changed but our mission statement hasn't.

Coaches and AD's
If you like what you see here and would like to get more info, such as availability and rates, contact me at the above numbers or through this site. Fellow Umpires…if you want to get involved in an organization that invests in their members, FVB is for you. Contact me for an info kit, or submit an online form from this site.

2007 Outlook - As I look ahead to 2007, I see good things. My goals as a Supervisor will be ensuring a smooth implementation of two new and very important clients (Western Sun and Skyway Conferences), as well as coninuing to promote and challenge the "next tier" of umpires.

Western Sun - Winning this Conference was the easiest acquisition FVB has ever had. It was practically handed to us, and we had only one of the eight schools (DeKalb), so this is a true testament to the reputation our Southern crew has built over the past few years. To fill these assignments, we are staying primarily within the existing crew, and many dedicated FVB members will reap the benefits of more Varsity games. My challenge will be to give the WSC teams the quality of officiating they expect without diluting that quality in the other two South conferences. 67% thru the Spring Assignment process, I'm confident that will be achieved.

Skyway - What is regarded as one of the best JUCO conferences in the Midwest, the Skyway decided to hire a Conference Supervisor, and chose me to be the inaugural Sup. I am deeply honored by this, and will work hard to build the crew of Chicago's best Collegiate Umpires for the schools. The initial staff includes several umpires outside of FVB, but I pitched a "uniform" crew representing all eight schools. The staff will be held to the highest standards, will be evaluated, and changes may be made in 2008. Randy Borow will serve as the Umpire-in-Chief, as my position will be Supervisory only (I will not work any Skyway games).

More to follow later this fall...

2006 Recap - This is starting to sound like a broken record, but 2006 truly was our best year...a year of many firsts.

At the NCAA Level, doors continue to open for FVB members. Several FVB members (Dave Alstadt, David Condon, Jay Lyons, Kevin Wirth) worked full D-I schedules, which gave great experience to FVB guys who worked D-I Conference games for the first time (Jimmy Ellison, Bert Person, Jamie Still, Rollie Madison and myself) for the CBUA. For the first (and second time) ever, three FVB members worked together for CBUA assigned D-I conference games (Madison/Still/Contreras and Lyons/Wirth/myself), at of all places, Milwaukee. Of the 29 CBUA members in the Chicago area, 20 are FVB members! So after several years of waiting patiently, the CBUA pipeline is starting to move for us.

We also established a key relationship with George Drouches of the NCAA, enabling five of our members (Ellison, Madison, Still, Contreras, Bob Jenkins) to work a D-III Regional in St. Louis. In the Championship game, four FVB members worked on the infield with Ellison garnishing the dish. Truly an awesome moment for these guys and FVB. This pipeline will not only continue, but will hopefully lead to FVB members working the D-III World Series in the very near future.

The amazing thing about the accomplishments of our top College umpires is that they are also paving roads at the HS level. While it's not uncommon for umpires to be successful at both levels, it is extremely difficult to be successful at the upper levels of both. The games are different, the rules are different, and progressing deep at one level typically requires full dedication and sacrifice of the other. This is a true testament to the dedication of guys like Condon, Alstadt, Ellison, Person, Zimmerman and Jenkins...to name a few.

Jimmy Ellison had what we called the Trifecta in 2006: Working the Plate on the D-III Regional Championship, the IHSA AA Championship, and the CICL Championship. How do you top that Jimmy? The funny thing about this is Bert Person was his wingman for all three games. Not too shabby BP. Maybe some day Jimmy will share the limelight.

At the HS level, we were just as successful. After sending two members to the State Finals for the past four years, we sent three to the Finals in 2006 (Ellison, Person, and myself). Our pipeline of Supersectional umpires (and short-listed umpires) sits at nine and will be paving the way for others for years to come. For the first time ever, we had an FVB member working the dish for the Finals (Ellison, AA).

