Postscript 2017 - There's nothing soft in softball

These last two weeks have been quite the emotional roller coaster. Showing up to do games in San Bernardino, the town of my birth, where I grew up, and where I work even now, was the beginning of a dream come true. The tournament itself was everything I dreamed it would be when I started umpiring 10 years ago. I played once on this field when I was a 9 years old minor division player on the Minor Indians at Del Rosa Little League so many moons ago. Sitting in those below ground dugouts was great - feeling like I was a major league player playing in a stadium the size of this field was overwhelming. I never thought after I left the major division in 1986 that I would ever set foot on that field again.

Umpiring gave me that chance. Umpiring lets me get back into the game I loved as a kid and helps me share that experience with the next generation. More importantly, umpiring allows me the opportunity to make friends outside of the church. When I was a children's pastor full time, I worked at church, I hung out with other members of the church, I went to church at the church, I went to events at the church. Everything rotated around the church that I didn't have anyone to reach outside with my testimony or my attitude. We had to close down our childcare center in August of 2007. I was on staff until November 2007. I look back now and see that God was forcing me out of my safe circle.

I had lost my job. We had 2 babies in the house now and only my mother-in-law's income. I got a holiday job restocking at KB Toys which ran over because I was a hard worker and versatile. That lasted until March when I finally got hired on with the school district in San Bernardino. Meanwhile, I was looking for work everywhere until I finally interviewed for CAPS. I found a Craigslist ad looking for umpires in North Rialto, paying $25 a game. I played ball for 10 years, I could umpire.

Boy, was I wrong. I couldn't umpire worth a lick because I believed all the rules myths. Joey was patient with me and walked me through to become a better umpire over time.

I went to the week long clinic at WRLL headquarters in 2012. That week changed the way I umpire for the better. I developed mechanics, got confidence, learned the rules, and began to network with other umpires. That week was probably the biggest thing I've done as an umpire as it opened so many doors after that - and gave me more chances to minister outside of a church.

See, Little League umpiring is a ministry for me. The biggest way is that I am the calm in the storm. When parents are blowing up, when kids are upset and managers are yelling, I keep my composure. I show the world that no matter how chaotic everything around is, someone can keep their head and make rational decisions while showing love and respect to those who have lost their character.

After that first year of being paid, I refused pay the second year and haven't been paid for Little League since. I bought into the program. Character, loyalty, and courage. These are the pillars of Little League which I get to manifest each game I do. I've made some incredible relationships over the years through umpiring - not just with fellow umpires but with parents and kids. I love walking up at Alta Loma, a place where I can't really work too much anymore because of the distance, and hearing parents say, "Oh, I'm so happy you are here. We've missed you."  There's nothing like walking onto a field and hearing the kids in the dugout whispering to each other, "Hey, we've got a real umpire today!" I make a positive impact on parents and players by being a positive person on the field. It's a great ministry.

This week, I stepped onto the field at Al Houghton Stadium and umpired games for girls from all around the Western part of the United States. I fought hard to find small opportunities to personally connect with coaches and players throughout the week because this is a great community looking to develop the next generation of leaders with personality traits we find important. Without the community, Little League just isn't worth the hassle.

I was able to have small conversations throughout the week at lunch or passing a coach by the pool. Some conversations were with people who support everyone at the tournament while others were with the 14th player of the team who gets one at-bat a game. Every person I met had a story and was able to take away from this week an experience they will never forget.

Still, my ministry of calm in the storm wasn't as available as it usually it so I had to ask God what ministry he wanted for me this week. It was a ministry of encouragement. I purposely found ways to be encouraging throughout the week. Usually, I am very content being the introvert, sitting in my corner on my phone with the bubble around me but I worked hard this week. I feel my fellow umpires were my primary target of the encouragement - and they deserve it. There are so many times as umpires where we do our job and people either never notice or they only see what they perceive are errors and think we're horrible. Being built up feels good and I wanted to share that with them.

This tournament has truly been a roller coaster of emotions. The joy of walking on the field as an umpire for the first time during tournament. The emotions that bubble up when looking out into the stands and seeing people I know watching me, encouraging the umpires, cheering the girls, and supporting me on this incredible journey sometimes made me want to cry (I fought back tears twice this tournament on the field.) The anticipation and trepidation of knowing my first plate at the tournament was right around the corner. The emotional high of success when fear was so close the entire game. The pain of fear, fear of losing close family and fear of losing the chance to finish this. The appreciation of my brothers in blue who supported me when my family was hurting. The joy and relief when they saw me come back. The disappointment of not making it to the final plate. The realization that this is not who I want to be and the adjustment in attitude. The joy in seeing my partners exceed expectations and deliver incredible umpiring. The drama of an 8 inning game. The relief to know that we did our job all week and the girls determined the outcome of the game and the tournament. The sadness of it being over and realizing that I would never walk onto this field again as a softball umpire for the Western Region Little League Regional Tournament. 

