Umpires Make Jump to Affliated Leagues

2007 Northwoods League umpire Brian McCoy (above) is one of eight league alumni that has been selected to begin a career in affiliated baseball.

February 15, 2008

ROCHESTER -- The Northwoods League announced today that eight of the League’s
umpiring alumni have been selected among the top 50 in this year’s class of aspiring
professional umpires.

The eight are 2007 NWL umpires Garret Corl, Tyler Hensley, Ed Leopold,Brian McCoy, Ivan Mercado, Matt Mullins, and Chris Nguyen as well 2006 umpire Rob Calvert.

Umpires seeking a career as an umpire in Major League affiliated professional baseball must
attend a month-long training in January at one of the two umpire schools in Florida, Harry
Wendelstedt School for Umpires and Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring.

The top 25 graduates from each of the two umpire schools attend the 10-day PBUC
(Professional Baseball Umpire Corps) Evaluation Course from March 8-18. These top 50 umpires
are then ranked at the end of the Course and, depending upon the number of open jobs, are
offered professional contracts in the affiliated Minor Leagues. There are 220 Minor League
umpires striving to ascend the ranks to become one of 70 Major League umpires.

At the end of the 2007 season, 35 former Northwoods League umpires were in Minor League
Baseball, accounting for 16% of all Minor League umpires, and were represented in all 15 Minor
Leagues.

Besides the obvious goal of improving the players, the Northwoods League’s 68-game schedule
and high-level of competition are a tremendous benefit to the umpires.

“The thing I picked up that really helped me at school was probably game speed,” 2007 NWL
Umpire Brian McCoy explained. “I also learned how to interact with a partner for an entire
summer and how to handle arguments with managers.”

The Northwoods League plays more games than, draws more fans than, and plays in venues
superior to any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The league will begin its
15th season of action on May 29, 2008.
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