But it doesn't stop there...FVB took a proactive stance in 2006 getting in Anthony's ear, and getting several members working playoff games for the first time ever (Pat Bissell, Mark Hurter, Steven Swank, Frankie Petricca, Don Arnold, Johnny Vito, Josh Perry, Jeff Schanks to name a few). We'll continue to move this pipeline, creating opportunities for our top aspiring members. In total we had 40 Regional assignments, up from 32 in 2005.

The DVC recognized us for our efforts over the past two seasons, by awarding us a new three-year contract thru the 2009 season.

At the Professional level, the AMLU finally settled their strike, and four FVB members went back to work, all at higher levels than they were at in 2005. Derek Crabill and Dan Bellino are working the AA Eastern League, with Bellino working as a crew chief. Both guys worked EL Playoffs, and Crabill was invited to the Arizona Fall League. Bob Boyle and Anthony Booter West settled into the Midwest League, where they both worked the ML Finals. They are all VERY appreciative of the support we gave them during their strike.

I often view FVB as a Major League ballclub...how can we acquire developed talent (Condon, Dan Saltzman, Matt Specht), while developing our core.
I see several waves of homegrown talent in the works.

Stabilizing our veteran crew were guys like Chris Lindley, Jimmy Maczka, Phil Donofrio, Mike Shereck, Jeff Rutledge, Russ Kolkay and Ruben Rodriguez...nice job guys, steady as ever.

Stepping up this season to their first taste of College ball were Kevin Moore, Mike McGloon, Todd Nicewanner, Mike Klipstein, Gordy Heinemann and Mark Hallett (to name a few).

Behind them working awesome full Varsity season were guys like Arnold, Hurter, Steve "the two" Jakes, Chris Fagan, Mark Childers, Fredo Spitzer and Alan McCormick (to name a few).

The next tier of guys who got a good taste of Varsity ball and are on their way to becoming solid umpires are Scottie Erickson, Reggie Miller, Jerry Leland, Bill Heede, Walt Droeske and Bill Vincent.

We also boast a strong corp of up and coming prospects such as Gary Stratton, Mike Buckingham, Tom Pelletier, Steven Harms, Don Hoener, Lino Novielli, George Leonard, Jeff Thunder, Sean McHugh and Vince Mastandrea...all of whom will anchor our south growth in 2007.

Up north, prospects like Jeff Fern, Russ Tobie, Pete Rouillard, CJ Schalch, Tom Atlee, Scott Martini and Steven Albright have opened up alot of options for us.

We also boast a class of kids about 60 strong, aged 16-21. While this group has been the source of some headaches for Jim and I, there is some real talent here that we will be looking to develop over the next couple of years, including Bryan Pendzinski, Danny Sprung, Randy Krepel, Derek Lee, Thomas Iverson, Pat Mastandrea, Brett Siegel, Josh Schmaren, Brian Curtin and Luke Engen.

So the pipeline of talent has never been more prosperous!

Our HS season couldn't have been any more flawless. There were some Spring Break headaches ("A day in the life" is nominated for literary awards!). But we purged ourselves of 4-5 problem umpires at first sign of trouble, and the season settled down nicely. Kudos to all!!! FVB is the most awesome crew in Illinois!!!

On a sad note, we lost a few very good umpires. Dave Weglarz moved to AZ, Rollie Madison to MI, and Chris Dykstra to TX. Arguably three of FVB's best and most respected umpires. Thank you for everything you guys have done!

2005 Recap - '05 was a very successful season for FVB. We will preview it in full at the Winter Meeting on 12/15, and will later put the pitch on our website. Here are some of the highlights:

