2022 UEFL Draft and Registration

After MLB and the players' union reached agreement to begin the 2022 regular season Thursday, April 7, Close Call Sports announces registration for its 2022 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League. The draft will be a short one this year, as all crew selections will be due Opening Day. 

Relevant Links for the 2022 UEFL Season

2022 UEFL Registration & Draft Form | UEFL Digest

UEFL Rules Book | Umpire Roster & Profiles

Twitter 🐦: @CloseCallSports

Facebook 👍: /CloseCallSports

Registration and Draft Process

The free-to-play Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (UEFL) is subject to the UEFL Rules.

UEFL Overview:

The Umpire Ejection Fantasy League derived out of a points-per-ejection tracking system and has evolved into an officiating sabermetric tracker that is designed to reward umpires who perform well under certain criteria. To that end, ejections for correct calls receive bonus points while ejections for incorrect calls result in a loss of points (see Summary of Points graphic). Primary and Secondary umpires also receive points for Replay Review outcomes (+1 for Confirmed/Stands and -1 for Overturned). Crew Chiefs receive points of their own for presiding over ejections and Replay Reviews, while Primary and Secondary umpires receive additional points for being assigned to the postseason (as well as the All-Star Game special event).

How to Fill Out the Registration and Draft Form:

We've streamlined the registration and draft process for 2022, allowing you to submit ballots not by dropdown selection of umpires, but by short text field for each selection: when you draft your umpires, you will write the number and name of the umpire you are drafting (e.g., "1 Dreckman, Bruce").

The form includes fields for you to draft 1 Crew Chief, 2 Primary Umpires, and 2 Secondary Umpires.

View the 2022 MLB Umpire Crew list (with call-up umpires below the table of crews) here.

Deadline:

Unrestricted registration/draft selections are due Opening Day, Thursday, April 7, 2022. Any forms received after this date will be subject to restriction based on any points that have already been assigned.

Community and Commenting:

CloseCallSports has added a new option for commenting during the 2022 regular season in addition to the website (register with DISQUS to comment on the website as that is our commenting platform).

Close Call Sports Discord:

New for 2022, CCS has joined Discord! To join the Close Call Sports Discord server and send messages in real-time, click here: https://discord.gg/eFXWr7yHWM.

Click here to view and complete the 2022 UEFL Registration & Draft form.

Draft Results, Site Updated for 2021, Appeals Board Set

As the 2021 MLB regular season gets underway, the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League roster is now set with the UEFL Appeals Board set to welcome Scott C to the crew. Draft results are as follows.

In sum, league membership for 2021 will be 114, of which 30.1% of drafted crews will feature Ted Barrett, who overtakes Joe West for most popular crew chief in 2021 (West had been the most popular crew chief drafted from 2015-2020).

Additionally, the following webpages have been updated for 2021:

2021 UEFL Standings | 2021 Appeals Board | 2021 MLB Ejections | Replay Stats & Sabermetrics

2021 UEFL Draft Results

Membership: 114 (Repeat Participants: 58% / New to UEFL: 42%).

Crew Chiefs: Ted Barrett (30.1%), Joe West (17.9%), Sam Holbrook (8.1%).

Primary Umpires: Vic Carapazza (17.5%), Joe West (14.0%), Marvin Hudson (13.2%).

Secondary Umpires: Will Little (15.8%), John Tumpane (13.2%), Alan Porter (12.3%).

Appeals Board: ScottC (18.1%), TJW/wwjd220 (16.9%), Robin1720 (9.6%).

Important: Visit the 2021 UEFL Standings to confirm your crew is accurately listed. For those who didn't submit full crews, random selections were chosen. Please reply as a comment or e-mail if an adjustment needs to be made.

2021 UEFL Draft Prospectus & Umpire Statistics

The Umpire Ejection Fantasy League presents its UEFL Draft Prospectus for 2021, which include ump statistics such as ejections and Replay Review information, dating back to the mid-2000s.

To register for and submit your Crew Chief, Primary, and Secondary Umpire draft picks, visit the 2021 UEFL Draft & Registration page. The 2021 draft closes March 31.

An additional related link is the UEFL Umpire Roster & Profiles page, which also includes game assignment history for the MiLB call-up umpires.

Historical Information and Draft Prospectus - 2021 UEFL Season
The following section provides statistics regarding top points-getter umpires and other leaders during past UEFL seasons. This information may also be found via the UEFL Portal's Historical Data page, which has been updated through the 2020 season. Umpires with names in strikeout are retired or otherwise ineligible for selection in the UEFL Draft.

General Information
Most Ejections Since 2005: 81 (Joe West), 70 (Marty Foster), 63 (Sam Holbrook).
Most Ejections Since 2014: 32 (Vic Carapazza, Will Little), 31 (Joe West), 28 (Dan Bellino), 25 (Bill Welke, Mark Ripperger), 23 (Mike Estabrook), 22 (Marty Foster, Sam Holbrook, Larry Vanover, John Tumpane, Carlos Torres).

2020 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew" (Most Points): -cc Angel Hernandez (21 pts), P1/2 Ripperger (27 pts) & Bellino (22 pts), S1/2 Hernandez (18 pts) & Jim Reynolds (16 pts).
Ejections: Bellino (8); Ripperger (5); Carapazza, Little (4); Ted Barrett, Hernandez, Ron Kulpa (3).
Replay Points: Reynolds, Ripperger (6); Cory Blaser, Carapazza, Hernandez (5).
[Most Replays Experienced]: Ripperger (14); Eddings (13); Kulpa, Reynolds (12).
Review Accuracy-RAP: Blaser (1.000); Carapazza, Hernandez (.857).
Total Points: Ripperger (27); Bellino (22); Hernandez (21); Carapazza (18); Reynolds (17).
Crew Chief Points: Hernandez (21); T Barrett (12); Alfonso Marquez (11).
UEFL Awards: Best-Mark Carlson; Promising-Hoberg & Tumpane, Honorable-Hernandez & West.

2019 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew" (Most Points): -cc Holbrook (26); P1/2 Estabrook (41) & Jeff Nelson (24); S1/2 Alan Porter (24) & Bill Miller (21).
Ejections: Estabrook (13); Larry Vanover (9); Jeremie Rehak, West (7); Marquez (6).
Replay Points: Laz Diaz, Mike Muchlinski (9); Kerwin Danley, Adam Hamari (8).
[Most Replays Experienced]: Rob Drake (26); Dan Iassogna (25); Dan Bellino, Ron Kulpa (24).
Review Accuracy-RAP: Diaz, Miller, Muchlinski (.800); Danley (.786); Greg Gibson (.769).
Total Points: Estabrook (41); Porter (28); Miller, Nelson, Vanover (24); Torres (22).
Crew Chief Points: Holbrook (26); Vanover (23); Gary Cederstrom, Tom Hallion (21);
UEFL Awards: Best-Jim Wolf; Promising-Hoberg & Porter; Honorable-Cooper & Guccione.

