All Star Edition
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BASEBALL DIGEST ALL STAR EDITION A Special Publication of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP By Abe J. Schear Gary Darling July 2018 “You’re Out” * * * Schear: I am in Phoenix with Gary kids in foster care. We do Build-A-Bear Gary Darling umpired in MLB for Darling. Before we get going though, workshops and we do hospital visits – 27 years and currently serves as the I want to talk a little bit about Umps just umpires giving back to their own president of Umps Care, an organization Care. communities around where they live, but established by the MLB umpires to provide Umps Care is an official charity of also all around Major League Baseball. emotional and financial support for youth Major League Baseball. It is hard to And people can access Umps Care and families in need. Gary umpired in two really define exactly when it was started online? All Star games, two World Series and five because back in 1999 there was a labor www.umpscare.com. Simple address Championships Series. dispute and lots of guys lost their jobs. and website. People can make I was one of them. The umpires started donations. It is hard to imagine being an umpire. what they called the “helping hand fund” I certainly appreciate your time here. We only remember what are perceived which was umpires giving money to this So, you grew up in California? as missed calls (remarkably few for the general fund and, when the 22 umpires Born in San Francisco, grew up in number of plays) and player/manager lost their jobs, they could draw a little Sacramento. ejections (Gary averaged only four per year each month to help get through the rough And your first memory of baseball? and had seven years when he ejected two time. That was very beneficial to a lot of Either playing catch with my dad or or fewer). guys. wiffle ball in the backyard with my dad and my sister, and then my brother came I had always wanted to interview an When I got my job back in 2002, we along a little while later. You know, umpire for this baseball series and Gary was did not do anything right away, but we just that, and then started playing little referred to me by Shaun Clancy. Gary and started discussing how to move that to league baseball at nine years old, but a I had a wonderful conversation, one without the next level, more than just helping lot of it was playing catch with Dad, and a disparaging word about a player, manager, umpires. We had our first charity golf wiffle ball in the backyard, and then just umpire or anyone else. In fact, it is hard to outing in 2003, it was about 15 guys, little league and Babe Ruth and Legion imagine how unjaded his comments were. 10 umpires with some of their friends baseball. Lastly, check out Umpscare (as he “I was told by a scout that the only people notes). This organization provides comfort to people in need. It is run by umpires, all who are going to draft me would be the of whom are unpaid for these wonderful services. Army.” * * * playing golf in Florida. We just needed You played baseball through. to take it a little farther than that, so Junior college. I played for two years Larry Young, myself and Jim Reynolds in junior college, and I was told by a Abe J. Schear is an attorney with Arnall formed the non-profit. Larry did all scout that the only people who are going Golden Gregory LLP and is a member of the work and we tried to help umpires to draft me would be the Army, so it the firm’s Real Estate Group. Contact Abe and also give away scholarships to was time to think of another career. All at 404.873.8752 or [email protected]. deserving students. We have kids out to my family are educators. My dad is a the ballpark with our ticket programs, teacher. My brother is a professor. My A r n a l l G o l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | July 2018 sister is a high school teacher. My dad’s And did you collect baseball cards? would go from home plate to third brother and sisters were teachers. My Did you follow baseball by reading it, base. wife was a teacher. There was nothing listening to it, watching it? Right. We always go clockwise. Right. So the first base guy ends up “I always had great partners throughout the working at home. This was kind of the worst draw because minor leagues.” it’s just a long day with the second game. And especially because you’re on your in school that was grabbing my attention Mostly back then it was all radio, not feet the whole time. and my second year in junior college, in many television games, the Saturday So you went to umpire school in … Sacramento, I took this sports officiating game of the week or whatever, but I just San Bernadino, in 1980. class and I umpired some games and followed the box scores and listened to And what was that like? liked it. I knew my playing days were the games. I don’t know if I listened It was a blast. You’d have rule sessions done, and I started umpiring around every night but I listened to a lot of in the morning, then they’d teach you the Sacramento. One of the first guys I games on radio for sure. basics of just how to get in position with worked with had been to umpire school Do you remember the first baseball your hands on your knees and looking and learned a little bit about that and I game? out and down a little bit, just stay still for wrote to Bill Kinnamon’s umpire school. I couldn’t tell for sure. I’d be better plays. How to take a play at first base, I ended up going there in 1980. able to tell you the first 49er game I went then how to rotate on a double to come Let me drop back for just a second. to. My dad took me to Kezar Stadium a in and take a pivot and take the batter to What position did you play? couple of times to see them. I’d make second base or all the way to third base, In high school and junior college, first my dad take me to a double header and, so all the basics, all the basics of the two base. now, I wouldn’t be real happy if my man system. And all the basics of the That would be my guess. You are son wanted to go to a double header. rules. pretty tall. We stayed until the end. Both 9 inning And how long was that course? Not quite 6’4”, good fielder. Most years games. I remember the Expos were 5 weeks. Pretty much the whole month I did not hit very well, but I had a couple playing. of January, and then they promote the of decent hitting years. For the most I hadn’t thought about that. So when best guys out of there. At the time, part, I was a pretty good defensive first you umpire behind the plate, in a there were two umpire schools. One baseman. game, in a double header, the next was run by Bill Kinnamon; the other When you were young, did you enjoy game you umpire in the same series is one was run by Al Summers. Now, watching games, listening to games? at third base. Hunter Wendelstedt, his dad was a long Oh yeah. My dad would take me to Not anymore. When I first came up, time National League umpire, Harry Candlestick, a two-hour drive. His mom you’d work both games and little by Wendelstedt. Harry has passed away and my mother’s mom both still live little it has changed. Now, if there’s and now Hunter, his son, runs the umpire in San Francisco. We used to go visit a scheduled double header and they school. them and work out a trip to Candlestick. have enough time, like if you get rained Bill’s school was sold to Joel Brinkman We would go to 3-4 games a year, at out Friday night and there’s a double and Bruce Froemming. And then Jimmy least. I always just loved the game, and header on Saturday, they might not be Evans started a school, so at one time umpiring was a way to stick around— able to get another umpire from the there were 3, and then Evans bought stay around it for sure. minor leagues. If they know the double the rights to the Brinkman/Froemming So the Giants were your favorite team header’s coming for a little while, they’ll school. when you grew up? bring a guy in from the minor leagues. If And then you were hired? Growing up the Giants were. Yes. And your favorite player? “You don’t want to be the story but sometimes All time, gotta be Mays—for sure. Ironically, my first spring training that’s part of the job.” assignment was with the Giants in spring training down in Casa Grande where you work the plate the first game, you’re Well, then they put you on a list, the they had their minor league spring off the second game.