Canada’s pro, amateur umpires are bonding

Blair Hains (right), Baseball Ontario, helps an umpire with his strike.

By Scott Langdon

Canadian Baseball Network

Amateur umpire Bobby Pepall had a question about tracking outs as a base umpire. He reached out to Canada’s growing roster of professional baseball umpires for an answer, one example of an “umpires’ bond” being formed following the creation of the Canadian Baseball Umpire Camps (CBUC) last year.

Pepall, of Kitchener Ont., asked his question on Twitter (@CBUmpireCamps) and received a detailed answer on the CBUC Facebook page. Similar questions are answered by CBUC staff Mondays and Fridays each week.

“Umpires at all levels are one big family,” said Burlington, Ont.’s Steven Jaschinski, one of the five Canadian professional baseball umpires who ran a two-day, CBUC umpire training program at Appleby College, Oakville, Ont., earlier this month.

Umpires Steven Jaschinski (left) and Ben Rosen taking some questions at the CBUC umpires camp.
Photo: Lisa Turbitt

There are not many fans of umpires, Jaschinski said, laughing. “We all have to stick together. That’s why we offer the social media contact to support the younger ones and help them succeed.”

Jaschinski says the number of people involved in officiating sports is declining, in part because of the abuse they receive.

“Not many people are enticed to umpire and many of those who start umpiring often drop out after their first year. Our goal is to create a bond to help the younger umpires handle the challenges,” he said.

More than 70 amateur umpires attended the inaugural CBUC session last winter. Another 70 registrants attended either the CBUC’s three-umpire system course in the fall or the two umpire/advanced programs this winter. Baseball Ontario’s Umpires Committee allows the CBUC to certify level one and two umpires during the camps. The Intercounty Baseball League in southern Ontario formed an affiliation with the CBUC this year to enhance its umpire development program.

There are now eight Canadians on MiLB’s master roster of umpires with the recent hiring of Alex Lawrie, Halifax, N.S. and Matt Blackborow, Stoney Creek, Ont. Blackborow is a graduate of the CBUC program. Stu Scheurwater, Regina, Sask. was promoted from the minor leagues to full-time duty in Major League Baseball last season.

Chris Marco, double-A Eastern League umpire, from Waterdown, Ont., takes questions at a recent CBUC clinic. Photo: Lisa Turbitt

The other Canadians are Chris Graham and Scott Costello (triple-A International League), Chris Marco (double-A Eastern League), Jaschinski (class-A Advanced Carolina League), Ben Rosen and Kevin Mandzuk (class-A Midwest League). Lawrie and Blackborow are expected to start their careers in the Rookie class Gulf Coast League (GCL) this season.

Graham, Marco, Jaschinski, Rosen and Mandzuk were instructors at the recent CBUC winter program along with Lisa Turbitt and Blair Hains, Baseball Ontario Umpires Committee. Takahito Matsuda, from Ehime, Japan and an AA Eastern League umpire, joined the crew as “honorary Canadian.”

Athleticism, mobility

The CBUC curriculum has been designed by the professionals for umpires of all ages and experience levels. The three-umpire program includes indoor and outdoor activities to provide a full review of three umpire coverage during games. The winter session, held in a domed facility at Appleby College, includes classroom, field and cage work.

One featured set of drills focuses on the footwork required by umpires.

Regina’s Kevin Mandzuk will umpire in the class-A A Midwest League this season.
Photo: Lisa Turbitt.

“People tend to underestimate the athleticism and mobility required in umpiring. Proper footwork is important for an umpire to ensure you are in the proper position and to avoid injury,” said Regina’s Mandzuk, recently promoted to the class-A Midwest League for this season.

“Coaches expect umpires to be right, so you have to be in the right spot. Think about it…in a two-umpire system you are expected to cover the same ground as a four-man crew in major league baseball,” added Rosen, who hails from Thornhill, Ont., north of Toronto.

Marco, from Waterdown, Ont, says the success of the CBUC program during its first two years has prompted interest from other parts of Canada.

“We have had some strong interest shown in the program from provincial baseball associations outside of Ontario as well as from individual umpires. We are in the awareness building stage right now so it’s encouraging,” he said.

The three-umpire training program in the fall costs $195. Costs for the winter session are: Level 1- $185 including a 2019 Baseball Ontario certification fee of $25; Level 2- $205 including a Baseball Ontario certification fee of $45; Advanced Training program for Level 3 or higher - $215. So-called “early bird” prices are available.

Graham, Costello, Marco, Jaschinski, Rosen and Mandzuk will head to various locations in either Florida or Arizona to officiate minor league spring training games in March. Newcomers Lawrie and Blackborow are expected to debut in extended spring training games and the GCL. Graham and Costello have both umpired MLB games during spring training, hoping to follow in Scheurwater’s footsteps.

“Now that Stu has been hired by MLB, our goal is for two, three or more us to be hired, too,” said Marco. “We all talk regularly and push each other off and on the field to get better. Our goal is to see as many Canadians in the game as possible. We’ll help anyone who asks.”

Bobby Pepall and other amateur umpires attending the CBUC program are proof of that.