Centralia Umpire Honored to Work Little League Regional Tournament

The Little League Baseball West Regional was a long time coming for volunteer umpire Rick Stockdale of Centralia.

Stockdale, who has 18 years of experience as an umpire, is in San Bernadino, California this week working the tournament after being selected for the opportunity late last year following an application process through Little League Baseball.

“It’s just a huge honor,” Stockdale said. “Words can’t describe what this complex looks like. They treat us like no other. All we have to do is get down here. They take care of everything else.”

Stockdale was informed of his selection by letter in late December. He is one of 14 umpires to working at the tournament, all of whom are volunteers, along with much of the rest of the staff.

“The people down here who run this tournament are really good people,” Stockdale said. “There are probably 200 volunteers. All of them are doing it out of goodness of hearts. It’s pretty pure.”

While Stockdale’s lengthy umpiring resume includes Babe Ruth and high school games, he estimates that the last eight or nine years have been exclusively Little League.

Glen Dickason, a Chehalis native who is the Little League District 3 administrator, applied for the opportunity on behalf of Stockdale. It was the fourth year in which Stockdale was considered for the honor.

“It usually takes four to six years,” Stockdale said. “The West Region is around 12 states, so this is the tournament where, if you’re a volunteer, this is the one you want to do.”

Competition, which began on Aug. 7, runs through this afternoon.

Umpires are eligible to work the Little League regional tournament just once.

“You have to do this one in order to get [to umpire] the Little League World Series,” he said. “So it’s pretty special to get here.”

Stockdale explained that while he hopes to one day be selected to Umpire the Little League World Series, he’s enjoying the level at which he currently works.

“You know it would be a great thing, but if I don’t I would be fine with it,” Stockdale said. “That process to be an umpire at the World Series is 10-11 years away. There’s a lot of guys across the U.S. that want to do it.”

Despite the size of the venue — the Western Regional Headquarters at Al Houghton Little League Complex has a capacity of roughly 15,000 people — Stockdale is trying not to let any extra pressure affect him.

“I don’t know if it’s nervous, or it’s exciting,” said Stockdale. “I guess I have to admit when I did my first plate work I had butterflies.”

One other aspect of the tournament is new for Stockdale, and every other umpire working this week— video replay. For the first time, coaches have been given the opportunity to challenge two plays per game, and a video review determines if the call is overturned.

Stockdale was involved in one controversial call that was challenged, but the replay proved him correct. Stockdale said that he doesn’t mind the opportunity for his calls to be challenged.

“It’s another tool,” said Stockdale. “There aren’t many professions out there where you’ve got seven cameras on what you’re doing, but it’s about getting it right. You really don’t think about it. You call what you see and just go through the protocols.”

The umpiring community has been supportive. Three other local umpires who formerly worked the tournament joined Stockdale for support and to enjoy the event. Stockdale said that former regional umpires frequently return to the tournament.

His experience with his current cohort has been similarly positive.

“I’d never met the other 13 guys before,” Stockdale said. “We’ve got a really great group of guys. There are no egos. It’s a wonderful experience.”

Games are televised nationally on ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPN 3. The tournament will conclude with the awarding of a Northwest Region champion and a West Region champion, both of which advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, held August 18-28.

“It’s really exciting. This brand of baseball — these kids are good,” said Stockdale. “The umps have to be pretty good, but the kids are really good baseball players. It’s really fun to watch. Having the seat where the umpires get to be has been great.”