Longtime umpire loves his place in the field

PALMER — Bim Hoylman is known by most as a friendly and helpful longtime bagger at the town’s Carrs/Safeway store.

But during the summer, that’s just Hoylman’s day job. For a number of years, Hoylman has spent some of his summer nights volunteering with Palmer Little League, working as an umpire.

Hoylman, 62, has been an active member of the community and an avid participant in Special Olympics Alaska. His niece, Tina Everly, said Hoylman has been a part of the Special Olympics bowling team for many years and has won numerous medals.

He’s always had a love for sports, baseball in particular.

And what’s Hoylman’s favorite thing about baseball?

“Umpiring,” Hoylman said Thursday just after finishing his shift at Carrs.

Everly said her uncle has been following the art of umpiring since he was a kid. One thing that he learned quickly about sports was the hand signals umpires use to make the call.

When the family would gather to watch a game, Everly said Hoylman would see the umpire or referee signal the call on the television, and before the announcer broadcasted it, Hoylman would be making the call to his family.

It didn’t matter if it was baseball or football, Hoylman was on top of the action.

“He would call it out to the room,” Everly said. “He taught me a lot. That’s how I learned it.”

Tuesday night, Hoylman was anchored in his spot on the right side of the infield serving as the field umpire at a Palmer Little League game. Hoylman stood with a clicker in one hand, to carefully keep track of balls and strikes, as he watched the action closely. After plays at the base, Hoylman carefully spread each of his arms wide to call safe, or pumped one arm to call an out.

“I like to umpire on first base,” Hoylman said.

He said he likes calling safe or out, and calling time out for the teams.

Hoylman said he remembers watching New York Yankees games on television when he was a kid. But his favorite baseball team now is the Colorado Rockies.

Hoylman was born in Nebraska and also lived in Colorado, where he became a great fan of the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Everly said the Broncos organization has even sent Hoylman signed pictures of Broncos players and cheerleaders.

Hoylman was introduced to Frontiersman readers last year after he suffered numerous injuries when he was struck by a car while working in the parking lot of the Palmer Carrs store.

“Going head down, it was pretty bad,” Everly said. “Skull fracture, brain bleed, cracked sternum. He busted his collarbone in 11 different places.”

But in 12 weeks, Everly said, Hoylman was back at work. She said she was very proud to see her uncle return to work so quickly, and proud to see him doing what he loves to do on local Little League fields.

“That’s awesome for him to be a part of that,” Everly said. “The community is so supportive.”

Brad Hanson, a former president of Palmer Little League, said Hoylman has been a great representative of the organization.

“He did a nice job. We were always appreciative that Bim was there,” Hanson said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.