Major League Baseball is increasing efforts to make professional umpiring a more accessible career choice, the Office of the Commissioner announced Tuesday.
In January 2023, the first Umpire Prospect Development Camp will be held at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. The program, which will come at no cost to participants, will take place over four weeks and offer amateurs seeking to pursue a career in umpiring the opportunity to train with professionals.
Outstanding performers from the program will be provided an expedited path to jobs in both Major and Minor League Baseball.
“This model will remove several significant barriers for prospective candidates and allow umpiring to become a more desirable career option for those who are interested,” said Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of on-field operations. “This natural next step in the development space will help us find the next wave of talented and diverse umpires who reach the Major Leagues.”
Since 2006, MLB has held one-day camps for amateur umpires across the United States — free of charge, open to anyone to attend, without previous experience required — aimed at offering training to those for whom traditional umpire academies were financially or geographically inaccessible.
A few dozen alumni of the camps are working in Minor League Baseball as umpires. Carlos Torres and Ramon De Jesus were the first two to reach the big leagues.
In 2022, free MLB Umpire Camps have been held in Denver, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Richmond, Va. The next one-day Umpire Camp will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, in Brooklyn at Maimonides Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones.
As a successor to MLB Umpire Camps, the Umpire Prospect Development Camp will seek to reach an even broader pool of candidates, including women and those outside of the continental United States.
More information about MLB Umpire Camps can be found here.
2022 Central Wisconsin Fall Sports Schedules: Links to School Schedule Updates
***********************************************************************
Know some top athletic performances? Seeing some great teams in action?
We can use your help, and it’s simple. Witness some great performances? Hear about top athletes and top teams in our area?
Athlete of the Week and Team of the Week:
Nominate an athlete or team: HERE
**********************************************
Pancakes or Waffles! We feature top area athletes with our world-renowned feature. Send us your nominations for who you’d like us to interview HERE
College Athlete Roundup! We want to recognize student-athletes from the area who are competing at the college level. Send us information on college athletes from the area with our simple form HERE
Where are they Now? We feature athletes and difference makers from the past, standouts in sports who excelled over the years and have moved on. Know of a former athlete, coach or difference maker who we should feature? Know of a former standout competitor whose journey beyond central Wisconsin sports is one we should share? Send us information on athletes and difference makers of the past with our simple form HERE
Baked or Fried! We also feature difference makers throughout central Wisconsin: coaches, booster club leaders, adminstration, volunteers, you name it. Send us your nominations for who you’d like us to interview HERE
We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!
Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
