Who doesn’t love the game of baseball? If you played the game or simply watched as a fan, most of us have wondered, “who is the umpire and how did they get this job?”

Mike Sexton is a member of the Tulsa Metro Umpires Association and they are in need of umpires for the upcoming high school baseball season. VYPE editor Brad Heath caught up with Mr. Sexton to find out more about being an umpire and the steps someone should take if they were interested. 

VYPE: Mike, doesn’t someone need training to be an umpire? You don’t just walk off the street into the position. 

Sexton: Training comes in the way of scrimmages and a rookie clinic that we put on in February before the season starts. The more scrimmages you do the quicker you pick up skills to umpire. The clinic we provide is usually for the 1-3 year umpires to provide them more knowledge with rules, positioning, dealing with coaches, etc…

VYPE: What is the initial cost involved in becoming an umpire? 

Sexton: Cost of equipment for baseball can be quite pricing for the first-time umpire. With the clothing you need, equipment, chest protector, plate shoes, base shoes, etc… it could cost a rookie at least $500.00 to start. That cost can be made back in a week or two depending on the amount of games you do. Used equipment can also be available online or occasionally from other umpires who are looking to upgrade. 

VYPE: Who pays the umpires for the game and how much do they typically earn? 

Sexton: The schools pay the umpires, usually via check within two weeks of working their games. We have a base for seven inning games and five inning games. It’s $75 for any game scheduled for seven innings, and $55 for any game scheduled for five innings.

VYPE: When are the majority of the high school games played? 

Sexton: The majority of our games we assign are in the afternoon and evening. Most games begin about 3:30 or 4pm. We do have some that start later than that like tournaments. We do have a few tournaments where the schools play earlier. We’ve had games start at 10am in the past, but those are not the norm. We do all our scheduling on Arbiter, where a umpire puts in their availability, days they can’t work, and the time they can start.

If you are interested in finding out more, contact Mike Sexton at 918-855-7666 or visit tulsaumpires.com for more information.