  • DVC and HS Season - '05 marked the first season with the DVC and it was near flawless. Only 2 no-shows, no uncovered games, and expectations were exceeded. I'll have extensive feedback from AD's and Coaches to share at the Meeting.
  • Evaluation Program Rollout - Our Best in Class Online Evaluation Program was rolled out. While the volume of evals was not what we hoped, it was pointed out as a Best Practice by Dave Gannoway at the IHSA Official's Advisory Board Meeting.
  • Games Growth - Games assigned by FVB were up 22% in 2005, far exceeding the 10,000 mark. The Summer/Travel season saw a 33% increase.
  • Members Growth - Membership grew by 23%, matching the growth in games. Of our 304 paid members in 2005, 89% were active and worked games. For those umpires who did work games, the average number worked was 40. The good news here is the Active rate showed a substantial increase from 2004.
  • Post-Season Assignments - For the fourth straight year, FVB had two umpires working the IHSA STate Finals (Alstadt, Hayden). Seven additional FVB members worked a Super-Sectional for the second year in a row. In total, 29 FVB members worked IHSA post-season baseball, up from 19 in 2004. So the pipeline is widening, and it's moving!
  • Post-Season Assignments, II - For the first time in our history, FVB members worked the NCAA tournament, with Jim Ellison and Rollie Madison being named by the Regional Committee to work the D-III Midwest Regional. This door has opened, and we're hoping for bigger news on this front in 2006.
  • Minor League Assignments - FVB currently has four former members working organized professional baseball. Derek Crabill and Dan Bellino finished their third year with the Championship Series in the Carolina (Crabill)and Florida State (Bellino) Leagues. Bob Boyle finished his second year in the NY-Penn and Booter West his first year in the Appy.
  • Training - FVB had our most successful and largest training session ever, with 185 umpires attending the all-day session. Clinicians included our Minor League guys coming home, as well as Minor League Supervisor Kevin Winn and others.

An interesting phenomena is occuring with FVB. As our veteran tier of leaders progress into Division I College, the Frontier League and other elite leagues, it is creating an opportunity for the next tier. At the same time we are recruiting a large number of new officials at the low levels. As a result, we can provide an incredible opportunity for a new official who can demonstrate quickly that he can handle these challenges. When I recognize this is in an offical I begin to test him immdiately with good partners on big games. I'm not talking about the green rookie, but the third year guy who has put it all together very quickly, or the veteran who has just moved here from out of state. Over the past few years, we have seen a small group take that next step. As we move forward, we will always be looking hard to identify the next group. I encourage all of our members who want to get on the fast track to establish goals, find a mentor, and let me know what you're doing. While some people claim I have osmosis, I can't confirm or deny it!!

 

My Assignment Philosophy
IMHO, One of the secrets to FVB's success is that my theory of assigning is based on me investing in our members. I can recognize very quickly whether an umpire can progress and wants to progress. A guy who is willing to drive to DeKalb and give up his Fall Saturday to work a College scrimmage for a Cheeseburger is someone who will get a continual look from me.

I've never subscribed to the "throwing bodies on a field" theory. A first or second year umpire seldom gets Varsity games, but when they finally do get one, it means something to them because they know they've earned it with me. I believe that an umpire is ready to progress to the next level after he has mastered the level he's at and has earned the respect of coaches and peers at that level. This is especially true when trying to progress to the college level, where coaches aren't very forgiving. Some assignments are held to a much higher standard than others. Naperville Central, Prairie Ridge and St. Charles East are among these marquee assignments. At the same time, nobody is more in tune to progression planning than I am, so I like to give second-year officials non-Conference Varsity games in March and early April.

I also believe strongly that the High School game is far different than others...much more complex. I have had a lot of umpires who have worked extensive Travel ball or Men's Leagues, and they feel prepared to work Varsity ball. It generally takes at least a full season (sometimes 2-3) of Frosh/Soph games to understand this. Another way to view this is that after working 2-3 years of Frosh/Soph games and proving yourself at that level, you will progress to the Varsity level with the same kids you've been umpiring, and even some of the coaches. That recognition and respect goes a long way.

Then there is the umpire who drops everything every time I call. That umpire gets rewarded in several ways, most importantly with a marquee game thrown his way…yet not a game he can't handle. I couldn't explain to a coach or AD that the overmatched rookie umpire on the big Varsity game got that assignment because he dropped everything the day before for another school. You get the picture. Other ways to land an opportunity is based on availability or geography. An aspiring college umpire who is available at 1:00 is more likely to get a makeup call over one who's not.

