THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 9, 1995 TAG: 9504070209
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
For nearly eight months, baseball fans have waited to hear the big news: There will be baseball in 1995.
Players with familiar names like Ripken, Griffey and Boggs will take to the diamond in just a few weeks.
But fans probably won't know the names of the men behind the bases this year. That's because there has been a lockout of Major League umpires since last December. Unlike the players and owners, the umpires have been unable to settle their differences and put their problems behind them.
But the labor dispute opened the door for one Chesapeake resident. Last December, Mickey Irving received a phone call from the National Baseball League's Umpire Supervisor asking him if he was interested in becoming a replacement umpire.
``I told the supervisor that I would be available if they needed me,'' said Irving.
So now, Irving is spending his days declaring players safe, throwing them out and doing what umpires do best - fighting with managers and coaches.
Irving didn't just walk into the job. He's been calling the plays since he graduated from high school in 1979. ``I played high school baseball, but didn't hit a whole lot of home runs. That's when I started thinking about umpiring.''
Irving pursued the idea, and in 1983 he attended Joe Brinkman's Umpire School in St. Petersburg, Florida. Not long after graduating, he started umpiring for various minor league divisions including the Gulf Coast League, the Carolina League and the International League, the league the Norfolk Tides play in.
Besides meeting famous players and coaches and seeing himself occasionally on Home Team Sports, Irving said his seasonal job has allowed him to see parts of the country he might not otherwise have seen.
``I used to think traveling so much was great. But I guess I am getting a little weary of it now that I have children. For months, you live out of a suitcase.''
When Irving received the phone call from the National Baseball League last December, he decided not to get his hopes up in case the umpires managed to settle their differences before spring training. But when that didn't happen, Irving found himself on a plane headed to West Palm Beach to begin spring training.
In just a few weeks, he was hashing it out with big name coaches and managers such as Tommy Lasorda, and Bobby Cox.
Of course, now that the players have settled their differences, it's likely that Irving will be coming face to face with some of the living legends of baseball. But that's not likely to shake him.
``Umps have to expect to be unpopular from time to time. It's part of the job.''
And if the professional umps of the major league take their cue from the players and settle their dispute, Irving will come back home to his job with the family business, Irving Landscaping, and to umpiring in the minors.
``I'm prepared for that,'' said Irving. ``I'm just glad I had the opportunity to do this, even if it's temporary.'' by CNB