I did want to share that my mother-in-law is fine. She was actually having pancreatic pain and some gall stones and not a heart attack so she is home again and in good health. Unfortunately, her mom, who also lived with us, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 94. We have her funeral on Monday coming up. This sadness is tempered by the fact that Trina and I are picking up Becca from her mission trip on Friday in Florida and then spending the next 2 days out there, just the three of us. Becca doesn't know yet so that will be a hard part of the reunion.

As I said on Facebook, life is a roller coaster. I'm along for the ride wherever God is laying the track. I am so grateful that God finds me lovable and blesses me with joy and pain, with peaks and valleys. It's quite the ride when there's so many differences so close together, but I think God does it so I can stand in awe at his grace knowing that he is there through it all.

I love my Little League family. Next week, I will spend some time at the baseball tournament and say hi to some of my favorite people in the world. Walking around the stadium is like a family reunion where you actually like everyone there. I can't wait to be a part of it again.

Thank you, my readers, for coming along with me on this journey. May God bless you even more greatly than he has me this week.

Softball Tony

My Crew

Part of what made this week so special was the crew of gentlemen with whom I had the privilege to work. I wanted to share some of what makes this crew so special. This was a group of some of the most humble, ready to laugh at everything, non-stressing officials I have ever worked with. All of them, 1 - 9, were ready to jump on every game, work hard, take constructive criticism, and get out there next game and use that to improve their game. Were there times when there was a little tension? When do you get 9 guys together who are used to being in charge and there isn't something? Those moments of tension only worked to make us stronger together. I would work games with these gentlemen at a moment's notice. There is a bond that I will not forget.

Charles Heitman, Washington 10

Charles is one of those quiet guys who gets the job done and has the sneakiest sense of humor around. He had the duty of being on the very first plate of the tournament, before we had any critiques, reviews, or comments, so he had to do this off of instinct. He did a fantastic job back there.

Through the week, there were moments where out of nowhere he said something so breathtakingly funny that came out of nowhere. Most of the time he was quiet but I loved hearing those moments. Those are what I live for. Of course, he caught a photo of me taking a nap and posted it on Facebook a week later but I'll forgive him for that :)

Quiet strength, amazing humor, solid foundation.




Lawrence Mark, California 16

Lawrence is an athlete. He played ball growing up. He is a coach for Team USA Volleyball. He umpires a ton of games a week. He is an experienced softball umpire (He doesn't do baseball at all.) His experience shows on the field by his gentle movements to get into the right position, his bursts of speed when needed, and his confidence on the field and behind the plate.

Lawrence was so encouraging throughout the week. It wasn't blind encouragement but he took the time to find the best in his partner's games and make sure they knew that was good. I enjoyed working with him this week because seeing that kind of athleticism and experience mingled on the field was inspirational. He's easy to talk with, get along with, and he's engaging. I can see why he's such a great coach.



Daniel Mills, Washington 1

Daniel is so intelligent and a stickler for the details. He is a lawyer for his day job and from talking with him, he is a very good one - not because he says so but because of his temperament and wisdom. His uniform is always sharp. His mechanics are just as sharp.

Daniel was down here last year as a dad with the Mill Creek team. When he sent in his request, there was no way of knowing that the team would be down here again. His daughter had aged out so that wasn't a problem but he is one of his league's favorite umpires so the Mill Creek girls went wild in cheering whenever Daniel was introduced. He was eager to learn more all the time and was quick to incorporate it into his game.

Scott Moseley, California 51

Scott is another one of those experienced softball umpires who is a pleasure to watch. He is from Palmdale so I got to work a game with him this year up in Hesperia, the state championship game. He is extremely knowledgeable and confident. He exudes confidence on the field. He is also quiet and says little until he needs to. I love that quality in people - quick to listen, thoughtful to speak.

Scott has done a few regionals and that experience showed each games. He was always in the right position and looked fantastic behind the plate. I appreciated his demeanor and knowledge. I look forward to working with him for years to come since we really aren't that far away.





