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By ALEX LYNCH
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 20, 2000
Although Florida might not be sending a team to the Little League World Series this year, Pinellas County is sending an umpire.
Skip Simpson will be behind the plate today in the opening game as Maracaibo, Venezuela, takes on Tokyo. Simpson was chosen among hundreds who applied to represent the Southern Region. Simpson started umpiring when his children were playing in the Pinellas Park Little League 14 years ago. He continued umpiring after his children no longer played. Simpson is a large man, standing 6 feet 4 with a strong, resonant voice. But when he speaks about why he umpires, he sounds more like a kid than a grown man.
"Being able to work with the kids and seeing the enjoyment of the game of baseball through their eyes is very satisfying to me," he said. "We, as umpires, are in the middle of the action watching all of their smiles." In 1997, Simpson began umpiring at the Southern Regional tournament and umpired games at this year's event. In January of 1999, Simpson improved his chances of being chosen by attending Harry Wendelstedt's umpire school. While there, he met many current and former Major League umpires such as Charlie Reliford, Ed Hickox and Hunter Wendelstedt. Simpson was impressive and chosen to be an instructor.
Twelve umpires are used at the Little League World Series, two from each region in the United States and one each from Europe, Latin America, the Far East and Canada.
Every year, Southern Regional director Ted Trivigno receives hundreds of applications from 13 Southern states to umpire in Williamsport. He nominates only a small percentage of those. The group that runs the World Series makes the final decision.
Last December, Simpson received word he had been chosen.
"I was actually at an umpire camp when my wife called and said I got a letter from Williamsport," he said.
"It takes your breath away. It is a huge honor." Although being chosen is an honor, Simpson would like it to be known it is strictly a volunteer job and the negative aspects of being an umpire should not apply in Little League.
"Being a volunteer is one of the special things about umpiring," he said. "It is only for the love of the game. Some of the things that the kids see on television, like what Carl Everett did, should never happen at the Little League level.
"Some people may think that yelling at an umpire or kicking dirt on him is part of the game, but it's not at this level." Southern Region chief umpire Bob Bouton, who has known Simpson since 1997, said Simpson was a good choice. "I think Skip is a very competent umpire. He is sound mechanically and one of the outstanding umpires we have here," he said.
"He is very critical of himself, which is good, and knows what it takes to be an umpire and wants that to come across."