Just as I encourage feedback from coaches on umpires, I also encourage feedback from umpires on their assignments and goals. Nothing impresses me more than an umpire who wants to know how to move up, how to get better. It's hard not to recognize that!

A couple of frequently asked questions:
"Does an established umpire new to FVB have to work his way up the ladder to get the big game?" If a quality umpire relocates to Chicago, he will be given every opportunity to succeed with FVB. If we don't give him that opportunity, another organization will! Keep in mind that I do not give out College assignments sight unseen, or even extensive Varsity schedules. What helps is references of former Supervisors who I know. It is not uncommon for a newly relocated umpire to get one of the best schedules in FVB.

"Does an umpire have to pay dues to FVB in order to get games?" Absolutely not, but.... FVB covers 13,000+ games in a 3,000 square mile radius, so sometimes we depend on nonmembers to cover games during peak times or on geographic borders. However, prioritization of assignments is members first, and non-members do not receive advanced spring contracts, or access to our open game submissions on the website. Key assignments, such as College, Summer HS Regionals, some select High Schools, and select summer tournaments (including CABA) are members only. That's only fair. However, non-members are included on some emails that go out with open games. Note: In 2005, 98.2% of FVB assignments were worked by FVB members, and the majority of those worked by non-members were Girls' Softball games.

"What are my biggest pet peeves?" Three things…Irresponsibility, Dishonesty, and Stupidity! Umpires who have turned back games to me to do another game for a different Assignor are red-flagged. Enough said. I updated this to include stupidity in 2005. I tend to overcommunicate, which means several emails with explicit directions on the assignment process all Winter. When an umpire gave half of his games back because he didn't read the emails I was sending out, he was done. I don't have time for that. And Lying...in 2006 I had a new umpire miss a Spring Break assignment, and he told me that he left messages on my cell and home numbers that his car broke down. Wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt, I had to check my call records thinking that I wasn't getting all of my messages. Of course no traces of any calls. He was red-flagged, and then two days later he called me at 4:29 to tell me he was lost heading to Wheaton North HS. His location had him an hour away from the school, headed in the wrong direction. His schedule was pulled, but I was even more disappointed in myself for trusting him after the first lie. Live and learn.

"Can a coach redline an umpire?" This is a loaded question. If I feel a good umpire had a rough day and the coach asks for the umpire not to return, I have been known to send him back the next day! They both get over it and we all move on. However, with new umpires, or even very turbulent situations with Varsity umpires, it is sometimes best to move an umpire off of a game. My belief is that no umpire should go where he's not wanted, but some umpires have a lot of pride and don't want to be moved. This decision is my discretion, not the coaches, and will lie in everyone's best interests.

"Last year I worked 5 College games, and this year I only got 4 on my schedule. Why?" Well, if those 5 games were rain makeup's, you'll probably get 5 more makeups this year, giving you 9 total. I can't penalize the umpire whose games were rained out the year before. The higher you move up the ladder, the more difficult and slower it becomes to progress. In '04, many umpires got a chance to work college ball for the first time because of the rain, some injuries, and a job change. In '05, the injuries were healed and some of the '04 replacements did not get as many college games as they expected. Timing is everything.

"JC, I'm ready to work College Ball and you won't give me an opportunity. What's Up?" Part of working your way up the ladder is preparing for the opportunity before it comes. What does that mean? If you want to start working college ball, ask to come to our NCAA rules session, register with the NCAA, join the CBUA, get a rule book and take the test. That's a given. Then talk to other guys working that level and learn about expectations. Know that you need to get there an hour before. Know what the uniform requirements are. Volunteer to do some Fall Scrimmages and get familiarized with a coach, or even a field. One story comes to mind...a couple of years ago I was in a bind and called an umpire who had been stalking me to start working college games. I asked him if he could work, he said "Yes, but all of my shirts have IHSA patches on them". I couldn't believe it. Opportunities don't grow on trees. Don't be a Randy...be prepared!

You may agree or disagree with this philosophy, but I have to stick with what has worked.

Keep calling them Strikes, and keep calling them often!!

JC


 

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