Why do I spend so much time on baseball? Simple, I love the game. The same goes for umpiring. I am passionate about umpiring, it is something I truly love. My playing abilities were never going to have me sign a professional contract, or even a college scholarship. Working behind the plate keeps me connected to the game. Good umpires only care about getting the call right. Who wins or loses is not my concern, I am competing against myself to get every call right. While I am not always successful, the competition is part of the joy of umpiring.

Stepping on the field to call a game is thrilling. Getting paid to do it is beyond my wildest dreams. The pay for umpires will never make you rich, but it is a wonderful side job. The money I have earned umpiring has paid for a three week road trip each of the last two years.

You are getting paid to umpire baseball. Your appreciation for what is a good fastball or curveball grows as call increasingly higher level games. As the play on the field rises, you realize just how good Major League players are. Multiple times after calling a pitch I knew I had zero chance as a batter to hit the pitch, even if I knew it was coming. Umpiring has kept me involved with baseball beyond, just reading news articles and watching games on television.

There are good days and bad days of umpiring. I would go to the Emergency Room after taking a foul ball to the throat during this game. (The Winning Run/ SCL)

Umpiring has shown me how little I know about baseball. Studying the rule book to make calls at a moments notice gives me more questions than answers. Baseball fans know the basics, but the seldom used rules can be the most interesting. As you begin to truly understand the rules of baseball you begin to see the game as a whole. The puzzle pieces slowly come together.

The best part of umpiring is having a front row seat to the game. You see the crazy and amazing plays, including a triple play. Over the course of a year you will watch good and bad baseball at every level. There are days you do not want to umpire. You are tired and beat up. The days when it is more of an effort to get to the field on time ready to hustle, even then umpiring is a wonderful thing. Some of the best games occur on those days. Umpiring, like everything in life, is not always perfect. However, if you stay with it, work hard, show up on time, and put in the work, you will reap the rewards. Nailing the tough calls, the great plays, the beautiful sunsets, a perfect curveball are an umpires rewards when they are true to themselves and baseball.

DJ