WILLIAMSPORT, Penn. – It’s the summer vacation of a lifetime for Little League World Series umpires David Noegel and Eddie Smith.
Noegel, who lives in east Orlando, started umpiring in 2006. The West Point graduate and Gulf War veteran’s home base is Union Park Little League, but he works all over Central Florida.
“A couple of umpires I started out with kind of joked about how funny it would be if we got to the Little League World Series,” he said. “I mean, you never thought it was going to happen.”
Smith got his start calling balls and strikes in New Jersey around 1996. He now resides in Horizon West and calls games at Winter Garden Little League. Like Noegel, he also umpires games throughout the Orlando region.
“This is a dream come true for me,” he said. “I got my recommendation, and low and behold, I’m here, and I’m tickled pink.”
Coincidentally, Smith was the first base umpire for Lake Mary Little League’s opening game against South Dakota.
[MEET THE TEAM: Lake Mary All-Stars]
“I had butterflies, but they were lined up,” Smith jokingly said. “I felt comfortable out there, and I mean, I took in the crowd, but that didn’t really affect me because of my preparation.”
Lamade Stadium, where Lake Mary played Wednesday night, has the capacity to hold a whopping 10,000 fans.
“I did not anticipate how loud the crowd would be,” Noegel said. “Some of the verbal communication that you can do at a regular game, you can’t do that here.”
All 20 umpires working the Little League World Series are volunteers. While Little League takes care of their stay, the umpires’ travel costs are out of pocket.
“The volunteerism is embedded in (my heart),” Smith said. “The excitement I get when I see that child who’s timid but makes that great catch with a smile on their face does (my heart) good.”
[READ: Lake Mary All-Stars win first game in Little League World Series]
For both men, being an umpire has never been about making money but rather the love of America’s pastime.
“It’s a way to stay connected with the game I grew up loving and playing,” Noegel added. “You can’t be an umpire and not love the game.”
The umpires were included in the same pre-tournament festivities as the teams. They were at the parade on Tuesday throwing out candy to the spectators, and when they were introduced at Wednesday’s opening ceremonies, the crowd gave them a big round of applause.
“We all looked at each other and said, ‘Gentleman, enjoy. Enjoy the cheering and applause. It’s the last cheering that you’re going to hear on your behalf. From this point forward, half the people are going to hate what you do,’” Noegel said.
“That’s part of the game,” Smith added. “The best feeling is when you walk off the field and they didn’t know you were there.”
Following Wednesday’s match against South Dakota, the Lake Mary All-Stars’ next game is scheduled for Friday evening.
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