NCAA baseball umpire details impact of work stoppage due to COVID-19

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Back in high school, Danny Jimenez’s first uniform involved flipping burgers.

“I did that one day and I went home and told my dad, ‘Well, I will never do that again,” Jimenez said. 

A visit with the Frankton-Anderson, Indiana local Little League followed, and an offer soon came Jimenez’s way: become a baseball umpire and $10 per game is all yours.

At the time, Jimenez was happy to stick around the game he loved growing up and decided to give it a chance.

Now, nearly three decades later, he is still calling balls and strikes. That can’t-miss smile is still loving every minute behind home plate on diamonds across the biggest diamonds across the Midwest.

“It is pretty intense,” Jimenez said. “I always tell people, this is my 16th year of NCAA Division I baseball and my 26th year of umpiring overall. When I step on the field, I still get those butterflies during the national anthem.”

“It is a pretty incredible experience.”

This spring, umpires’ game checks were completely wiped away. This year has been a painful time for every aspect of baseball and at every level of the game. 

According to Jimenez, the lost income of umpires this spring varies based on the level of competition. 

“You are looking at an average (loss) from anywhere between $2,000 and $3,000 for a local IHSAA (Indiana High School Athletic Association) high school umpire,” Jimenez said. “At the (NCAA) Division I level, it is anywhere between $25,000 to $35,000 to $40,000 (per umpire) loss.”

According to Jimenez, the majority of umpires in his circles at the NCAA, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and IHSAA levels do not rely on their game checks as their primary source of income. 

Nonetheless, families across the industry are dealing with the burden of no baseball this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is a tight-knit community that, at its core, protects the integrity of the game. 

“As you start to get into that fraternity of the umpiring, it is just that camaraderie, those friendships, that you have gained over the years,” Jimenez said. “That along with level of competition on the field is the best part.” 

Whenever you can get back to the ballgame, take a moment and cheer for the story that is standing right in front of us. It’s been a tough 2020 behind home plate, too.