You’ve done it, and I’ve done it. They start out harmless.

“Hey, Blue! You’re missing a good game!”

But in the blink of an eye, it can escalate into a profanity-laced lashing.

“Hey, Blue! [Expletive] you!

Before stretching out in the seventh inning, baseball umpires become the bull’s-eye to many blitzed ballgame barkers.

“It’s a tough job,” umpire David Rackley said. “It’s a lot more difficult than most people think.”

During the Toledo Mud Hens’ most recent homestand, I caught up with three umpires from the International League. They tell me the words you spew over your bottle of brew have little impact on them. Like the players, the umpires have only one thing on their mind.

“The ultimate goal is to get to the big leagues,” umpire Pete Pedersen said. “No question about it.”

Along with Rackley and Pedersen, David Uyl rounds out the three-man crew this season. Pedersen and Uyl actually graduated from umpiring school together and have spent the past nine years moving up the minor-league ladder.

“We all want to get to the big leagues, and this is the only way to do it,” Uyl said.

Though they share the same dream, the umpires keep their relationship with Triple-A players professional.

“We all have that same common goal, and they know we’re on that same path trying to get to the big leagues,” Rackley said.

Now you may assume umpires live a cushy life. Granted, once you hit the major leagues, umpires can earn in excess of six figures. Unfortunately for our three umps, the luxurious lifestyle doesn’t apply.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that we all live in Toledo,” Uyl said. “[People think] we work at the local Burger King during the day and we come out at night and work the Mud Hens games.”

Moonlighting as an umpire may sound intriguing to some of my readers. So, here’s your chance to put your money where your mouth is, which we know is usually loud and obnoxious.

The Harry Wendelstedt School for Umpires is located in Daytona Beach, Fla. The only requirement is you must be at least 18 years old to attend. The course lasts five weeks and will cost you about $3,000. Even with the professional training, there is no guarantee you’ll find a job.

“It’s a pretty lengthy process,” Uyl said. “It can take you seven, eight years just to get to Triple-A.”

The lavish lifestyle of our minor league umpires is on display once again by their mode of transportation. While the big league umps fly from game to game, our umps travel by a league-assigned minivan. They arrived in Toledo after a 12-hour ride from Charlotte, N.C.

“Every four days we’re packing up our suitcase and going to a new hotel and unpacking it,” Rackley said.

These umpires may love the game, but baseball makes them pay for it come September.

“It takes a toll on your body,” Uyl said. “You can feel it at the end of the season.”

The Mud Hens are scheduled to play 144 games this season. Half will be played at Fifth Third Field. Umpires Uyl, Pedersen and Rackley will umpire at least 144 games this season. However, their hometowns of Chicago, Orlando, Fla. and Houston are not on the schedule.

“Being away from your friends and family is the hardest part,” Pedersen said. “Being away from the ones you love is tough.”

“Unlike the players, we never have a home game,” Uyl said.

Dillon tears ACL

A couple weeks ago I wrote a story about Luke Dillon. The Defiance College graduate and former member of the St. Francis de Sales High School Knights was flying under the radar in the days leading up to the NFL draft.

Dillon went that weekend without a call from the NFL. He did, however, get at call from the Arena Football League later in the week.

Dillon flew to New Orleans for a two-day tryout with the AFL’s Voodoo.

On day two, while running passing routes, Dillon heard a pop. He tore his ACL a day before the Voodoo planned on signing him for the rest of the season.

He flew back home and had surgery on May 2. He will have to sit out five months before returning to the field. With all the bad news, there is a silver lining. The head coach of the Voodoo was so impressed by Dillon’s ability that the team is planning to invite him to training camp in February in New Orleans.

In the meantime, Dillon is trying to find night classes in Michigan in pursuit of his other goal: earning a law degree.

Ryan Fowler is the weekend sports anchor at WNWO-TV NBC 24.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under TFP Version 1.
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