Lake Stevens man following his major league dream

Many boys who play baseball dream of being the next Ken Griffey Jr. or Tim Lincecum. Few ever want to become major league umpires. But Brian Hertzog of Lake Stevens, Wash. is getting closer and closer to making that goal happen.

Herzog, 32, told me he got the umpire “bug” after college. He was in between jobs and signed up to work softball games in the Seattle area. His father noticed Brian had great passion, and suggested he try to become a major league ump.

“He said, ‘You’re not getting any younger, so go ahead,'” Herzog recalled. “I called him on his bluff, and said, ‘OK’. I made up my mind to go to umpire school. Dad said, ‘Go ahead and talk your wife into it. That’s going to be the hard part.'”

Actually, Hertzog’s wife Bonnie is on board with his career ambitions. She supported him when he worked minor league games in Billings, Mont. and remote towns in Texas. And, she joined him for several weeks in Venezuela while he worked winter league games.

As you might have read or heard, parts of Venezuela are dangerous. The baseball games are intense and the fans are rowdy.

“I’ve never had to be walked off by security so many times after games as I was down there,” Hertzog said. “That’s because they are so crazy about their baseball. It’s definitely an interesting experience, and makes everything here seem easier, actually.”

Minor league umpires are paid about $1,600 a month. The seasons last just three to four months. That means you better have a part-time job lined up in fall and winter.
What type of personality makes a good umpire? You need to have thick skin to let all the negative words run off your back.

Hertzog believes “You need a passion for the game. It’s a love for the game that’s different than a player. When you switch over to an official you learn more about the game than you ever have before.”

Hertzog maintains that the best umpires blend in with players. That’s why he doesn’t have an outlandish “strike three, you’re out” call. He gives players and managers a little extra rope to argue a call, but won’t hesitate to eject them if they cross the line.

“Managers know about 75 percent of the time if certain words are going to get them kicked out,” Hertzog explained. “They can talk about a certain play, but if they turn it into a personal comment and aren’t talking about the play, they’re done.”

In a few weeks Hertzog reports for spring training games in Surprise, Ariz. He’ll bank that experience in his umpire portfolio, then move up another level to Class AAA Pacific Coast League this summer.

While that’s just below the majors, very few big league umpires give up those jobs. Some umps will stay 25 to 30 years before they’re ready to retire. After all, veteran umpires can earn between $150,000 to $200,000 per season. That sounds like it might be worth the sacrifice.