BC Baseball Umpires Association March 2019 Volume 10, Issue 1 HeyBlue! Online SUPERCLINIC SUCCESS! Superclinic 2019 is in the Gibson, a 5 year MLB Inside this issue: books and what a Super vet, made the trip north Clinic it was! from the Seattle area Happy Birthday! 3 43 participants from all where he currently re- areas of the province con- sides. The native of Pauls earns Masters 4 verged upon Abbotsford Kentucky was making his for the bi-annual affair. 2nd trip to the Lower GFI back on for 2019 5 Mainland after being a The BCBUA was proud guest instructor in 2016 Eager Beaver sighting 6-7 to welcome Major League at the High Level Clinic Baseball Umpire and for National umpires. President’s report 9 BCBUA friend Tripp base mechanics in the 2 Gibson to town to share Students spent time in the cage with Gibson man system, rules lessons Earning Respect 14 some stories, give some in the class, yoga and advice, and encourage all learning the finer points of set-up, stance, timing, stretching exercises, and Superclinic in photos 20 of our umpires—young game management. The and old—to strive to be and appearance. There were other sessions on next Superclinic in Van- the best they can be! couver will be in 2021. Special points of in- terest: Gearheads… page 8 Caravan rolls through BC Leave your Legacy on the Game! … page 10 Canadian Umpire and The most grueling training pro- Shewchuk of Manitoba was on the weekend is equivalent to a Hall of Famer Jim gram that Baseball Canada offers hand to lead the event for the course credit if taken in post Mckean passes away was offered this February in BC. fledgling instructors. The secondary. at age 73. Page 22 The BCBUA hosted Caravan, event is a 4 day marathon of Congratulations to our new the National Umpire Course Baseball Canada Um- instruction, practical and theo- level 1-2 clinicians in BC. The Conductor Program and BC has pires committee im- retical work and teaching that BCBUA now boasts 37 trained 11 new instructors as a result of plementing changes. focuses on teaching basic in- instructors in the province. Page 22 their efforts!. Baseball Canada structional skills. The total Master Course Conductor Ron hours spent by students over Level 1-2 Clinics Underway! Page 2 It’s spring and that means that BCBUA clinics are well underway. All umpires are reminded that they must regis- ter in advance to attend clinics using the online website, www.bcbua.ca and pay your membership dues at the same time. Umpires who have passed their level 1 exam are permitted to move up to level 2. This year’s level 2 clinic is the Offence. Umpires must attend a level 2 Offence clinic, and then pass the level 2 Offence exam online. Once completing both Level 2 Offence and Level 2 Defence, and passing both exams, then an umpire will be eligible to attempt level 3. If you are not moving on to level 3, which is fine, then you must annually submit a passing level 2 exam and pay your membership dues. If your area has not scheduled a clinic yet for your association, get in touch with your area rep to set this up! New Provincials Chair BCBUA umpire Joe Mallinson has been named the new Provincials Chairman. Rick Antoniak had been serving in this capacity for the past 3 years and is stepping down for personal reasons. Mallinson, a level 5 umpire, is a past graduate of Umpire School, and is currently working in the lower mainland as a brewmaster. He is a native of Langley and currently residing in Vancouver. All umpires are encouraged to apply for Provincials. Most of them take place near the August Long weekend, the weekend before, or the weekend after. In 2018 there were over 100 applicants and 89 umpires were placed into tournaments. As an added incentive, those umpires with level 3 receive an extra $15 per game fee as incentive to work these events. The BCBUA is thankful and indebted to Rick for his years of service in this capacity. Check the BCBUA Website for more information on Provincials. Jackie Robinson’s 100th Birthday Major League Baseball, which has traditionally honored Jackie Robinson on April 15 each year – the anniversary of breaking baseball’s color barrier – will now celebrate the 100th year anniversary of his birth during the entire 2019 baseball season. Major League Baseball, which retired Robinson’s number and has celebrated Jackie Robinson Day in every ball- park since 2004, have planned ceremonies and youth initiatives connected to his life to support the Jackie Robin- son Foundation’s scholarship and education programs throughout the year. Exactly….. Page 4 HeyBlue! Online Volume 10, Issue 1 Umpire Academy Nearing The 5th annual Umpire tional program at a future time. Academy takes place April This year’s camp will feature Pro- 5-7 in Kamloops. 