"Richard Maher: Future Ump" by Jeff Wilkins

When he’s not playing guitar, watching the New York Giants and Mets, or playing poker with his friends, 20-year old Richard Maher spends his time like other diligent college students. He studies countless hours for exams and works hard to ensure his homework is complete on time. A junior at Brooklyn College majoring in journalism, Richard is less than two years away from earning his diploma. However, unlike most college students, that diploma isn’t his ticket to future employment, it’s his backup plan.

Richard, or Richie as his friends and family call him, has his sights set on becoming a Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. Donning his usual hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and sneakers, Maher said he wanted to trade in his casual ensemble for a chest-protector and face mask. “Yeah, I’m trying to finish school as quick as possible,” Maher said in his thick Brooklyn accent. “My parents said I have to get my degree before I can go to umpiring school.” The stocky, Canarsie, Brooklyn native appreciates the education he is getting, but is ready to take the next step towards his dream of one day umpiring baseball in the major leagues.

If everything goes according to plan, Maher will be attending the Harry Wendlestedt Umpiring Academy upon his college graduation. The Kissimmee, Florida institution is home of MLB’s official school for umpires. Every year hundreds of hopeful applicants pay the $2800 enrollment fee for the five-week course in hopes making a career out of umpiring baseball games. Applicants must take a written exam testing their complete knowledge and understanding of all the game’s rules and intricacies. From there, the top ten percent move on to the next step of the program, umpiring simulation games. Applicants’ on-field abilities are closely monitored and a very select few are chosen to become official MLB umpires. The chosen individuals will start in baseball’s minor league system and will hopefully one day make it to the big leagues. The amount of time spent in the minor leagues varies upon each umpire’s track record and competence. “Only one out of a thousand actually make it to the big leagues,” Maher explained with a self-assured smile. “Numerically speaking, you have a better shot of making it to the majors as a player than an umpire."

Is Maher at all discouraged by the daunting task ahead of him and the extremely low rates of success for aspiring umpires? Hardly. “Yeah, I’m confident,” Maher said. And why shouldn’t he be? Maher has proved his abilities in nearly four years of umpiring experience. Recognizing he lacked the skills necessary to become a professional ball player, Maher excelled at umpiring as a way of retaining his ties to the game he loves.

He currently calls games at both the little league and high school levels, and has gained the respect of players, coaches, and his fellow umpires alike. “Richie is about as non-biased as they come. He just has a calm nerve and demeanor when he’s out there,” said lifelong friend Will Centeno. “He’s just a good guy.”

Another person who can attest to Maher’s relaxed behavior and honesty both on and off the field is his girlfriend of over four years Joanne Sangueza. “We’ve actually worked on a couple of umpiring crews together,” said Sangueza. “He’s very helpful on the field; he’s not there just to criticize.” The couple first met when they were in elementary school and Maher’s father was the coach of Sangueza’s softball team. When asked what she thought of Richie’s chances of making it to the big leagues, Sangueza responded without hesitation, “He can definitely make it. He’s confident and he has the dedication it takes to get there.”

Perhaps Maher’s biggest asset in turning his umpiring dream into a reality is the love and support of his family. “My parents have always encouraged me to do what I like. They never hindered me,” Maher said of his father, Richard, and mother, Christine.

Centeno agrees with his assessment. “Richie’s family is awesome. They always support him one hundred percent with whatever he tries to do. I’ve grown up with his family, and Richie is like a brother to me.”

Although his little sister Alyssa accidentally killed his goldfish when she mistook chili pepper for fish food, Maher is always looking out for his two younger siblings. In fact, he not only sees umpiring as a way of making himself happy, but it would also benefit his younger brother Matthew as well. “If I became a professional umpire, my brother would be the happiest kid in the world because I could get him free tickets,” he said jokingly.

Whether or not Maher ultimately reaches his goal of becoming a professional umpire, he can take solace in the fact he has positively impacted the lives of everyone around him. “Richie is the best guy in the world. He always puts other people’s interests in front of his own. He’s there to help everyone,” said Sangueza. If honesty and selflessness were part of the criteria for becoming an umpire, Maher’s friends and family would put him at the major league level.