Little League® Baseball and Softball announced today the 109 umpires who will be working the nine Little League World Series events this summer. The Little League World Series schedule kicks off with the Big League Baseball World Series in Easley, S.C. on Tuesday, July 28 and ends with the Little League Baseball® World Series Championship Game in South Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday, August 30.
Volunteer umpires are one of the most important aspects to the continual success of Little League programs around the world and the Little League International Tournament. The selection process to become a World Series umpire is lengthy and rigorous. Appointment as a member of the umpiring crew for a World Series is the highest honor that Little League can bestow on a volunteer umpire. This year, for the first time, Little League International is supporting all volunteer umpires at all nine World Series with a $400 travel stipend to help off-set the costs for the men and women to attend their respective World Series.
“Without the dedication of volunteer umpires, the nine World Series tournaments would not be possible,” said Thomas Haines Jr., Little League Director of Umpire Development. “Umpires at the World Series tournaments will walk away with memories that will last a lifetime, just as the coaches and players participating do.”
The process for selection to work a World Series begins with a recommendation from the District Administrator to work within their district in above-state tournaments. The regional office considers all nominated umpires before selecting those who most closely meet the selection criteria.
Umpires selected to work a regional tournament will receive an evaluation during the tournament from one or more evaluators designated by the Tournament Director. An umpire can receive one of two recommendations on the evaluation: Recommend working another Regional Tournament or Recommend a World Series. Once an umpire has earned a World Series recommendation, he/she must indicate that they wish to be considered.
An umpire is eligible to be selected for a World Series assignment once every four years but, being chosen to work a Little League Baseball® World Series is a one-time opportunity. Umpires volunteer their time each year to officiate games around the world. Volunteer Umpires who are selected to work a World Series will be reimbursed for their travel expenses for the first time this year.
The list of umpires at each of the nine sights follows:
2015 Little League Baseball World Series (Aug. 20-30; South Williamsport, Pa.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
Jeff Berryman (Shallowater, Texas), Edaine Cannister (Willemstad, Curacao), Robert Christman (Ione, Calif.), Douglas Coon (Unionville, Mich.), John Dowdy (Irvine, Calif.), Terry Falgout (Beaumont, Texas), William Finley (Portland, Maine), Jeffrey Holliday (Catskill, N. Y.), Tom Kowalik (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), James Lenas (Seminole, Fla.), Bill McKinney (Centreville, Va.), Thomas Reynolds (Wharton, N.J.), John Sapien (Corrales, N.M.), Jamie Sims (Beaverton, Ore.), Judd Thompson (Rapid City, S.D.), Guy Vilt (Bradenton, Fla.)
2015 Big League Baseball World Series (July 28- Aug 4; Easley, S.C.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
Bob Boatright (Mission Viejo, Calif.), David Brown (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Dave Davis (Jeffersonville, Ind.), Michael Duty (Lebanon, Va.), Michael Foley (Higganum, Conn.), Rafael Hodge (San Nicolaus, Aruba), Troy Lare (Hermon, Maine), Jon Marshall (Missouri City, Texas), David Palenshus (Ridgefield, Wash.), Carl Shinabargar (Lawton, Mich.), Jennifer Vanderwaker (Palm Bay, Fla.), Donald Wayne Smith (Garland, Texas)
2015 Little League Intermediate (50/70) Baseball Division World Series (Aug 2-8; Livermore, Calif.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
Richard DeBolt (San Jose, Calif.), Richard Falcon (Houston, Texas), Dave Gwiazdon (Sacramento, Calif.), Brian Hollowell (Goshen, Ind.), Brent Kubis (Esko, Minn.), Charles Lloyd (Arbutus, Md.), Brian Murphy (Chesapeake, Va.), Andy Pagan (Lake Mary, Fla.), Jamie Roasario-Perez (Cayey, P.R.), Joe Smith (Rising Sun, Md.), Larry Stein (Dalworthington Gardens, Texas), Jeff Wang (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
2015 Senior League Softball World Series (Aug. 2-8; Lower Sussex, Del.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
David Crawford (Orlando, Fla.), Juan Galarza (Villalba, P.R.), Jesse Garcia, Jr. (Wallis, Texas), Nancy Garza (Paige, Texas), Michael Goins (Bluefield, Va.), Robert McVey (Georgetown, Del.), Edward Newbegin (Concord, Calif.), David Romano (Wallingford, Conn.), Eric Snively (Pilot Rock, Ore.), Diane Wagner (Demotte, Ind.)
