CORNER BROOK, N.L. — Riley Jenkins has been throwing and hitting baseballs at Jubilee Field in Corner Brook since he was six years old.
This past summer, the 13-year-old played with the PeeWee Triple A Barons, pitching some games and manning first base for others.
He also stepped into another role at the field this summer and called about 50 games — from the mosquito to senior level — as an umpire.
That work has earned him the title of minor umpire of the year from Baseball NL.
“I was always interested in umpiring in general,” he said recently.
In June, he completed a level one umpiring course to become one of the youngest umpires in the province.
Making the switch from player to umpire has been an eye-opening experience.
“You understand how tough an umpire’s job is once you start doing it more,” he said.
“There’d be times when I was playing that I’d say that’s an awful call. Then I realized it’s a lot harder than it looks.”
And it’s changed the way he plays.
“There’d be times I’d kind of start complaining to an umpire, but I never do that anymore.”
The job can require making hard calls and an umpire has to be prepared for reactions from players and fans.
“I got yelled at a lot,” he said.
“When you’re being yelled at by 40-year-old men, it’s kind of scary at first, but you get used to it after a while.”
There can be jitters when he first hits the field.
Apprehension can also come with the level of play he's officiating.
He did the plate for four of the five games at the U14 girls provincial championship this summer and found that a little nerve-wracking.
“Because you look at who’s playing and you see what their history was.”
No matter what the game or who’s playing, he said you just have to go out there and make your call.
“The thing that the players have got to remember is the umpire is always right. And you think to yourself, if I’ve got to, I can eject them.”
He hasn’t had to make that call yet, but has come pretty close.
The minor umpire of the year award was presented during Baseball NL’s annual general meeting in Gander Oct. 26.
Jenkins was the only person from outside St. John’s to win an award, although junior/senior player of the year Scott Goosney of St. John's is originally from Pasadena.
He wasn’t at the ceremony because he was notified of his win that day.
He did know about the award and there was a point midway through the summer, after he had umpired about 40 games, he thought he might have a shot at winning.
By the time the middle of October rolled around, Jenkins figured the banquet had been held and he never got the award.
To get the call made him really happy.
“To win it in my first year was pretty special.”
While bowling and basketball will occupy his time over the next few months, he’s already looking forward to getting back to umpiring and completing his second level of training.
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Other Baseball NL award winners
• Mike Buist (deceased), St. John’s — Les Noseworthy Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to the sport in this province
• Kody Butt, St. John’s — minor player of the year
• Jaida Lee, St. John’s — female player of the year
• Scott Goosney, St. John's — junior/senior player of the year
• Kristyn Coley, St. John’s — minor coach of the year
• Sean Gulliver, St. John’s — junior/senior coach of the year
• Ryan Garland, St. John’s — junior/senior umpire of the year
