A group of veteran umpires staged a training session for San Quentin prisoners to help improve their softball play calling.
“This is a clinic to make us better and prepare us for new fast-pitch softball league we are trying to start,” said Damian Mitchell, a San Quentin umpire. “We’re learning a lot of things we didn’t know, like technique and technical things that will be enforced this year.”
“They’re in the perfect environment to learn the rules of the game and practice them,” said Larry Long, a 20-year umpire veteran. “I want to help anytime anybody is interested in the sport; I want to give back like people have given to me.”
Top officials from Amateur Softball Association, the governing body of umpires, held the clinic March 1 on the Lower Yard. The group of expert umpires consisted of Jim Cole, the Northern California Umpiring Chief of the ASA, his deputy chief, CO Beaton, Long and Chris Elze.
The veteran crew has a combined 75 years of experience. They have umpired every level of softball from age 10 and under, high school, all divisions of college, International Championships and even Olympic teams on their tours.
Cole has 540 umpires working under him in 28 counties from Redwood City north to the Oregon border. He has 40 years of experience.
“I’m just an umpire,” he said. “I’ve wanted to come here for years.”
Beaton is having the San Quentin residents take the umpire test and seeks to get them registered with the ASA.
“When these guys get out, they can come join the Sacramento Association and make some money umpiring,” said Beaton. “We’ll put them to work.”
“It’s a hobby I get paid to do,” commented Elze. “Some umpires do it full-time.”
Elze umpires numerous college softball games and the ASA 16-under National Championship, as well as high school and junior high games.
“You have to know the rules to be a good umpire,” said Elze. “That takes practice and homework. There are different rules for each level of softball, but they are all based on the ASA rule book.”
The opportunity to learn how to umpire attracted current San Quentin softball and baseball umpires, players and others.
“I like to watch, so I figured it would be fun to be an umpire,” said inmate Ralph Cendejas, who is new to umpiring.
The inmates were taught umpiring plate and base mechanics. They received on-the-field instruction and watched a video. The video demonstrated the various positions umpires should run to view the play and make the call.
“They never make a call from behind the base,” softball player John Windham noticed as he watched.
They were also given the 2015 ASA Official Rules of Softball Participant Manual, its supplement and the 2015 ASA umpire exam, compliments of Kevin Ryan, the ASA/USA director of umpires.
“The test is based on championship play – by the book,” Cole said.
The ASA umpires described some of the hardest things about the task.
“Self-judgment is the hardest part of being an umpire,” said Long. “I don’t care what other people think, but I know when I screw up, it hurts.”
“The hardest thing about umpiring is dealing with the coaches and fans,” said Elze. “You can regulate the players, but fans are a different story.”
“It’s hard trying to get parents and spectators to understand the rules of the game,” said Cole.
“Umpires have to have thick skin,” said Beaton.
“Make calls with authority so no one will argue with it,” said Cole.
“I ignore unruly fans at the adult level,” said Long. “They paid for their ticket, so they get to do whatever they want to try and make my life miserable.”
“Coaches, players and fans are all going to say something. You have to block them out,” said Elze.
“Having fun is the important thing,” said Long. “Everything else will come, but if you’re not having fun, it’s going to be painful.”
“We are learning the official rules,” said Willie Thompson, the home plate umpire for San Quentin hardball and softball games. “It’s helping a lot.”
“The people here really want to learn and they have shown tremendous progress in one day,” said Long. “I didn’t know what I would see.”
“I’m really impressed with the noticeable improvement,” said Beaton.