2018 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew" (Most Points): -cc Welke (19), P1/2 West (31) & Brian Gorman (25), S1/2 Tumpane (21) & T Barrett (21).
Ejections: Little (9); Fletcher, G Gibson, Gorman, Hamari, Wendelstedt (6); Cooper, West (5).
Replay Points: Fieldin Culbreth (9); Chad Fairchild, Gorman (8); Tumpane (7).
[Most Replays Experienced]: Gorman, Carapazza, Carlos Torres, Chris Guccione (24).
Review Accuracy-RAP: Fairchild (.722); Culbreth, Tim Timmons (.714); Tumpane (.684).
Total Points: West (31); Gorman, Tumpane (25), Tripp Gibson (23), T Barrett (21).
Crew Chief Points: Welke (19); Gorman (14); Jerry Meals (13).
UEFL Awards: Best-T Barrett, Promising-Hamari & Blaser, Honorable-T Barrett & Cuzzi.

The prospectus continues after the page break for years 2010-2017.

2021 UEFL Draft and Registration Now Open

Close Call Sports welcomes you to the 2021 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League season. Our registration and draft form, which includes the UEFL Appeals Board election, is now open and is due prior to Opening Day. Pursuant to UEFL Rule 1 (Selection of Umpires), you may select umpires at once or in phases until the deadline. Stay tuned for the 2021 Draft Prospectus with stats and scouring information on MLB umpires eligible for selection.

Relevant Links for the 2021 UEFL Season
2021 UEFL Registration & Draft Form | UEFL Digest
UEFL Rules Book | Umpire Roster & Profiles
Twitter 🐦: @CloseCallSports
Facebook 👍: /CloseCallSports.

Registration and Draft Process
The Umpire Ejection Fantasy League is a free-to-play league. All you have to do to participate is fill out the registration and draft form. The UEFL Appeals Board election is also included as part of the draft form; read candidate statements on the 2021 UEFL Appeals Board page via the UEFL Portal.

How to Fill Out the Form
Step 1) First, indicate your desired username and e-mail address (or other unique identifier). In the event you choose to draft your umpires in phases, this unique identifier will verify your selection. If you comment on Close Call Sports via our DISQUS commenting platform, your username must be the same as the username you use for DISQUS.

If you aren't yet registered with DISQUS, you should sign up so that you can comment. Pursuant to UEFL Rules 4-7 and 6-1, only DISQUS-registered users logged into their accounts may challenge UEFL rulings.

Step 2) Draft 1 Crew Chief, 2 Primary Umpires, and 2 Secondary Umpires. You may draft these umpires all at once or in phases. To draft in phases, simply submit a new draft/registration form every time you wish to select a new member of your five-umpire crew. See the accompanying graphics and UEFL Rules 3 and 4 for specific information on how points are allocated throughout the season.

Registration, Draft, and Roster Deadlines:
Wednesday, March 31, 2020: Draft picks due, Appeals Board election closed, roster locked, and MLB regular season begins.

*In the event of a delay or postponement to the season, the aforementioned deadline dates shall reflect the day prior to and the revised Opening Day (first regular season game played), respectively*

Any user who has not selected umpires by Opening Day will be subject to random assignment (to take the "Quick Pick" option voluntarily, submit your registration form leaving your umpire selections blank or [N/A]).

UEFL Appeals Board Election - UEFL 6-4-a:

The final part of the Registration and Draft form is the UEFL Appeals Board Election. One vacancy exists in Chair #9 and candidates are listed in random order on the ballot. To read candidate statements, visit the 2021 UEFL Appeals Board page on the UEFL Portal.

The 2021 UEFL Appeals Board, as selected during the 2020 Rules Summit, includes:
Executive Board (x4): Gil (Chair), tmac (Vice Chair), Jeremy (Deputy), RichMSN (Charter).
At Large (x5): Arik G, cyclone14, MarkCanada, jvick2017, [vacant].

Reply here with questions and submit draft picks/register via the following form:
(Click here if you cannot view the embedded form.)

2021 UEFL Call for Appeals Board Nominations

Hello, and welcome back to the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League for 2021. We begin preparations for the 2021 season by soliciting nominations for the UEFL Appeals Board vacancy that was created by the resignation of MLB Umpire Observer.

UEFL Rule 6-4-a prescribes the creation of an Appeals Board to rule on contested issues that may arise throughout the season, and delineates the process through which this Board's membership is selected. As of March 2021, this nine-person Board has one vacancy, which shall be filled via pre-season nomination and election.

Any visitor, guest, or user is eligible to serve on the Appeals Board; league participation is not required. Membership on the Appeals Board is a voluntary position and subject to a one-year term with no term limits. If you are interested in nominating yourself for this at-large Appeals Board vacancy, please consider the following requirements:

➤ Ability to separate subjectivity from objective analysis;

➤ Extensive rules knowledge or ability to attain exceptional proficiency;

➤ Acceptance of prior and willingness to form UEFL precedent and rule interpretations;

➤ Ability to objectively and thoroughly analyze plays to determine, among others, Quality of Correctness;

➤ Availability to respond to the "Office of the UEFL Commissioner" in a timely fashion;

➤ Board members must abstain from ruling on plays involving drafted umpires (if applicable).

Example of Appeals Board work: 2020 Appeals Board page on the UEFL Portal.

Permanent Appeals Board members: Gil Imber (Commissioner, Chair), Tim McCaffrey/tmac (Ast), Jeremy Dircks (Deputy), RichMSN (Charter Member).  

Appeals Board re-elected via 2020 Rules Summit: Arik G, cyclone14, jvick2017, MarkCanada.

Vacancy: Seat 9 [1 vacancy].

Appeals Board Nomination, Election, and UEFL 2021 Season Registration Timeline:

March 8, 2021 (Monday): Appeals Board nominations opened.

March 18, 2021 (Thursday): Appeals Board nominations closed.

March 19, 2021 (Friday): Appeals Board voting begins, UEFL Registration & Draft begins.

March 31, 2021 (Wednesday): Voting ends, UEFL registration/draft ends. Board, rosters are set.

To submit your candidacy for the UEFL Appeals Board vacancy, [nominations closed]. Be sure to include the following information:

> Username (what you'd like to be called in Appeals Board decisions);

> Real name (username may or may not be your real name, privacy is a reasonable request);

> Preferred e-mail address (presumably the address you are using to send your e-mail);

> Have you participated in the UEFL before?

> Qualifications and/or candidate statement (500 characters maximum).