2015 Big League Softball World Series (Aug. 2-9; Lower Sussex, Del.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
Johnnie Chavez (Bosque Farms, N.M.), Donald Hamer (Lewistown, Pa.), Steven Hilgendorf (West Allis, Wis.), Jeff Horner (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Donald Jordan (Portville, N.Y.), Paul Keefer (Boardman, Ore.), Denny Martinez (Edinburg, Texas.), Louis Nickerson, Jr. (Vero Beach, Fla.), Lemuel Orbolaza (Arroyo, P.R.), Louis Quevedo (Granada Hills, Calif.), John Siegel (Crystal River, Fla.)
2015 Senior League Baseball World Series (Aug. 2-8; Bangor, Maine)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
Adam Carlson (Bothell, Wash.), Dan Collins (Tallahassee, Fla.), Thomas Curtis (Livermore, Calif.), Greg Hatcher (Beaumont, Texas), James Hinojosa (Romulus, Mich.), Wayne Kardel (North Port, Fla.), Curtis Lamontagne (Cypress, Texas), Brian Logan (Farmington, Conn.), Manuel Rosario-Ortiz (Cayey, P.R.), Scott Strache (Chicago Ridge, Ill.), Michael Welch (New Salem (Mass.), Michael Yamada (Coquitlam, B.C., Canada)
2015 Junior League Softball World Series (Aug. 2-8; Kirkland, Wash.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
David Bennett (Bothell, Wash.), Jeff Csernica (Lewisburg, Pa.), Bobby DeHay (Blanco, Texas), Raymond Ellis (New Albany, Ind.), Jim Gibson (Victoria, B.C., Canada), Thomas Lawrence (Lancaster, Calif.), James Liston (Lemon, Ill.), Carroll Mumpower (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Michael D. Sheets (Wallis, Texas), Charles Stimson (Shunk, Pa.)
2015 Little League Softball World Series (Aug. 13-19; Portland, Ore.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
Ken Armstrong (New Westminster, B.C., Canada), Svenska Bazur-Martiszoon (Willemstad, Curacao), Brian Doughty (Utica, Ill.), Jimmie Harrell (Crawford, Fla.), William Kinsella (Los Angeles, Calif.), Robert Lynch, Jr. (Sweeny, Texas), Trent Montano (Albuquerque, N.M.), Mark Mori, (Glassboro, N.J.), Rick Sanzone (Cape Coral, Fla.), Theodore Skartsiaris (Portage, Mich.), Noah Strone (Harrison, N.Y.), Dana Takiguchi (Dublin, Calif.)
2015 Junior League Baseball World Series (Aug. 16-23; Taylor, Mich.)
(by Name, Place of Residence)
Gary Appleberry (Gilbert, Ariz.), Vladimir Balentien (Willemstad, Curacao), Craig Dewey (Williamsburg, Va.), Tony Eller (Clarksboro, N.J.), Sam Fontecchio (Ironwood, Mich.) Robert Guerrero (Sapien, M.P.), Dan Lawrence (Titusville, Fla.), Dave Meisner (Monmouth Beach, N.J.), Krig Pitman (Lubbock, Texas), Roy Riggs (Richmond, Texas), Barry Silverman (Newport Beach, Calif.), Alan Spoczak (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Dan Wieczorek (Peru, Ill.)