In an effort to provide more guidance and leadership to the 16 volunteers serving as first-time umpires at the Little League Baseball® World Series, as well as in preparation for the expansion to 20 teams and an additional day of games, Little League® International is pleased to welcome four veteran umpires to serve as Crew Chiefs at this year’s event.
During the Little League Umpire Advisory Summit in 2019, members of the Little League International staff met with Veteran MLB Umpire, Gerry Davis, and their own Umpires-in-Chief from around the country to determine the best course of action to better the experience of players, coaches, and umpires at the World Series each year. After evaluating all the information and feedback from the field, the decision was made to allow umpires who have previously served at a World Series the opportunity to return in a mentorship role to assist the first-time volunteers on and off the field during their time in Williamsport.
“Serving as a Little League World Series umpire has been the pinnacle event for our volunteers for decades, and by giving this opportunity to our umpires to return to the biggest stage allows us to educate, inspire, and develop our volunteers to ensure we are providing the best experience for our players and coaches on and off the field,” said Tom Rawlings, Little League Director of Umpire Development. “After careful consideration and evaluation of our all veteran umpires, we are excited to welcome these four volunteers back to Williamsport to help train, guide, and lead our 16 umpires through an exciting 11 days of action as we celebrate 75 years of the Little League Baseball World Series this August.”
Below are the four veteran umpires who will be serving as Crew Chiefs during this year’s event:
Robert “Steve” Christman – West Region (Ione, California)
Serving as a Little League umpire since 1996, Mr. Christman was selected to take the field during the 2015 Little League Baseball World Series. In addition to his experience in Williamsport, Mr. Christman also umpired at the 2006 West Region Tournament and has been a West Region Instructor since 2007 and a West Region Evaluator since 2009.
Terry Falgout – Southwest Region (Beaumont, Texas)
A Little League umpire since 1999, Mr. Falgout earned his call to Williamsport for the 2015 Little League Baseball World Series after serving at the Texas East District and Section Tournament, as well as the Europe and Africa Region Tournament. During his time as a volunteer umpire, he has also served as a Southwest Region Umpire Evaluator and Trainer and is committed to the growth of umpires throughout the Region.
Martin Henry – Southeast Region (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Currently serving as the Umpire-in-Chief for Tennessee District 6, Mr. Henry has been a Little League umpire for the past 17 years and earned his call to Williamsport for the 2019 Little League Baseball World Series. In addition to working the 2015 Southeast Region Tournament, Mr. Henry has also served as a special instructor for the Southeast Region Umpire trainings.
Edward Moran – East Region (Camden Wyoming, Delaware)
Mr. Moran has been a Little League umpire since 2007, including a member of the Delaware District 1 staff since 2010, and served his stint in Williamsport for the 2018 Little League Baseball World Series. Over the last decade, Mr. Moran has served as a Crew Chief at both the district and state level and has umpired at the Little League, Intermediate, and Junior League Baseball divisions.
Throughout the World Series, each Crew Chief will lead a group of four volunteer umpires during their coverage of the games, typically operating under the MLB clockwise on-field position rotation system with each umpire earning a day off after serving as the home plate umpire. The returning crew chiefs may be assigned as a plate umpire with their crew during the tournament, but every effort will be made to provide the 16 selected umpires with a full tournament experience. In addition to their leadership and guidance on the field, the veteran Crew Chiefs will also be able to assist the first-time World Series umpires with taking in the overall experience of being in Williamsport and the memories that are made off the field.
Source: Little League