2020 UEFL Draft and Registration Info

Welcome to the 2020 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League season. The registration and draft form is now open and is due prior to Opening Day. Pursuant to UEFL Rule 1 (Selection of Umpires), you may select umpires at once or in phases until the deadline. Stay tuned for the 2020 Draft Prospectus with stats and scouring information on MLB umpires eligible for selection.

Relevant Links for the 2020 UEFL Season
2020 UEFL Registration & Draft Form | UEFL Digest
UEFL Rules Book | Umpire Roster & Profiles
Twitter 🐦: @UmpireEjections
Facebook 👍: /UmpireEjections.

Registration and Draft Process
The Umpire Ejection Fantasy League is a free-to-play league. All you have to do to participate is fill out the registration and draft form.

How to Fill Out the Form
Step 1) First, indicate your desired username and e-mail address (or other unique identifier). In the event you choose to draft your umpires in phases, this unique identifier will verify your selection. If you comment on Close Call Sports via our DISQUS commenting platform, your username must be the same as the username you use for DISQUS.

If you aren't yet registered with DISQUS, you should sign up so that you can comment. Pursuant to UEFL Rules 4-7 and 6-1, only DISQUS-registered users logged into their accounts may challenge UEFL rulings.

Step 2) Draft 1 Crew Chief, 2 Primary Umpires, and 2 Secondary Umpires. You may draft these umpires all at once or in phases. To draft in phases, simply submit a new draft/registration form every time you wish to select a new member of your five-umpire crew. See the accompanying graphics and UEFL Rules 3 and 4 for specific information on how points are allocated throughout the season.

Registration, Draft, and Roster Deadlines:
Wednesday, March 25, 2020: Final day to submit registration and umpire selections.
Thursday, March 26, 2020: Roster locked and MLB regular season begins.

*In the event of a delay or postponement to the season, the aforementioned deadline dates shall reflect the day prior to and the revised Opening Day (first regular season game played), respectively*

Any user who has not selected umpires by Opening Day will be subject to random assignment (to take the "Quick Pick" option voluntarily, submit your registration form leaving your umpire selections blank or [N/A]).

UEFL Appeals Board - UEFL 6-4-a:
The 2020 UEFL Appeals Board, as finalized during the 2019 Rules Summit, includes:
Executive Board (x4): Gil (Chair), tmac (Vice Chair), Jeremy (Deputy), RichMSN (Charter).
At Large (x5): Arik G, cyclone14, MarkCanada, jvick2017, MLBUmpireObserver.

Reply here with questions and submit draft picks/register via the following form:
(Click here if you cannot view the embedded form.)

Injury Scout - Replacement Rule for Jerry Layne

Jerry Layne was scratched from the Padres-Braves starting lineup shortly before game-time in Atlanta on April 30, leaving a crew of three to officiate that evening as plate umpire Jordan Baker worked with Chad Whitson and Acting Crew Chief Hunter Wendelstedt. MLB flew Paul Nauert in from Philadelphia to join the crew on May 1, assigning Jeremie Rehak to join Fieldin Culbreth's crew to fill Nauert's slot in the Tigers-Phillies series.

Accordingly, we have invoked UEFL Rule 1-5-b for Layne, which authorizes umpire replacement under certain circumstances during the regular season pertaining to extended absence.

Layne is a Crew Chief, which means UEFL members may own him in Crew Division and/or as a Primary or Secondary Umpire.

If you drafted Layne in any form and wish to make a replacement at this time, the following procedure will take place.

UEFL Acceptable Replacement Procedure
If your Crew Chief is Jerry Layne, you may select any Crew Chief listed below.
If your PRM/SDR is Jerry Layne, you may select any primary/secondary umpire below.

Layne has zero points in Primary and Secondary classifications, and -3 points in Crew Division.

List of Legal Replacements (as of May 4, 2019; Subject to change after this date)
Crew Division - Eligible Replacement Crew Chiefs (ranked by UEFL points, in parentheses):
Wendelstedt, Hunter (1) [Rule 1-2-b replacement]
Davis, Gerry (-3) [Rule 1-5-b replacement]
Meals, Jerry (-8)

Primary/Secondary - Refer to UEFL Standings (umpires must have less than 0 UEFL points).
Presently: Baker, Conroy, Culbreth, Davis, Fairchild, Guccione, Hernandez, Hickox, Knight, Morales [PRM only], Rehak [PRM only], Timmons, Whitson [PRM only], Wendelstedt (-1); Additon [PRM only], Barber, T Barrett, Welke (-2); Cooper (-4).

To effect a midseason replacement, post a comment to this announcement indicating your username, classification to be changed (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and proposed replacement name.

2019 UEFL Season Draft Results Summary

To celebrate #OpeningDay 2019, we present the results of the 2019 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League draft. Who was the most popular selection? Did Joe West go #1 in Crew Chief division again? Did Angel Hernandez pique more interest given all the lawsuit hubbub? We break down the numbers.

Sample Size: 150 users submitted selections for the 2019 UEFL draft.
New or Returning: 44.5% of entrants are returning from 2018, 13.1% participated in the league before but not in 2018, and 42.5% of entrants are new to the UEFL.

Crew Chief: Joe West was the most popular crew chief selection, appearing on 22.6% of submitted ballots, followed by Ted Barrett. Top 5 as follows:
Joe West: 22.6%.
Ted Barrett: 18.7%.
Mark Wegner: 7.7%
Jeff Kellogg, Gerry Davis: 5.8%.

Primary Umpires: John Tumpane appeared on a league-high 18.7% of Primary Umpire ballots, followed by Joe West. Top 5 as follows:
John Tumpane: 18.7%.
Joe West: 14.8%.
Will Little: 11.7%.
Vic Carapazza: 7.8%.
Angel Hernandez: 6.4%.

Secondary Umpires: Adam Hamari led the league in appearances for Secondary Umpires with a 12.9% selection rate, followed by Stu Scheurwater. Top 5 as follows:
Adam Hamari: 12.9%.
Stu Scheurwater: 10.2%.
John Tumpane: 7.8%.
Will Little: 7.1%.
Chad Fairchild: 6.5%.

2019 UEFL Draft Prospectus - Umpire Stats Recap

As the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League Draft kicks into gear, we present the annual UEFL Draft Prospectus, including statistics and sabermetrics for ejections and Replay Review outcomes for MLB and MiLB call-up umpires eligible for the 2019 season.

Remember, the final day to register for the 2019 UEFL season is March 27, 2019, though the final day to submit unrestricted umpire selections in all classifications (one Crew Chief, two Primary Umpires, and two Secondary Umpires) is March 19. For more information as to UEFL Draft procedures and to register your umpire crew, visit the accompanying link.
Related Post: 2019 UEFL Draft and Registration Now Open (2/20/19).

