RCBL Holds Preseason Umpiring Clinic

By Leyton Pullin
On Saturday in Grottoes the RCBL held an umpiring clinic for its new and returning umpires alike to serve as a refresher with the long layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the 2020 Season two weeks away. RCBL Umpire In Chief Jeremy Washington said this clinic was more about the 5% of the game that the normal fan couldn’t call. “Most people can call 95% of a game like anyone can call someone out on a ground ball to shortstop but what we worked on today was more of the force play slide rules, interference, balks, and those types of plays.”
 
Those that attended the clinic included the likes of Marco Floyd who has experience in multiple Babe Ruth Virginia State and South East Regional Tournaments and some high school experience. Floyd was joined by VHSL Umpires and Umpires of different skill levels all looking to take their umpiring to a higher level in the second oldest baseball league in the United States.
 
The clinic featured a group of instructors from different backgrounds including multiple NCAA Division III umpires, a NCAA Division I umpire, a MLB Umpire, a Division III World Series Umpire, and a Minor League Baseball Umpire Supervisor. The Umpires that attended the training went through multiple drills throughout the morning where they were put in made up situations and had to react to the situation as the play developed. The Umpires were then put into action to officiate a scrimmage between The Grottoes Cardinals and The Montezuma Braves. The scrimmage was also a learning experience for the umpires that attended the training as their supervisors watched them and critiqued their mechanics throughout the game.
 
The RCBL Season is set to start on Saturday June 27.
 

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