BANGOR – For many, the lure of baseball is the love of the game.

For Robert Stevenson, it was that and love of the children.

The lifelong Bangor resident currently serves as Little League administrator for District 3, which covers Penobscot and Aroostook counties.

When the 69-year-old grandfather is not loading baggage for American Eagle Airlines, he is watching over the games the children play.

His work with Little League began simply enough.

“They needed someone,” he said. “I played a lot of ball myself. One of my friends was an umpire, and I liked working with the kids.”

He also had refereed high school football and umpired baseball, so it seemed like a good fit.

The umpiring, which he began in 1958, continued off and on for a few years, until his children were old enough to play.

“My kids were playing, so I got into coaching,” he said, explaining that he started to instruct his own and other children in 1966.

In 1979, he went to a district meeting, where he was nominated to replace the outgoing district administrator, Harry Dalton.

“I was interested in [the district administrator position], but I don’t know why I was,” Stevenson said.

He won the election.

He conceded that he had “big footsteps to follow. The guys that preceded me did a heck of a job.”

Stevenson was motivated to do well in the position.

“I want to make sure things run as good as possible. When everything is successful, you don’t want to upset the apple cart,” he said.

Most of Stevenson’s busy season occurs during all-star competition for baseball and softball.

The tournament time begins in early July, and usually lasts about five weeks. The workload will be increased this year with the Senior League World Series, which will be held in Bangor Aug. 11-17.

Tournaments are much more involved now than when he began. Instead of only boys and just two age groups, there are now separate teams for boys and girls, divided into four age brackets.

Another part of Stevenson’s responsibility is managing teams from his district. If a team wins its district championship, it can advance to state and regional tournaments before reaching the World Series.

Duties also involve keeping volumes of paperwork in order. He has records back to 1960, telling him where teams played.

That is important because, in Little League, when two teams play in the age 11-12 division, they alternate home fields. And after games, “coaches call to find out where they’re playing next,” Stevenson added.

He has seen a lot of changes through the years, with the biggest improvement being the fields.

“All nice fields,” he said, adding that it’s not like the older days of playing in hayfields.

Children’s safety is a priority, with helmets and throat protectors having been added during his tenure. Girls’ participation in Little League has been another addition.

As for metal bats, Stevenson said, “I don’t know if that’s an improvement. They don’t break as many.”

For the last 15 years, Little League has switched from a single-elimination tournament to a double-elimination format.

“It creates a little more work, finding umpires,” he said.

Following regulations, even when people don’t like them, can also be a challenge. Birth certificates, for instance, have to be issued by the city or the state, not by the hospital.

“I have to verify them all now,” Stevenson said.

He has to be attentive to the rules, especially now, “as you can see, with that Almonte kid who was 14” and playing against younger children.

Danny Almonte played for a Little League All-Star team in the Bronx, N.Y., last season, finishing third in the Little League World Series. However, the wins were forfeited when it was learned Almonte was really 14, not 12.

“I have to file an affidavit for an all-star team. It’s now nine pages instead of one on account of that kid,” Stevenson said.

He said that along with the birth certificates, the organization needs maps of where the children live.

Stevenson, however, still loves to watch the kids play.

“What I enjoy is seeing my granddaughters play. My son coaches. That’s my biggest enjoyment right now,” he said.

Another pleasure, he added, is “seeing grandsons, sons, of kids that I coached myself.”

While he enjoys the work, it does have some drawbacks.

“It ties up your summer. I can’t take a summer vacation,” he said, adding however, “I’ve got more help now. I couldn’t possibly do it without as good help as I’ve got.”

Stevenson said he is going to administer the program two more years, to reach the milestone of 25.

“That’s a good number,” he said. “Some of my cohorts have been in it for 50 years. I can’t go 50 years, I can tell you that.”