Additional related links include the 2019 MLB Umpire Crew List and the UEFL Umpire Roster & Profiles page, which also includes game assignment history for the MiLB call-up umpires.

Historical Information and Draft Prospectus - 2019 UEFL Season
The following section provides statistics regarding top points-getter umpires and other leaders during past UEFL seasons. This information may also be found via the UEFL Portal's Historical Data page, which has been updated through the 2018 season. Umpires with names in strikeout are retired or otherwise ineligible for selection in the UEFL Draft.

General Information
Most Ejections Since 2005: 74 (Joe West), 67 (Marty Foster), 60 (Sam Holbrook).
Most Ejections Since 2014: 26 (Will Little), 24 (West), 23 (Vic Carapazza), 19 (Foster, Holbrook, Bill Welke, John Tumpane), 18 (Dan Bellino, Greg Gibson, Mark Ripperger).

2018 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew" (Most Points): -cc Welke (19 pts), P1/2 West (31 pts) & Brian Gorman (25 pts), S1/2 Tumpane (21 pts) & Ted Barrett (21 pts).
Ejections: Little (9); Fletcher, G Gibson, Gorman, Hamari, Wendelstedt (6); Cooper, West (5).
Replay Points: Fieldin Culbreth (9); Chad Fairchild, Gorman (8); Tumpane (7).
[Most Replays Experienced]: Gorman, Carapazza, Carlos Torres, Chris Guccione (24).
Review Accuracy-RAP: Fairchild (.722); Culbreth, Tim Timmons (.714); Tumpane (.684).
Total Points: West (31); Gorman, Tumpane (25), Tripp Gibson (23), T Barrett (21).
Crew Chief Points: Welke (19); Gorman (14); Jerry Meals (13).
UEFL Awards: Best-T Barrett, Promising-Hamari & Blaser, Honorable-T Barrett & Cuzzi.

2017 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew" (Most Points): -cc West (23 pts), P1/2 Little (26 pts) & Carapazza (22 pts), S1/2 Mark Wegner (23 pts) & Fairchild (18 pts).
Ejections: 10 (Torres), 7 (Holbrook & Welke).
Replay Points: 9 (Fairchild, Wegner, West), 8 (Carapazza).
[Most replays Experienced]: 29 (G Gibson), 26 (Larry Vanover), 25 (Jim Reynolds).
Review Accuracy-RAP: 100.0% (Dale Scott), 87.5% (Pat Hoberg & Ryan Blakney), 81.8% (Fairchild).
Total Pts: 26 (Little), 24 (Wegner), 22 (Carapazza), 21 (Fairchild), 20 (Chris Segal).
Crew Chief Pts: 23 (West), 18 (T Barrett & Tom Hallion), 16 (Reynolds), 13 (Paul Emmel).
UEFL Awards: Best-Wegner, Promising-Blaser/Fairchild, Honorable-Tumpane.

2016 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew": -cc Mike Everitt (15), P1/2 Hoberg (29) & Little (24), S 1/2 Alan Porter (19) & Holbrook (19).
Ejections: 8 (Scott & Todd Tichenor), 7 (Hoberg), 6 (Everitt & West).
Replay Points: 9 (T Barrett & Quinn Wolcott), 8 (Hallion & Porter), 7 (DJ Reyburn).
[Most Replays Experienced]: 31 (Dan Iassogna), 30 (Timmons), 27 (Mark Carlson).
Review Accuracy-RAP: .800 (Wolcott), .750 (David Rackley), .722 (Hallion), .714 (T Barrett).
Total Pts: 29 (Hoberg), 24 (Little), 23 (Porter & West), 21 (Holbrook & Hamari).
Crew Chief Pts: 15 (Everitt), 14 (Kellogg & Winters), 13 (Gorman, Vanover & West).
UEFL Awards: Best-Guccione, Promising-Holbrook/Porter, Honorable-Rob Drake/John Hirschbeck.

The prospectus continues after the page break for years 2010-2015.

2019 UEFL Draft and Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the 2019 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League season. Draft your UEFL crew today!

MLB Spring Training marks the start of the 2019 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League preseason. This year's registration and draft form is officially open and will be due prior to Opening Day in March (see below for this year's deadlines).

Pursuant to UEFL Rule 1 (Selection of Umpires), you may draft umpires all at once or in phases. After Spring Training has begun, we will release the 2019 UEFL Draft Prospectus, which includes scouting information regarding umpires eligible for selection. The Prospectus will be released at least two weeks prior to the registration deadline.

Relevant Links for the 2019 UEFL Season
2019 UEFL Registration and Draft Form | Free UEFL Digest E-mail Subscription
UEFL Rules Book | 2019 MLB Umpire Crew List | Sortable Umpire Roster & Profiles
Twitter 🐦: @UmpireEjections | Facebook 👍: /UmpireEjections.

Registration and Draft Process
If this is your first time here, welcome! And welcome back to those of you returning. As always, UEFL is a free-to-play league that is open to any person that submits the registration and draft form.

Step 1) To begin, access the 2019 UEFL Registration and Draft Form. You will indicate your desired username and e-mail address (or other unique identifier). In the event that you opt to draft in phases, this unique combination of username and e-mail will serve as verification that you are the same person (e.g., prevents against imposters or draft errors in the event of identical user IDs).

Step 2) Draft 1 Crew Chief, 2 Primary Umpires, and 2 Secondary Umpires, either all at once or in phases up until the deadline. This five-umpire crew will earn the bulk of your points during the upcoming season, though there may be other opportunities to earn points throughout the year via Case Play questions.

Important Note: Crew Chiefs earn points based on the performance of their crew while Primary and Secondary Umpires earn points based on individual performance. In general, an umpire earns points for every confirmed/stands replay review outcome and for every ejection as the result of a correct or irrecusable call, but loses points for every incorrect replay review outcome and for every ejection as the result of an incorrect call. See the accompanying graphics and UEFL Rules 3 and 4 for specific points information.

Step 3) Register for the DISQUS system in order to comment on posts (scroll down to the comments section for the appropriate link to DISQUS). Although guest commenting is enabled, UEFL Rules 4-7 and 6-1 state that only DISQUS-registered users may challenge UEFL rulings. Your DISQUS name must match your UEFL username indicated during registration.

Registration, Draft, and Roster Deadlines:
Tuesday, March 19, 2019: Last day to submit unrestricted umpire selections (CC, PRM & SEC).*
Wednesday, March 27, 2019: Last day to register for the 2019 UEFL (registration closed).
Thursday, March 28, 2019: Traditional Opening Day.

