Making a pitch for umpires Group launches recruiting effort

A desperate need for umpires at the high school, junior varsity and middle school levels has led to the development of a recruitment committee to attract new umpires to the Eastern Maine Baseball Umpires Association.

Brewer’s Dan Campbell is the chairman of the nine-man committee and they are all on the recruiting trail.

“We had 62 umpires on the roster at the start of last season but we lost at least 10 because they changed jobs,” said Campbell, who has been on the board for eight years. “So we’d have, roughly, 50 [available] on a given day.”

Since the board serves schools from Newport to Sullivan to Millinocket, that left a void and it was the middle schools that suffered the most.

“There were middle school games that didn’t have umpires. Parents would have to umpire,” said Campbell, who added that several JV games had just one umpire instead of the usual two.

He also said there were times he got pulled off one game to go do another because they were so shorthanded.

And he pointed out that getting to a game on time can be a challenge because of their work schedules.

Umpires receive $48 for varsity games, and $33.50 for JV and middle school games. The pay is the same for the home plate and base umpires.

If an umpire works alone, he gets an extra 50 percent. So an umpire who works a varsity game alone would receive $72 and a JV or middle school game would earn him $50.25.

They receive 28 cents a mile for travel to varsity and JV games up to 125 miles. Any mile after 125 pays them 14 cents.

“Schools don’t have to pay mileage for junior high games but some do just so they can be assured of getting one,” said Campbell.

Umpires must be at least 18 years of age and out of high school to be considered.

“A 17-year-old can join the board but he won’t be assigned games [until he turns 18 and graduates high school]. He can go to meetings, take the test [to earn certification] and gain knowledge,” said Campbell.

Mike Bordick, the president of the EMBUA, will soon announce the dates and times of certification classes for fledgling umpires, according to Campbell.

“You take eight classes and they last two hours each,” said Campbell. “Then you take a test that you need to pass to be certified.”

Veteran umpires also have to take the test every year to renew their certification.

New umpires will start at the middle school level.

“That’s where they get their feet wet. The goal is for them to gain knowledge and work their way up,” said Campbell.

Anyone interested in becoming an umpire should contact Mike Bordick at 947-6606.