While sitting at one of his oldest son's Little League games, watching the umps make calls, Ron Cook wasn't happy with what he was seeing. So he decided to put his money where is mouth was, so to speak, and try his hand at making the calls.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Umpire Ron Cook signals to a Fayetteville-Manlius runner that he must stop at second after the ball bounced over the fence during the Hornets' game against Utica-Proctor at home Saturday.
Umpire Ron Cook signals to a Fayetteville-Manlius runner that he must stop at second after the ball bounced over the fence during the Hornets' game against Utica-Proctor at home Saturday.
“I was watching the game in Port Byron,” said Cook, recalling the game that took place 12 years ago. “I was watching and I didn't think the calls were very good. I thought I could do better, so I decided to see if I could.”
After two seasons in Little League, Cook was hooked and joined the Syracuse Chapter of the New York State Umpires Association in the fall and spent the winter taking the training course.
Studying with Pat Baker and John Voglar, whom Cook credits with making him the umpire he has become, Cook learned the finer details of the game, from behind the plate to working the field. Now, Cook will represent Central New York in the state tournament, hand-picked by the Association from among 100 umpires.
“I really wouldn't be where I am with this if it weren't for them,” Cook said. “They were very supportive and came to my games and watched what I was doing. They taught me a lot - what to look for, what was expected of me, things I could improve on.”
After completing his training, Cook completed his summer certification exam, which all umps are required to take every summer for certification.
Cook made his way through the ranks, starting with modified and JV ball before going on to the varsity.
“It gives you a feel for the game before you go up to the varsity level where the game gets faster,” Cook said of the progression. “The pitching gets faster and there is just more going on.”
In the field, the ump is responsible for a lot, setting the tone and pace of the game, something in which Cook takes a great deal of pride.
“We are very professional,” Cook said. “The way we dress, the way we call the game, the way we talk with the players and the coaches - all the time we are very professional.”
Over the years, Cook has established himself as having a great deal of prowess on the field, umping between 130 and 150 games a year.
The result of his hard work is four appearances in the Club Baseball World Series, a league established for players that didn't make the final cut of Division I teams, to keep them active and playing. This has led Cook all over the country.
“That has been a great experience,” Cook said. “I've been to four out of six of their World Series. That is really intense and it is great baseball they are playing. There are a lot of great players there. I think about 10 players have been drafted and are playing in the majors now.”
Cook has also had the opportunity to ump in Class-A ball in Elmira.
“I got a call one day,” Cook said. “I was so nervous I was there four hours early. But that was an amazing experience. Cecil Cooper of the Boston Red Sox was the coach for the Massachusetts team, and I am a Boston fan, so there I was umping a game and he was the coach that was a great three-game series.”
For the past several years, Cook has been passing on his expertise as an instructor in the Syracuse Association.
“I train all the new guys,” Cook said. “We get together once a week and go through what is expected of them, what to look for, what is a ball, what is a strike, how to conduct themselves on the field, everything. That has been a really good experience.”
All of Cook's years of hard work have allowed him to travel and meet and befriend players, but perhaps the culmination of his efforts came last year at the Syracuse Association banquet when Cook was recognized as umpire of the year.
“You meet a lot of people and players,” Cook said. “You see guys on varsity for three or four years and you get to know them and they get to know you, and I think they appreciate knowing who you are and how you call a game. That is a nice part about this. I love to do this, so to get umpire of the year, I got a nice engraved clock that really meant a lot to me.”
After two seasons in Little League, Cook was hooked and joined the Syracuse Chapter of the New York State Umpires Association in the fall and spent the winter taking the training course.
Studying with Pat Baker and John Voglar, whom Cook credits with making him the umpire he has become, Cook learned the finer details of the game, from behind the plate to working the field. Now, Cook will represent Central New York in the state tournament, hand-picked by the Association from among 100 umpires.
“I really wouldn't be where I am with this if it weren't for them,” Cook said. “They were very supportive and came to my games and watched what I was doing. They taught me a lot - what to look for, what was expected of me, things I could improve on.”
After completing his training, Cook completed his summer certification exam, which all umps are required to take every summer for certification.
Cook made his way through the ranks, starting with modified and JV ball before going on to the varsity.
“It gives you a feel for the game before you go up to the varsity level where the game gets faster,” Cook said of the progression. “The pitching gets faster and there is just more going on.”
In the field, the ump is responsible for a lot, setting the tone and pace of the game, something in which Cook takes a great deal of pride.
“We are very professional,” Cook said. “The way we dress, the way we call the game, the way we talk with the players and the coaches - all the time we are very professional.”
Over the years, Cook has established himself as having a great deal of prowess on the field, umping between 130 and 150 games a year.
The result of his hard work is four appearances in the Club Baseball World Series, a league established for players that didn't make the final cut of Division I teams, to keep them active and playing. This has led Cook all over the country.
“That has been a great experience,” Cook said. “I've been to four out of six of their World Series. That is really intense and it is great baseball they are playing. There are a lot of great players there. I think about 10 players have been drafted and are playing in the majors now.”
Cook has also had the opportunity to ump in Class-A ball in Elmira.
“I got a call one day,” Cook said. “I was so nervous I was there four hours early. But that was an amazing experience. Cecil Cooper of the Boston Red Sox was the coach for the Massachusetts team, and I am a Boston fan, so there I was umping a game and he was the coach that was a great three-game series.”
For the past several years, Cook has been passing on his expertise as an instructor in the Syracuse Association.
“I train all the new guys,” Cook said. “We get together once a week and go through what is expected of them, what to look for, what is a ball, what is a strike, how to conduct themselves on the field, everything. That has been a really good experience.”
All of Cook's years of hard work have allowed him to travel and meet and befriend players, but perhaps the culmination of his efforts came last year at the Syracuse Association banquet when Cook was recognized as umpire of the year.
“You meet a lot of people and players,” Cook said. “You see guys on varsity for three or four years and you get to know them and they get to know you, and I think they appreciate knowing who you are and how you call a game. That is a nice part about this. I love to do this, so to get umpire of the year, I got a nice engraved clock that really meant a lot to me.”
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