UmpTalk Podcast

It’s weekend youth tournament season. There’s a lot of baseball to be played and that means those games need umpires! For umpires, this is a tremendous learning opportunity and a chance to make some great money. Full show notes at umptalk.com/23

As the world becomes smaller and the game of baseball grows in popularity, it’s not surprising that umpiring would get more organized and professional. Through programs like the Jim Evans European Classic, efforts are being made to standardize and educate umpires who may not have grown up on the game like those of us in America have. Thanks again to Thomas Heywood for providing three outstanding interviews with six great European umpires as he attended the Classic in April.

One of the best ways to avoid incidents and also have fun in the field of umpiring is to leverage good umpire teamwork. Today’s podcast is about that communication on the field with your partner(s) and how it can result in smoother games for everyone.   Today we talk about the signs and communications you give with your partner and how it needs to be part of your pregame meeting and discussions. Full show notes available at umptalk.com/21

If you’ve worked at or near the professional umpiring ranks for any length of time, you’ve come in contact with “Sarge.”  Dick Nelson is his real name, but I never knew his real name. I only knew that some guy named “Sarge” was ripping my ass my last week at Jim Evan’s school back in 1993.  Every umpire that came before and that followed has had the same experience. Full show notes are available at UmpTalk.com/20

Umpires are many things… we are judges, athletes, babysitters… but we are NOT clean. And don’t try to deny it. I’ve worked with enough of you to know that your gear is foul smelling and I don’t know the last time you’ve washed your socks.   Well, this episode of the podcast is dedicated to those of you whose equipment stays in your equipment bag throughout the summer while those little bacteria grow and smell starts to set in. Full Show Notes at umptalk.com/19

We begin what will be an unending look at handling situations and the personalities involved in them. Today’s podcast is about the types of managers you will face when situations arise. Full show notes at umptalk.com/18

Lance Schoenwald was a 2004 graduate of the Harry Wendelstedt School for Umpires and began a career in professional baseball.  But he didn’t stop there. He is now working to help others reach those professional ranks with the Pro Umpire Camp in Shreveport, LA.   We spoke with Lance about his umpiring career, what is important for umpires at the next level as well as finding ways to help those umpires around you. Full show notes are available to UmpTalk.com/17

This won’t be the sexiest podcast, but someday, it might just save you.  This episode is a list of hard-learned lessons about the right items you need to have in your umpire bag. They were learned the hard way – by not having these things and needing them. Full show notes are available at umptalk.com/16

Billy Haze was inches away from a dream and then walked away. Only to have the pull of baseball bring him back into the game.  Billy was an aspiring AAA Minor League Umpire, but didn’t get the MLB call up.  After some time off, he returned to the game and is now at the top of the D-I NCAA profession as well as helping others take their first steps in umpiring with the Black and Blue Umpire Academy. Full show notes are available at umptalk.com/15

In the era of sabermetrics and advanced statistics, the SABR revolution finds itself seeping into umpiring.  One of the leaders in this avenue is the website CloseCallSports.com. That website is run by Gil Imber and we talk with him on Episode 14 of the UmpTalk Podcast.   Close Call Sports is a website that tracks umpire ejections but also allows the community to analyze close calls in not just baseball but all sports.

For those of us who don’t work a winter sport like football or basketball, the time is now to put down the remote, get off of the couch and get into game shape.  The season is just around the corner. While I am not the most fit, and not many of us are, I do know quite a few tricks to get OUT of exercising.  So that makes me the perfect person to lay out some accountability on all of us. Let’s get started! Full show notes are available at umptalk.com/13

Harold Moya has enjoyed a 40 year career in baseball as a player, coach and manager. Several years ago, he decided to add “umpire” to that list as he went to Professional Umpire School and was placed in the Independent Minor Leagues. Full show notes are available at umptalk.com/12

Hunter Wendelstedt was going to become a teacher. However, the “family business” had a higher calling for him and he followed in his father’s footsteps. Hunter and Harry Wendelstedt became the first ever father and son duo to  umpire a MLB game together in 1998. Full show notes are available at www.umptalk.com/11

Today’s episode is aimed at those umpires whose games seem to stretch on forever. Are your time limited games only getting to the fourth inning? Are your un-time limited games going past the two hour mark regularly? Are you getting off the field after 11 at night continually?  Well, this might be the show for you. Full show notes are available at umptalk.com/10

Episode 9 is an interview with former Major League Baseball umpire Jim Evans.  Jim was a veteran of the MLB Umpiring Corps for 28 years getting his start almost literally off the street and ending up working in four World Series, seven AL Championship Series and numerous All-Star Games. Complete show notes are available at umptalk.com/9 

Episode 8 features a unique way to learn the rulebook by a unique leader of a revolutionary league. We umpire Jerry Theilen of the Hernando Sumter Umpires Association. Show notes are available at umptalk.com/8

Unlike the sweaty novel 50 Shades of Gray your spouse probably reads, we’re going to talk about the truly seedy side of umpiring this week – the unwritten shades of gray in baseball. We talk this week about those rules that, no matter how well defined, seem to evoke different interpretations in every umpire you ask. Full show notes are available at UmpTalk.com/7. Have feedback about this episode or for a future episode? Tell us at feedback@umptalk.com

Continuing our interview series with a man who has had a very full baseball career and still growing by beginning a relatively new one in the Umpiring ranks. Clifton Glidewell is a Junior College umpire in the Kansas City area, but also was a standout pitcher during a D-I career and a time in the Dodgers organization.  He has also served as pitching coach at the High School and Junior College level. Read full show notes at www.umptalk.com/6

It’s cold outside! Due to climate and the way high school and college schedules fall, baseball starts earlier and earlier. Since many of us cannot travel to warmer climates like Texas, the SouthWest or Florida to umpire in the late winter and early spring, we have to get games where we can.  And that means games starting in early to mid-February or stretching the season into October and November. Full show notes can be found at www.umptalk.com/5 Links to many of the products discussed in the episode can be found at www.umptalk.com/cold 

Greg Harmon is a D-I official for NCAA’s Big 12 and Big 10 Conferences.  He is based in the Topeka area and last year worked the NCAA Sectionals an important step to the College World Series. Greg has also worked the NCAA D-II World Series and umpires in the Missouri Valley, Summit Conference and MIAA. Full show notes are available at umptalk.com/4