What defines an umpire?

If I had to pick a few words to describe umpires new and old, they would be enthusiasm, passion, commitment, and uncertainty.

A new umpire has the enthusiasm of a 10 week old lab pup, filled with unlimited energy, always on the move or ready to move, because there could always be a reason to move.  So move they do. They move when a reason arises or just in case the reason to move may arise.  It may appear from a distance that the new umpire is extremely quick and a bit over zealous.  Let me assure you those perceptions are correct, but it is the young umpire’s enthusiasm that drives him and his desire for knowledge.

Umpires all have a passion of the game of baseball.  Every umpire if asked why he became an umpire would answer that they love the game and nearly everything about it.  The energy, the surroundings, the teams, coaches and yes, even the fans.  Umpires all bring a unique background with them, but all of them have an extremely strong passion for the game of baseball.  This passion mixed with enthusiasm powers new umpires to take that giant first initial step onto that very first big rung of a very tall ladder called umpiring.

Umpires have commitment to becoming better, learning field mechanics and learning baseball rules.  In an effort to always get better the new umpire’s commitment allows him to rise above his beginner’s status of unfamiliar rules, hurried timing and errant calls.  Instead of letting those things dictate who he is as an umpire, he is committed to use those same things to strengthen him into the umpire he will become. 

Lastly there is uncertainty.  For the new umpire uncertainty is the dark cloud appearing on the horizon in a very small boat with a hole in it, in a very big water far from shore. For all umpires there is no bigger obstacle to face than preventing uncertainty from taking over all of your senses. It can cause you to question your calls, your judgement, your qualifications even your very presence on the field, if you let it.

The good news is that an enthusiastic, passionate and committed umpire never allows uncertainty to control them, but rather they let it inspire them to become a better umpire. Bad things are not to be feared or hated, but rather studied, understood and used to empower.