By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
“For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, at the old ball game,” Excerpt from ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ song written by Jack Norworth
From Cooperstown (NY) to Bridgewater (VA), Moorefield native Jeremy Simmons made the call as an umpire at two special tournaments.
Simmons made his first trip to Cooperstown, New York, home to the Baseball Hall of Fame and was selected as an umpire at the Cooperstown All-Star Village 12U Baseball Tournament which featured 80-plus teams competing each week over a two-week period in June.
Simmons enjoyed the time umpiring baseball and meeting the players and umpires from around the nation.
Simmons was one of the umpires making the calls during the Cooperstown All-Star Village Championship.
It was a treat to tour the Baseball Hall of Fame during his visit in Cooperstown.
“In Cooperstown, the most exciting part was umpiring baseball, meeting players and umpires from throughout the country. I also worked the championship at Cooperstown. Of course, the Hall of Fame was an added bonus. There were over 80 teams each week at Cooperstown,” Jeremy Simmons stated.
Simmons returned to umpire in the West Virginia Little League District 6 Tournament games before leaving for a special assignment in Virginia.
Simmons was chosen to umpire at the Junior League Baseball Southeast Region Tournament held in Bridgewater, Virginia last week representing West Virginia Little League District 6.
There were teams from Virginia (Host Broadway Community LL & Upper Loudoun LL), West Virginia (Martinsburg LL), Tennessee (Smith County LL), North Carolina (Steele Creek LL), South Carolina (Irmo LL), Georgia (Vine-Ingle LL Champion) and Florida (Lake Mary LL).
Georgia (Vine-Ingle LL) won the Junior League Baseball Southeast Region Tournament Championship 18-9 over Virginia (Upper Loudoun LL).
Simmons umpired eight total games, making the calls behind home plate and at first base thrice, but did get time umpiring one game apiece at second and third bases for the Junior League Baseball Southeast Region Tournament.
Simmons was the first base umpire for the Junior League Baseball Southeast Region Tournament Championship and home plate umpire in the semifinals.
Simmons has been a Southeast regional tournament umpire for senior league softball in North Carolina and baseball in Florida.
The Junior League Southeast Region Baseball Tournament made a unique souvenir umpiring pin for Simmons which included hist two dogs and a cancer awareness symbol.
“The tournament was good. The Southeast Region, VA District 3, and Bridgewater Little League staffs do a great job with the tournament. I covered eight games including semifinal (plate) and championship (1st base). I worked plate and 1st base three times each and 2nd base and 3rd for one game each. The most exciting part of the tournament is working with and meeting other umpires from throughout the region,” Simmons commented.
