Blue Crew News

Editor's Message NCAA baseball is underway, and many other leagues are in preseason tryouts, practices, and scrimmages. There are already lots of plays and calls popping up on social media. The two channels I really enjoy are Umpire Classroom, run by MAC umpire...

Editor's Message …and welcome back to another information-packed edition of The Blue Crew News! Before I run you through the highlights of our First Pitch 2026 Edition, for those who may have missed it, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported earlier this month that...

Editor's Message Before I recap the banquet, I wanted to share that Arbiter is now open for blocking through August 2026. Please take a few moments at your earliest convenience and update your availability to help the association reduce turn-backs. On Saturday,...

So, yes…as you are well aware, Blue Crew News is indeed a baseball umpire-centric publication and I wanted to take a moment before introducing this month’s edition to give you a brief testimony on officiating MAC’s other sport…volleyball.

Before we get to the buffet, I want to take a moment and talk about the state of technology that is of great interest to you, the developing, emerging umpire.

Well, I am back again and hopefully better than ever. I have made the sacred sojourn once again there and back again from Cooperstown, the spiritual home of baseball and I am renewed.

This edition of Blue Crews News is a bevy of very relevant and interesting information for you to enjoy while the summer season winds down! There are so many umpires within our association that not only do great work for us, but they also do some pretty cool other things within baseball.

With a nod to the Scottish-American naturalist, John Muir, the Pacific Northwest was calling, and I needed to go! And now, I am returned, renewed and refreshed. Special thank you to Michael Chmar who held it down for me as he spent some quality time in the big chair here at Blue Crew News helming the last edition.

Welcome to the June 23rd issue of The Blue Crews News! Robert’s on vacation with his family this week, so I’m subbing in to make sure we get this edition out to all of you! In this edition, we start with Mr. Maher’s presidential message.

Before I begin, I was just handed an urgent bulletin from the BCN Update Desk…VHSL First Round State games will be Tuesday, June 10th at Madison HS, West Springfield HS, Heritage HS, Independence HS and Gainesville HS. Umpire assignments have not yet been finalized.

We had originally thought it best to remain dark in honor of Memorial Day but, we’ve got Dave here for you with a brief President’s Message in this abbreviated edition. Blue Crew News will return with a full edition on Monday, June 9th followed by an edition on Monday, June 23rd.

For those in and around high school baseball this is indeed the start of a special time of the season. For the umpires especially…slots will be earned. Judgements will be called. Rules will be applied. Legends will emerge. War stories will be written.

I’d like to send our association’s best wishes for a speedy recovery to MLB umpire Hunter Wendelstedt who was struck in the head by a foul ball recently.

Before summarizing yet another jam packed edition of the Blue Crew News, I wanted to take a moment and talk about the relationship dynamic between crew chiefs and the umpire or umpires on their crews and a display of class and grace.

And once again, Blue Crew News is back and better than ever! Here’s what else is back and better than ever…the weather! I hope you have all had the pleasure of working games this week (as have I) as conditions have been really optimal for evening baseball.

Well, we’ve arrived at what I am sure is our collective favorite time of the year for those of us providing adjudication services on the local DC region high school baseball fields!

For over two years, I’ve been giving thought to what that means and the goals I would want to achieve should I be given the opportunity to do so. There are so many aspects to the umpiring experience both on and off the field.

Welcome back to another episode of the Blue Crew News! We’ve got another jam-packed edition fresh off the presses with the added feature that we are bringing you two new voices from the association as well as a past voice from Blue Crew News.