District 5 umpires earn prestigious tournament assignments

    Little League Maryland District 5 umpires are continuing to earn prestigious assignments.
    Joe Smith, the district's umpire-in-chief, will be umpiring in the intermediate baseball eastern region tournament on Long Island. Smith, from Rising Sun Little League, has previously officiated in three Little League region tournaments and a World Series.
    Dave Yale, also from Rising Sun, has worked a softball World Series where he had home plate in the title game and will be working his third region tournament at the Big League softball east region in Worcester, Massachusetts. Under Little League rules, because of the high number of applicants umpires can only be assigned to a World Series once every four years.

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    Dave Yale's brother, Vince, will be umpiring the Little League (11-12) softball region tournament in Bristol, Connecticut. He will then head to Worcester to work the Big League softball region tournament where he could work on the same crew as Dave.
    The tournament in Bristol will be Vince Yale's second region tournaments and he has also worked a World Series. He was invited to the tournament in Worcester so it is not officially an assignment.
    Marty Heath of Rising Sun Little League will be working his first region assignment when he umpires the Senior Division baseball tournament in West Deptford, N.J.
    "I'm pretty excited," Heath said. "People were always telling me I should apply so I thought I would try it."
    Pete Sheward of Havre de Grace Little League earned his first region assignment. He will be in Bristol with Vince Yale.
    Recommendations from Smith and District 5 Administrator Martin Thompson are critical for umpires interested in working a region tournament or World Series. That's part of the reason District 5 umpires have landed so many high-level tournaments. The district sends the best of the best and those umpires have performed well which has given District 5 a sterling reputation.
    "Five guys out of one district," Smith said. "That's a big deal."