*Because the season's opening series in Japan kicks off on March 20, some umpires may be restricted (e.g., cannot be drafted) after this date. For instance, if an umpire officiating the March 20 game earns points in the league, that umpire will not be eligible for draft. By rule, no umpire may be drafted if that umpire has more than zero points at the time of the draft. Similarly, no umpire may be replaced with any other umpire that has more points than the umpire-to-be-replaced.

Any user who has not selected umpires by Traditional Opening Day will be subject to random assignment (if you wish to take the Quick Pick option voluntarily, simply leave your draft selections blank).

UEFL Appeals Board - UEFL Rule 6-4-a:
This season, there are no vacancies on the UEFL Appeals Board. The 2019 Board is as follows:
Executive Board (x4): Gil (Chair), tmac (Vice Chair), Jeremy (Deputy), RichMSN (Charter).
At Large (x5): Arik G, cyclone14, MarkCanada, jvick2017, MLBUmpireObserver.

Reply here with questions. Submit draft picks and register via the accompanying form:

Triple-A Call-Up and Fill-In Results - 2018-19 Offseason

As we prepare for the upcoming 2019 season, we take a look at the Triple-A call-up and fill-in outlook following 2018 and the Arizona Fall League. As this is a contract year for the MLB Umpires Association (MLBUA), we don't expect much in the way of staff umpire retirements or changes, but MiLB might still do some minor shuffling. The following is a look at the 2018 call-ups heading into 2019.

Note that 2018 call-up numbers were elevated due to greater MLBU games lost due to staff injury/DL (most notably, Mike Everitt and Dana DeMuth). In 2018, MiLB call-ups handled 1,471 out of 9,720 (15.1%) MLB assignments, compared to 1,062 out of 9,720 (10.9%) in 2017, an increase of 409 assignments.

*New: The Fill-In Outlook for 2019 follows our midseason review from June 2018 and is part of our Umpire Scouting series for the upcoming draft. Stay tuned for instructions regarding league registration and to sign up for the 2019 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League season.
Related Post: Triple-A Call-Up Progress - June 2018 (6/21/18).

Tier 1 - Most Likely to be Hired (upon MLBU vacancy)
Chris Segal, Nic Lentz, Ryan Blakney, Chad Whitson - Segal, especially, is running toward a Drake/Guccione situation in surpassing the 500-games threshold with no MLB job available due to a lack of vacancies. If he stays the course in 2019, expect a promotion to staff in 2020. Lentz is 2016's Blakney with a spike in game assignments; it'll surely decrease in 2019 and likely follow Blakney's pattern of consistent-yet-manageable work, having proven his workhorse capability. Whitson's prospects look solid for a potential mass-hire situation following the impending ratification of a new CBA, assuming MLBU retirements follow.

Tier 2 - Good Progress So Far
Ben May, Sean Barber, Nick Mahrley - May has slowly but steadily increased his MLB exposure while Barber had a resurgence of sorts in 2018. Mahrley in his sophomore season doubled his workload, not bad for an umpire who didn't appear in the bigs until the second half of 2017.

Tier 2.5 - The Rookies
Jansen Visconti, Jeremie Rehak - Visconti and Rehak, both 2018 AFL invitees, impressed in their debut seasons. The newest umpires ordinarily are relegated to Tier 3, but these two kept succeeding in the spotlight at an elevated rate.
Related Post: 2018 Arizona Fall League Umpire Roster (10/1/18).

Tier 3 - Watch and Wait
Tom Woodring, Ramon De Jesus, Ryan Additon, Roberto Ortiz, John Libka, Shane Livensparger - Woodring is the veteran and leader of this tier, but how long will he wait? De Jesus is in a middle-pack predicament while Additon has received interesting treatment from the league, having officiated his first game of 2018 in June and vaulting to 74 assignments to close out the year. Ortiz and Libka are in wait-and-see territory while Livensparger for whatever reason is the only umpire with less than 50 games in each of his first two call-up years since Whitson in 2014-15.

Click the column headers to sort by that metric.

Rk (2018)	Rk (Total)	Umpire	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	Total Gms
1	6	Lentz, Nic	149	109	105			363
2	1	Segal, Chris	141	124	21	116	111	513
2	7	Whitson, Chad	141	124	52	8	7	332
4	2	Blakney, Ryan	126	119	142	88		475
5	3	May, Ben	113	104	69	88	30	404
6	4	Barber, Sean	109	67	67	58	92	393
7	11	Visconti, Jansen	108					108
8	13	Rehak, Jeremie	98					98
9	8	DeJesus, Ramon	82	97	81			260
10	5	Woodring, Tom	81	107	36	54	102	380
11	11	Mahrley, Nick	77	31				108
12	10	Additon, Ryan	74	55				129
13	9	Ortiz, Roberto	68	66	8			142
14	15	Libka, John	58	19				77
15	14	Livensparger, Shane	46	40				86

**1471 of the 9720 (15.1%) umpire assignments in MLB games in 2018 (2430 regular season games) were handled by AAA call-ups.
**In 2017, 1062 of the 9720 umpire assignments (10.9%) were handled by Minor Leaguers.

Legend: Rk (2018) and Rk (Total) refer to the umpire's rank of MLB games assigned in 2018 and all-time, respectively.

UEFL Invokes Injury Replacement Rule for Everitt

Since sustaining an Opening Day concussion on a March 30 pitch to the head that eluded catcher Francisco Cervelli's mitt, umpire Mike Everitt attempted a return after 25 days off the field, officiating several games from April 25 through May 2 before he once again disappeared from on-field service.
Related Post: Injury Scout - Everitt Concussed on Pitch to Head (3/31/18).

Mike Everitt is yet to return to regular service.

Unfortunately, this complication has led to a second absence that has now surpassed the 30-day threshold indicated in new-for-2018 UEFL Rule 1-5-b, which authorizes umpire replacement under certain circumstances during the regular season pertaining to extended absence.

Because Everitt is a Crew Chief, there are two potential replacements that UEFL members who own Everitt may effect: that of Everitt as a Primary/Secondary umpire, and that of Everitt as a Crew Chief.

If you drafted Everitt in either capacity and wish to make a replacement, read on for Rule 1-5-b's instructions.

UEFL Acceptable Replacement Procedure
If your Crew Chief is Mike Everitt, you may select any Crew Chief listed below.
If your PRM/SDR is Mike Everitt, you may select any primary/secondary umpire listed below.

Everitt has zero points in Primary and Secondary classifications, and zero points in Crew Division.

