From the Little League website, one of our own has finally made it “big time”. Mark Sitterly has spent thousands of hours coaching, umpiring, and molding our boys into young men. This year, he finally got the call!

I spoke with Mark this past Saturday during a memorial service for Danny Beckworth and can tell he’s as excited as we are about this privilege. It’s good to see his hard work and efforts on behalf of the sport and our youth be recognzied.

Please join me and the 46 teams in Irmo Little Legue (500+ players, 200+ volunteers) in congratulating Mark on this achievement and wishing him safe travels and a great time in Williamsport this fall!

By Communications Division
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.
April 21, 2011

The umpires who will be working the eight Little League World Series have been selected after going through a lengthy and stringent selection process. Appointment as a member of the umpiring crew for a World Series is the highest honor Little League Baseball and Softball can bestow on an umpire.

The process for selection to work a World Series includes the umpire being nominated by a District Administrator to the regional office. The regional office, along with the region’s Umpire-In-Chief, considers all umpires nominated before selecting those who most closely meet the criteria for selection.

To be considered for selection, an umpire must have previously worked a recent regional in the same Little League division as the World Series they are being considered for. Regional Tournament experience at a division different than the World Series level requested is also considered when making the selection.

An umpire is eligible to be selected for a World Series assignment once every four years.

Selection as an umpire at any of Little League’s eight World Series means that person has reached the highest level of proficiency and by virtue of their selection is considered among the best in the world.

Each year, thousands of umpires officiate games with most not receiving any pay. Umpires who are selected to work a World Series are not reimbursed for their travel expenses.

Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with more than 2.5 million players and 1 million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries.

2011 Little League Baseball World Series Umpiring Crew (Aug. 18-28; South Williamsport, Pa.)

Name (Place of Residence)

Lee Batterman (Fountain Valley, Calif.); Frank Bergfield (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia); Sam Fontecchio (Ironwood, Mich.); John Hosler (Fredericksburg, Va.); Toby Hoy (Corona, Calif.); Curtis Jackson (Winchester, Tenn.); James Meurer (Naperville, Ill.); Randolph Myers (Turin, N.Y.); Terry Parker (Jerrell, Texas); Richard Pothier (North Adams, Mass.); Nancy Prieto-Garcia (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico); Tom Rawlings (Camp Hill, Pa.); Rob Ruhle (Madison, Wis.); Roger Shaw (North Vancouver, B.C.); Mark Sitterly (Columbia, S.C.); Ken Snyder (Eagle Pass, Texas).