Darryl Nobles, Oregon 3

Smooth. Silk. Those are the nicknames we game Darryl this week because his movements were like butter on a hot roll. Darryl had the quickest wit throughout the week but also one of the deepest thinkers in the locker room. I loved having conversations with him late into the night about everything in life.

Darryl has only been umpiring for 5 years but his knowledge of the game and his athleticism give him experience beyond his years. You can tell that he loves giving to Little League. He used to be a California guy but desire for the slower life moved him up to Oregon. There's so much I want to emulate from him. One of the biggest ones is that he always was having fun on the field. Umpiring is serious but ultimately, we are umpiring a game. Games are fun for the players and we get to have fun because we allow others to have fun in a safe environment. I would make a trip up to Northeastern Oregon just to do some games out on the farm with him.

Dave Thornton, Oregon 2

Dave is a thoughtful guy. He is always thinking, which is great for an umpire because he's thinking ahead. One of the best things I can say about Dave is that he gets upset when he makes mistakes on the field and he asks for advice from those with more experience around him on how to get better. If he just blew off mistakes, I'd say he didn't care. His constant desire to get better is an endearing quality.

Dave dedicated this tournament to a passed mentor, Greg. If Greg was watching his semi-final plate, I would say that he was one proud mentor because Dave had a fantastic game back there.

I appreciate his caring heart, his quick desire to offer encouragement and a fist bump or hug, and his awareness of the blessings of God through these circumstances. Thank you Dave for your encouragement and prayers through the hardships I had this week.

Jeff Wimborough, California 31

Jeff was the senior statesman of our crew. His age wasn't a handicap though, it was a blessing. He is well trained, well mannered, and has a ton of experience that lets him read the softball and get into the perfect position on every play.

Jeff is confident on the field and behind the plate. His plate meeting is friendly but everyone walks away knowing that he is in charge. His demeanor on the field is jovial and unquestionable. He looks like he is enjoying the game. He earned the plate for the championship game, the 1-0, 8 inning game to send the winner to Alpenrose and he had a championship plate. I loved watching every part of his game and hope that I can get as good on the field as he is. I also appreciated his honesty when I asked him where I could improve and he laid a couple things out that no one else would have the guts to say. That's what I want so that was a blessing. Must be the years of getting post-game meetings with Mark Bernstein down in 31.

Ernesto Hinojosa, California 72

A couple times in a lifetime, you get lucky enough to meet someone who you know right off the bat that this is someone who can become one of your best friends. I met Ernie back in February at the District 28 umpire training. Immediately we clicked. We tried to work games together but our schedules never meshed well, him being the District Umpire-in-Chief of District 72 and me doing games all over the Inland Empire. We did end up working 2 games together during the post season prior to regionals, a double-header up in Hesperia during the state tournament on Tuesday and the state championship game on Thursday two games later.

Ernie has a tender heart, an infectious smile, and a growl behind the plate that scares the batters on called strikes. He is humorous and kind, loyal and industrious. Somehow we were scheduled on the same crew for almost the entire tournament, him being on the base behind me for the first rotation (meaning he was on third while I was on second on our first game, me at first and him at second on our second game, etc.) He loves this game and those he works with. I will never forget the day his mentor came out and we ran into him in the stands. I think I get along with him so well because we are so much alike in demeanor, emotionally, spiritually, and in our love for the game and the kids who play it. I'm already scheduling times for next season when I will be able to go out to District 72 and work games with my friend.

A tournament is only as good as the people running it and this umpire crew was fantastic. A special thanks also goes out to Doug Perret, Gary Graupmann, and Jamie Sims who are not only incredible umpires in their own right but amazing supervisors, evaluators, and mentors for us on the crew. We never felt belittled after a game but knew that we were going to have questions to make us think, help us get through situations, and make us better.

One of the few pictures Alan didn't take.
Picture by Mark Bernstein using Alan's camera.

Finally, I'd like to thank our uncle, Alan McCullough. Alan's job is first and foremost to make sure this is a tournament worth remembering. On that he succeeded in spades. He makes sure we have lots of pictures to remember everything by. He only took 3,198 pictures over 10 days. When he did his first regional, no one was there to take umpire pictures so he had like 2 pictures to use for his memories for the whole tournament. I don't have that problem because he gives of his time.

He is a great guy who I look forward to seeing here year after year because he'll be back to uncle and I'll be back to watch my descendants on the softball field for years to come.

I believe I have one more blog in me to wrap up this year's tournament. Let's see if I can get through that one.

Some group pictures throughout the week:

Jazz Hands

Not a group shot unless you count a face mask
and a zip tie a group.