List of Legal Replacements (as of June 5, 2018; Subject to change after this date)
Crew Division - Eligible Replacement Crew Chiefs (ranked by UEFL points, in parentheses):
Welke, Bill (-1) [Rule 1-2-b replacement]
Wegner, Mark (-1) [Rule 1-5-b replacement]
Holbrook, Sam (-1) [1-5-b]
Davis, Gerry (-3) [1-5-b]
West, Joe (-4) [1-5-b]
Hallion, Tom (-7) [1-5-b]
Miller, Bill (-7) [1-5-b]
Kellogg, Jeff (-8) [1-5-b]

Primaries and Secondaries - Refer to UEFL Standings (umpires must have less than 0 UEFL points)

To effect a midseason replacement, post a comment to this announcement indicating your username, classification to be changed (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and proposed replacement name.

UEFL Invokes Midseason Replacement Provision for Emmel

It is now one month since the regular season began, and since Paul Emmel last appeared (in Spring Training).

At this time, the UEFL is invoking League Rules 1-2-b and 1-5-b for any team owners who have drafted Emmel and wishes to replace him on their crews. The membership voted during last year's Rules Summit to allow owners to replace an umpire who has been absent for 30 days or longer during the regular season.

Midseason replacement approved for Emmel.

Because Emmel is a crew chief, two separate injury clauses have been invoked: one for Crew Chiefs and one for Crew Chiefs/Primary/Secondary umpires.

Emmel's regular crew features Bruce Dreckman, Chad Fairchild, and Mike Eestabrook.

Alfonso Marquez, the usual number-two umpire for Sam Holbrook's crew, has served as acting crew chief in Emmel's absence and on Emmel's crew for the first month of the regular season.

UEFL Acceptable Replacement Procedure
If your Crew Chief is Paul Emmel and you wish to make a replacement, pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-2-b, you may select Alfonso Marquez as your crew chief; OR,

If you own Paul Emmel in any capacity (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and you wish to make a replacement, pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-5-a, you may select any umpire who has fewer points than Scott for that classification.

Emmel has zero points in Primary and Secondary classifications, and zero points in Crew Division.

List of Legal Replacements (as of April 29, 2017; Subject to Change After This Date)
Crew Division - Eligible Replacement Crew Chiefs (ranked by UEFL points, in parentheses):
Marquez, Alfonso (3) [Rule 1-2-b replacement]
Everitt, Mike (-1) [Rule 1-5-a replacement]
Holbrook, Sam (-1) [1-5-a]
Kellogg, Jeff (-1) [1-5-a]
Davis, Gerry (-2) [1-5-a]
Hallion, Tom (-3) [1-5-a]
Wegner, Mark (-4) [1-5-a]

Primaries & Secondaries - Refer to UEFL Standings (umpires must have less than 0 UEFL points)

To effect a midseason replacement, post a comment to this announcement indicating your username, classification to be changed (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and proposed replacement name.

2018 UEFL Draft Results

The 2018 UEFL draft is in the books and rosters are set for Opening Day, available via the 2018 standings page on the UEFL Portal. The following statistics indicate the most commonly selected umpires.

Cowboy Joe West again led crew chief picks.

Crew Chief Draft: For the fourth season in a row, Joe West was the most drafted umpire in Crew Division, accounting for 19.7% of all crew chief selections. West led all crew chiefs with 23 CC points in 2017.

In his first year as a Crew Chief, Mark Wegner was second-most selected (14.2%), ahead of Ted Barrett (13.8%, who finished in second place with 18 -cc points in 2017). No other umpire cracked the 10% mark (4th most commonly chosen crew chief Gerry Davis made up 7.9% of the cumulative roster, with Tom Hallion [5.9%], Jeff Kellogg [5.3%], and Jeff Nelson [4.6%] closely behind). All 19 available crew chiefs were selected.

Primary Umpires: Vic Carapazza was the most popular selection in the primary draft, comprising 8.6% of all Primary Umpire selections. He finished in third place with 22 total points for the 2017 UEFL season.

Vic Carapazza was the most popular draftee.

Will Little followed Carapazza with a 6.3% primary draft rate; Little finished first with 26 points in 2017. Rounding out the top five primary selections were Angel Hernandez (4.6%), Joe West (3.9%), and Alfonso Marquez (3.6%). The umpire who finished in second place last season, Mark Wegner with 24 points, was drafted at a 3.0% clip.

Secondary Umpires: In addition to leading the primary draft class for 2018, Carapazza co-led the secondary draft with John Tumpane; each umpire appeared on 4.9% of UEFL draft rosters. Little was the third-most popular selection in the secondary draft (3.9%), with newly-promoted MLB umpire Stu Scheurwater (3.3%) and Hernandez (3.0%) rounding out the top five.

Undrafted Free Agents: MLB #44 Kerwin Danley was the only full-time big league umpire not selected in this year's draft. Call-Ups not selected include 67 Ryan Additon, 18 Ramon De Jesus, 59 Nic Lentz, 84 John Libka, 48 Nick Mahrley, 97 Ben May, 40 Roberto Ortiz, 96 Chris Segal, 62 Chad Whitson, and 75 Tom Woodring (Jeremie Rehak and Jansen Visconti were not on the draft board).

UEFL Invokes Injury Rule for Dana DeMuth

With the draft nearly complete, we note that umpire Dana DeMuth has not appeared in a single 2018 Spring Training game.

As such, we have invoked UEFL Rule 1-5, Qualified Alteration of Drafted Umpires / Authorization to Change Umpires After Draft But Before Season Begins.

If you have drafted Dana DeMuth in any capacity (Primary, Secondary, or Crew Chief selection), you may replace him on your crew if you so choose; you will have until Thursday (Opening Day) to effect this change; no changes will be accepted following the first pitch of the first game ("before season begins").

Click here to submit a revised draft form (please indicate in the COMMENTS that DeMuth is to be replaced) or reply as a comment to this announcement.

2018 UEFL Draft Prospectus - Stats and Summary

To assist your selection of umpires, the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League presents its UEFL Draft Prospectus for 2018, a statistical review of MLB and minor league call-up officials eligible for draft.

Remember, the final day to register for the 2018 UEFL season and draft is Friday, March 23. If you have previously drafted your umpires and wish to modify your selections at any time until that date, you may submit a new draft form using the following link. You will need to use your same username and e-mail address to ensure the updated picks are accurately recorded.
Related: Click here to draft your umpires for the 2018 UEFL season.

Link: UEFL's Replay Review Statistics & Sabermetrics.

The 2018 UEFL Draft Prospectus includes information collected from the UEFL Portal's Historical Data page and dataset. Additional information concerning each umpire on the roster, and the season's crews may be found on the UEFL Umpire Roster and Profiles page.
Related Post: UEFL Year in Review - Tmac's 2017 Replay Recap (10/2/17).

Historical Information and Draft Prospectus - 2018 UEFL Season

Most Ejections Since 2005: 69 (Joe West), 63 (Marty Foster), 58 (Sam Holbrook).
A crossed-out name indicates that specific umpire has retired or is otherwise not eligible for selection.