12 um- vincial Supervisor Steve Boutang, pires will be in attendance Vice President Rhonda Pauls, and from all over the province. Level 3 co-ordinator Bill MacMil- The umpires were hand lan as instructors plus several part selected by a group of sen- time guest instructors. ior supervisors and evalua- tors with input from local There will be class, rules, field area UIC’s. The Academy mechanics, cage work, and game is a full 3 day umpire camp management situational training. for up and coming umpires And of course plenty of game action and feedback. who have shown talent at a young age and who want to All umpires may have an oppor- potentially enter the Na- tunity to earn their level 3. National Clinic Set for April The 11th National Umpire Clinic Ron Shewchuk of Manitoba, takes place April 11-14 in Kam- and Ed Quinlan of Ontario. loops BC. Several BCBUA supervisors Provincial Supervisor Steve Bou- will be giving instruction as tang indicates that he expects well. This is a special invite some 50 participants over the 4 only clinic. Registration in- and a half days. formation will be posted on the website soon. Check Guest instructors at this year’s your emails for more details. camp will include mainstays Jon Special Invitations will also Oko, Andrew Higgins of Alberta, be notified. Tripp Gibson addresses Superclinic class Pauls Earns Master Course Conductor Status BCBUA Vice President course conductor status at Rhonda Pauls earned her the 2009 Caravan in Master Course Conductor Edmonton and later earned Status by successfully com- her Sr Course Conductor pleting the course require- Status in 2018. ments at this year’s Caravan She joins Steve Boutang and in Abbotsford. Rob Allan as the only Mas- Pauls first earned her Jr. ter CC’s in the Province. HeyBlue! Online Volume 10, Issue 1 Page 5 Level System Explained…. To help clarify what an um- start at level1, regardless of clinics in the 2 years and pire must do at each level in age. Once an umpire at- write and pass the exam order to be current the tends the level 1 clinic AND both years as well. Once BCBUA has posted a new passes the level 1 test they pass then an umpire document online called online, then the are qualified may choose to move to lev- Roadmap to Excellence. to move up to a level 2. An el 3. Nobody must move The document outlines each umpire may attend their up if you don’t want to. level and the requirements level 2 clinic the same year. But if you move to level 3, to complete them. It also Most people don’t. Once you must write and pass the explains what an official the umpire is qualified to level 3 exam ANNUALLY, must do before they move attend a level 2, there are 2 and attend an Advanced up to a new level. In short parts to it. Level 2 offence clinic once every 3 years and all umpires (except those clinic and exam, and Level 2 get a successful field evalua- transferring in from Little defence clinic and exam. tion once every three years. League or another program) An umpire must attend both Grand Forks Tournament returns in 2019! The Grand Forks Interna- from Burnaby, Alaska, Umpires for the event will tional Tournament will Seattle, San Diego, San include 15 time umpire Steve again return in 2019, the Francisco, Reno, Houston, Boutang, Sean Sullivan, Scott 37th edition of the long and a university team from Eckardt, Rhonda Pauls, Phil standing event. Last year’s Veradero Cuba will be Bourgeois, Joe Mallinson, event was cancelled by dev- competing for the 50 thou- Blaise Laveay, and rookie astating flooding. This years sand dollar prize purse. umpires Sean Weatherill, and event will run June 25-July 1 It is the richest amateur Matt Hicketts. There are 4 and will feature 10 teams invitational tournament in games a day and the final is playing a round robin within North America. Tourna- slated for Monday July 1 at 2 pools of 5 teams. Clubs ment passes start at $69. 3:30pm. In Memoriam… Harold Swanson Long Time BC Umpire levels of baseball through- Partner) and numerous Harold Swanson passed out the province in the 70’s other relatives. He was away in New Westminster and 80’s and was considered buried next to his father in on January 25 at age 74. to be one of the top Burnaby on February 8. He spent the majority of his umpires for many years. He The BCBUA offers its con- life in the Interior and later leaves behind to mourn his dolences to his family and retired to the Abbotsford son Jim Swanson (Victoria friends.