A teacher and sports official from Wichita, Kan., Sanderson is spending his fifth summer in Alaska as an umpire for the Alaska Baseball League. He’s one of six umpires who work in two-man teams officiating games from Fairbanks to Kenai.
“My favorite stadium up here is in the Mat-Su,” he said. “They always have a good crowd and the facility is great.”
  
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Frontiersman: What are some of the common misconceptions people have about umpires?
Sanderson: The one thing I tell people is that we’re human beings. You’d be surprised. A lot of times people think of us as robots. Umpires, guy to guy, are just as different as players are guy to guy. Umpires have bad games the same way players have bad games too. That’s the No. 1 misconception that people have about umpiring. It’s a thankless job. We’re definitely on an island. There are only two guys out there who are always wrong.
F: It’s a common request from fans, especially after a controversial call; have you had your eyes examined?
S: Oh yes, I get that (request) almost every game. You know, I don’t wear glasses or contacts. I have pretty good vision.
F: Like radio and television announcers and their home run calls, umpires put a lot into their home plate calls. How do you call balls, strikes and outs?
S: On a ball, a just verbalize and say the word ‘ball.’ A lot of guys vary the way they call strikes. I just come off to the side and almost say the word ‘hike’ in an elevated tone of voice; the pitch is a little higher and I point with my right hand. I try not to call attention to myself whenever possible. That’s the goal of all umpires. The game is about the players. My out call, one for a routine play that’s not that close, you just give them a pump with the right hand. On a close play, an umpire may make more of a punching motion. It’s called ‘selling’ the call, that you know for sure the play’s an out.
F: Who do you take more abuse from, coaches and players or fans?
S: Fans, by far the fans. Typically, the fans who complain the loudest are those who know the least. The coaches, most of them will only complain when they think you got something wrong. The fans are blinded by their loyalty to their team, which is good.
F: A recent national story centered on a high school umpire who tossed all spectators from a game. Have you ever had to kick a fan out of the ballpark?
S: I’ve never removed a spectator from any sport. I officiate football, baseball and basketball. The only time I would is if someone makes a personal threat against my family, and that hasn’t happened yet.”
F: Have you ever been threatened with physical violence against yourself or your family? How do you deal with those situations?
S: I’ve never had it in baseball. I had it one time in a football game. A couple years ago ... a fan came down from the stands and said he was going to kill me and my whole crew.
F: How is your performance evaluated by the league and how do you gauge your own umpiring?
S: When I’ve had a bad game, I’m the first to know it. Nobody feels worse about it than I do. Umpires are just as competitive as players. We want to make every call right. When we struggle, we’re in a foul mood after the game. As for the league, our crews evaluate each other over the course of the season.
F: Have you ever missed a call that decided the outcome of a game?
S: I don’t believe so. You may miss a call, but in the end it does not decide the game. Each team has 27 outs to score as many runs as they possibly can.
F: How often does the home plate umpire get hit by a wild pitch or foul ball?
S: Every once in awhile. Early in a game here in Anchorage, I actually got hit with a shattered bat. That was the only time in my umpiring career I didn’t know what happened on a play. It rung my bell pretty good. In terms of getting hit with the ball, that’s just part of it. ... It’s like being a catcher. Catchers take a beating during the course of a game.
F: Where’s the line where you would allow a coach or player to argue a call or eject them from the game?
S: There are certainly things that are automatic. Anytime anyone deliberately or belligerently shows you up, you’re going to throw them out of the game for that. For example, if you call a strike three and they draw a line in the dirt, that’s an automatic. Throwing equipment, that’s an automatic. There are certain little things they can say to you, too. There’s a right way and a wrong way to say things. If they make it personal, it’s probably going to get you thrown out of the game.
F: What kind of abuse have you taken from fans over your time behind the plate?
S: If I were king of baseball for a day, I wouldn’t let some parents to attend youth games. Those are the parents who treat every game like it’s Game 7 of the World Series. I’ve never had anything thrown at me. Nothing really stands out. There’s nothing new about the ribbing I take. There’s one time a fan said something I had to chuckle at. He said, “You might want to get a second job, because those rule books they print in Braille can get kind-of expensive.” I had to laugh at that.
Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.
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