2017 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew" (Most Points): -cc Joe West (23 pts), P1/2 Will Little (26 pts) & Vic Carapazza (22 pts), S1/2 Mark Wegner (23 pts) & Chad Fairchild (18 pts).
Ejections: 10 (Carlos Torres), 7 (Holbrook & Bill Welke).
Replay Points: 9 (Fairchild, Wegner, West), 8 (Carapazza).
[Most replays Experienced]: 29 (Greg Gibson), 26 (Larry Vanover), 25 (Jim Reynolds).
Review Accuracy-RAP: 100.0% (Dale Scott), 87.5% (Pat Hoberg & Ryan Blakney), 81.8% (Fairchild).
Total Pts: 26 (Little), 24 (Wegner), 22 (Carapazza), 21 (Fairchild), 20 (Chris Segal), 18 (John Tumpane).
Crew Chief Pts: 23 (West), 18 (Ted Barrett & Tom Hallion), 16 (Reynolds), 13 (Paul Emmel).
UEFL Awards: Best-Wegner, Promising-Blaser/Fairchild, Honorable-Tumpane.

2016 Umpire Leaderboard
"Perfect Crew": -cc Mike Everitt (15), P1/2 Hoberg (29) & Little (24), S 1/2 Alan Porter (19) & Holbrook (19).
Ejections: 8 (Scott & Todd Tichenor), 7 (Hoberg), 6 (Everitt & West).
Replay Points: 9 (T Barrett & Quinn Wolcott), 8 (Hallion & Porter), 7 (DJ Reyburn).
[Most Replays Experienced]: 31 (Dan Iassogna), 30 (Tim Timmons), 27 (Mark Carlson).
Review Accuracy-RAP: 80.0% (Wolcott), 75.0% (David Rackley), 72.2% (Hallion), 71.4% (T Barrett).
Total Pts: 29 (Hoberg), 24 (Little), 23 (Porter & West), 21 (Holbrook & Adam Hamari).
Crew Chief Pts: 15 (Everitt), 14 (Kellogg & Winters), 13 (Gorman, Vanover & West).
UEFL Awards: Best-Chris Guccione, Promising-Holbrook/Porter, Honorable-Rob Drake/John Hirschbeck.

2015 Umpire Leaders
"Perfect Crew": -cc Hirschbeck (19), P1/2 Holbrook (21) & Tumpane (21), S1/2 Carlson (20) & Gary Cederstrom (15).
Ejections: 8 (West & Holbrook), 7 (Hirschbeck), 6 (G Gibson & Dan Bellino).
Replay Points: 24 (Tumpane & Brian O'Nora), 23 (Hirschbeck, Ron Kulpa, Manny Gonzalez, Jordan Baker).
Total Pts: 23 (Carlson), 22 (Holbrook), 21 (Tumpane), 20 (G Gibson, Tripp Gibson & Bellino).
Crew Chief Pts: 19 (Hirschbeck), 17 (T Welke), 16 (Brian Gorman), 14 (Cederstrom & Hallion).
UEFL Awards: Best-Alfonso Marquez, Promising-Carlson/Porter, Honorable-Hirschbeck/Scott.

2014 Umpire Leaders
"Perfect Crew": -cc Bill Miller (32), P1/2 Carapazza (36) & Bellino (30), S1/2 Guccione (25) & T Barrett (25).
Ejections: 7 (Bellino, Carapazza, Jeff Nelson), 6 (Miller, Mark Ripperger, Timmons, Toby Basner).
Replay Points: 24 (Reyburn), 23 (Doug Eddings), 22 (T Barrett, Adrian Johnson).
Total Pts: 36 (Carapazza), 30 (Bellino), 26 (T Barrett, Nelson), 25 (Little, Guccione).
Crew Chief Pts: 32 (Miller), 23 (West), 20 (Fieldin Culbreth), 18 (Hallion), 16 (Kellogg).
UEFL Awards: Best-T Barrett, Promising-Carapazza/Angel Hernandez, Honorable-T Barrett/Hirschbeck.

The prospectus continues after the page break.

2018 UEFL Draft and Registration Now Open

Announcing registration and UEFL draft, now open for the 2018 Umpire ejection Fantasy League season.

Welcome to the 2018 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League preseason. This year's registration and draft form is now available and shall be due in one month's time (see below for precise deadlines).

You may both register and draft your umpires at the same time or draft your umpires in phases, pursuant to UEFL Rule 1. All registrants will automatically be entered into both the standard and UEFL Express (umpire points only) divisions.

Relevant Links for the 2018 UEFL Season
2018 UEFL Registration and Draft Form | Free UEFL Digest E-mail Subscription
UEFL Rules Book | 2018 Season MLB Umpire Crews | Sortable Ump Roster

The UEFL Rules have been updated for 2018.

Registration Procedures, Eligibility, and the Draft
Participation in the UEFL is free and open to any visitor who wishes to play. Users play by drafting umpire crews consisting of one Crew Chief, two Primary Umpires, and two Secondary Umpires; there may be other opportunities to earn points during the season, such as through Case Play questions and scenarios.

In order to draft a crew of umpires, you will need to complete the 2018 UEFL Registration and Draft form; you may use the same username as before if you participated in the past. Although guest commenting is enabled, UEFL Rules 4-7 and 6-1 state that users must be logged into the DISQUS commenting platform in order to initiate challenges.

Registration, Draft, and Roster Deadlines as follows:
Friday, March 23, 2018: Last day to register for the 2018 UEFL (registration closed).
Monday, March 26, 2018: Last day to submit unrestricted Primary & Secondary Umpires.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018: Last day to submit unrestricted Crew Chief selections.
Thursday, March 29, 2018: Regular season begins.

Appeals Board - UEFL Rule 6-4-a
This season, there are no vacancies on the UEFL Appeals Board; thus, there will be no nominations.
The 2018 UEFL Appeals Board is as follows:
4x: Gil (Commissioner, Chair), Jeremy (Deputy), tmac (Assistant), RichMSN (Charter Member).
5x: Arik G, cyclone14, MarkCanada, jvick2017, MLBUmpireObserver.

You may reply to this post with any questions you may have. Registration form is embedded below:

UEFL Invokes Injury Rule for Owners of Ump Scott

It is now two months since umpire Dale Scott suffered a game-ending foul ball head injury in Toronto, and he has not returned to the Major League field since. With no further status update from the League, we continue to wish him the best. His presence on the field is truly missed.

Dale Scott has not umpired since April 14.

At this time, the UEFL is invoking League Rules 1-2-b and 1-5-a for any team owner who has drafted Dale Scott and wishes to replace him on their crew. The membership voted during last year's Rules Summit to allow owners to replace an umpire who becomes injured or bereaved during the season. This is the first implementation of that rule.

Because Scott is a crew chief, two separate injury clauses have been invoked: one for Crew Chiefs and one for Crew Chiefs/Primary/Secondary umpires.

As mentioned in last month's A Look at the Dale Scott Crew Without Their Crew Chief, Scott's regular season crew consists of Jim Reynolds, Brian Knight, and Lance Barrett.

Reynolds, as the number two umpire on the crew, has served as acting crew chief in Scott's absence and has remained the senior-most umpire on the unit, with limited exception (e.g., Joe West joined the crew from May 16-21 to replace Brian Knight).

Meanwhile, Triple-A call-up umpire Stu Scheurwater has remained with Scott/Reynolds' crew ever since the day after West returned to captain his own crew on May 22.

UEFL Midseason Replacement Procedure
If your Crew Chief is Dale Scott and you wish to make a replacement, pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-2-b, you may select Jim Reynolds as your crew chief; OR,

If you own Scott in any capacity (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and you wish to make a replacement, pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-5-a, you may select any umpire who has fewer points than Scott for that classification.

Scott has two points in Primary and Secondary classifications, and -2 points in Crew Division.
Reynolds has 10 points in Crew Division. Pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-2-b, if you drafted Scott as your Crew Chief, you may replace him with Reynolds. If you wish to replace Crew Chief Scott with a Crew Chief other than Reynolds—or wish to replace Primary/Secondary Umpire Scott with any other umpire (other than those you already own)—you may do so, provided this alternate replacement has fewer than -2 points in Crew Division, or +2 points as a Primary/Secondary Umpire, as applicable.

List of Legal Replacements (as of June 14, 2017; Subject to Change After This Date)
Crew Division - Eligible Replacement Crew Chiefs (ranked by UEFL points, in parentheses):
Reynolds, Jim (10) [Rule 1-2-b replacement]
Nelson, Jeff (-3) [Rule 1-5-a replacement]
Cederstrom, Gary (-4) [1-5-a]
Meals, Jerry (-6) [1-5-a]
Davis, Gerry (-8) [1-5-a]

Primaries & Secondaries - Refer to UEFL Standings (umpires must have less than 2 UEFL points)

To effect a midseason replacement, post a comment to this announcement indicating your username, classification to be changed (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and proposed replacement name.

UEFL Prop Predictions - Start of 2017 Season

Fill in the blank: The 2017 regular season's first ejection will involve Umpire ____ and Manager ____.

Lock in your predictions before Opening Day.

Welcome to the UEFL's pre-season Prop Predictions, a chance to earn extra points in the UEFL standings. As stated in UEFL Rule 4-6, Prop predictions are forecasts of what might occur during an upcoming season, series or game. They may be numerical (e.g., "On what date will the first ejection of the MLB season occur?") or objective (e.g., "What umpire will finish the season with exactly 10 ejections?").

The following 10 questions serve as this year's prop bets ahead of the regular season. Submit your predictions via the accompanying form (available via "Read More" / scroll down) prior to Opening Day (before April 2) to lock in your picks. Predictions filed after 12:01 AM on April 2, 2017 will not be accepted.

Prop 1) The first regular season ejection of 2017 will be credited to which Umpire?*
Prop 2) The first Managerial regular season ejection of 2017 will be of which Manager?*
Prop 3) The first regular season ejection of 2017 will occur on what date?
Prop 4) The FIFTH person ejected in 2017 will be from which Division?
Prop 5) Umpire Joe West's first Managerial ejection of 2017 will be of what person?
Prop 6) The first 2017 regular season ejection for FIGHTING will occur on what date?
Prop 7) Manager Joe Maddon's first ejection of 2017 will occur on what date?
Prop 8) The SECOND team to receive an ejection during the 2017 regular season will be:
Prop 9) The THIRD regular season ejection of 2017 will be credited to which crew chief?
Prop 10) Of the four new full-time umpires, which one will execute the earliest ejection?

2017 UEFL Draft Results

The standard 2017 UEFL draft is now complete and the results are as follows. Membership/roster information may be viewed via the 2017 standings page on the UEFL Portal.

Joe West, once again, was the most selected.

Crew Chief Draft: 17 of the 19 available crew chiefs (89%) were drafted: As in 2016, the most common selection was Joe West (25 times), followed by Jeff Kellogg and Ted Barrett, who each were chosen 11 times. Larry Vanover and Jerry Layne were the only two crew chiefs not drafted. The least commonly drafted crew chiefs, of those selected, were Fieldin Culbreth, Bill Miller, Mike Winters, and Paul Emmel, who each were drafted just once. Gary Cederstrom, Jerry Meals, and Mike Everitt were chosen twice each.

Primary Umpire Draft: 44 different umpires were drafted in the Primary, or exactly 50% of the total field, which included minor league call-ups. Joe West was the most selected Primary umpire (14 times), followed by Vic Carapazza (11 times), Will Little (nine times), Hunter Wendelstedt and Chris Guccione (eight selections each). The most frequently selected Triple-A/MiLB call-up umpire was Toby Basner (twice).
> Primary Pairings: No two Primary umpires were paired together on more than three ballots. Vic Carapazza and Joe West were drafted together three times, as were Hunter Wendelstedt and Joe West. Pairs that appeared twice were: Tripp Gibson and Joe West, Angel Hernandez and Joe West, Brian Knight and Chris Guccione, and Hunter Wendelstedt and Will Little.

Secondary Umpire Draft: 65 different umpires were drafted in the Secondary category, representing 86% of the available 76 umpires. The most frequently selected Secondary umpires were Joe West, Greg Gibson, and Dan Iassogna (tied for nine selections each); Dan Bellino, Vic Carapazza, and Angel Hernandez (eight each); and Chris Guccione (seven times).
> Secondary Pairings: No two Secondary umpires were paired together on more than two ballots. Secondary umpire pairings that appeared two times were: Dan Bellino and Vic Carapazza, Bill Miller and Joe West, Greg Gibson and Angel Hernandez, and Marty Foster and Jerry Layne.

> Crew + Primary: Only one configuration of Crew Chief + 2 Primary Umpires appeared twice amongst draft ballots: That of Ted Barrett (crew chief) and Brian Knight/Chris Guccione (Primaries). No such repetition existed amongst Crew + Secondary, and, thus, no two crews were identical.

Undrafted Free Agents: Umpires not selected in any of the above drafts include Mark Carlson, Chris Conroy, and David Rackley.
MiLB Undrafted Free Agents: Minor League call-ups not selected during the Primary phase include Sean Barber, Ramon De Jesus, Ben May, Roberto Ortiz, Stu Scheurwater, Chris Segal, Chad Whitson, and Tom Woodring.