Umpire Profile

Umpire Profile

Dale Fitzpatrick

By Gary Reals

Fellow Blues, sad to say many of us ensconced up here in Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland and DC have not had the good fortune of working with or even knowing Dale Fitzpatrick. Not so…the leadership of NV-MAC!

Rob Porter: “Dale is massively respected!” Dave Maher: “He gets it done!!”

Robert Fobian: “He’s elite!!!”

Training Chief Paul Porto: “Dale is MAC’s ‘go to’ down there around Fredericksburg and Stafford.”

Dale explains, “The game of baseball deserves the best umpires possible at all levels. I’m going to do everything I can to pump some life into and improve the program down here in the Fredericksburg region.”

In the Beginning

Dale’s multi-faceted career has its roots in small-town Elyria, Ohio, about 20 miles west of Cleveland. That’s where father Clifford Fitzpatrick worked in a steel mill most of his life, raised 7 children, and umpired baseball from minor leagues in the 1930’s & ‘40’s to T-ball and Little League with the youngsters in the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s. “Baseball ruled,” recalls Dale, “we played year-round…we were hooked!”

Just a few years ago in Elyria, Dale’s father who passed away in 1988, was honored in a special ceremony for his trailblazing service to the local youth baseball community decades earlier. The 2021 tribute was held as Little League Baseball joyously returned to Elyria after an absence of many years.

Moving Out

While Dad was still laboring in the steel mill and umpiring youth baseball, young Dale and some buddies skipped school one day in 1969 and joined the Navy! They shipped out right after graduation and Clifford wasn’t at all happy about it, expecting his son to follow in his footsteps at US Steel. More on that coming up.

Suffice to say young Dale had a most unusual and beneficial stint as a sailor. He wore his Navy uniform on the average of about one day a year. His everyday attire was, shall we say, a tad different. Think tights! Wrestling tights! You see, a former state-wide high school wrestling champion, Dale Fitpatrick tried out for and quickly became an All-Navy wrestler who travelled and flipped butt all over the world. He and his teammates rode U.S. Naval ships to heavily attended wrestling matches in foreign capitals . And on those cruises the wrestlers were bestowed with special privileges. In the chow line and other forms of liberty. Dale acknowledges it was a “real morale booster.” They were living large indeed!

A Simple Suggestion

But all good things come to an end. Fitzpatrick’s 4-year enlistment included. Nevertheless Blues, other good things sometimes follow. Such as that rainy day in 1973, in Norfolk, Va, where Dale was waiting for a Greyhound bus to take him home to Elyria. Dad still had a job waiting for him at US Steel. Because of the rain storm however, the bus was late! Dale didn’t grasp it then, but he gets it now: “If it hadn’t rained that day my life would have been totally different.”

As it happened, a lady who saw Dale standing out in the rain waiting for the bus, suggested he might seek a little refuge in the federal office building right across the street. Blues, you know what happened next. Of course! The job application he filled out that day, before the Greyhound bus finally showed up, came back with a Department of Defense job offer 6 months later. Bye, bye US Steel!

The Doorway Opens

Even though he had spent 4 years with the Navy, the Army made Dale a civilian offer. No tights this time, gents. He left Elyria again, summoned to work in the Harry Diamond Laboratories in suburban Maryland as a science and technology photographer for the U.S. Army Research & Development Command. Over the course of several decades, Dale steadily climbed the ranks entering into a mélange of DOD management and budget positions. In 2011, he retired from federal service where after 42 years, he had attained the lofty rank of Inspector General for the Center for Service Combat Systems.

During those years of federal service, Fitzpatrick married the lady of his life and raised 5 children. Wherever he went, Dale Fitzpatrick always kept his love of baseball near the forefront of his life from childhood in Elyria, his 4 years in the Navy, and his career with DOD. “It gave me something to do,” he claims modestly. This reporter strongly suspects it was far more of a commitment to excellence than merely something to do.

More & More & More

In 1984, Dale commenced a third career just to keep himself in good shape. He became a personal trainer while working at Fort Monroe, in Hampton, Va. “It was an awesome tie-in with baseball,” he says, “….it kept me in shape to run the bases.” Of course, Dale! He now owns his own personal fitness training program: Ur1LifeFitness Coach. “I am always striving to empower individuals to a healthier lifestyle,” states his promotional brochure.

In the 1990’s another career move brought the Fitzpatricks to Dahlgren, Va. a major Naval installation along the Potomac River, east of Fredericksburg. Still another chapter of good fortune was visited upon Dale: that relocation introduced him to a gentleman by the name of Tim O’Toole. Some of you more senior Blues may recognize that name with a distinct note of esteem. O’Toole was hired by the Fitzpatricks to build them a new home in the Fredericksburg area. Well, not only did O’Toole fix them up with a nice new house, he also introduced Dale to MAC! Thank you, Tim O’Toole!

For perspective, do understand the umpire world including Fredericksburg and neighboring counties is a relatively small enclave with a small number of high schools and recreational baseball leagues. Thus, fewer umpires, less training and scant ump opportunities. You might understand Mr. Fitzpatrick was feeling, shall we say, unfulfilled.

Tim O’Toole delivered the goods! Through the 1990’s, Tim had become an earlier personification of what Dale would later blossom into for MAC-NV. In 2004, O’Toole finally persuaded Dale to “come over….you need to get to MAC!” He’s been with us ever since. In 2012, Fitzpatrick worked the plate at the Congressional Baseball Championship. He’s also worked several State Championship games in Virginia High School tournaments.

However, the greatest value Dale has continuously provided to MAC-NV is his management and leadership in all aspects of baseball and umpiring in and around Fredericksburg. Rob Porter puts it simply, but so significantly: “If there’s a problem or an issue down there, Dale’s going to own it.”

Training Chief Porto says “he’s the face of our organization down there….he knows all the coaches who respect him greatly.”

Dave Maher: “Dale is the guy who will advocate for the game of baseball by his actions and mentorship.”

Beyond his role as “Umpire Extraordinaire” for the Blues of the region, Dale also was contacted a decade ago by the late sister of Warren Buffett, Doris…to lend a hand in creating the Sunshine Baseball League to serve the youth of the Fredericksburg area. A stadium complex was built in the inner city to grow the game of baseball for youngsters in need from ages 6 to 16. Fitzpatrick considers it a source of pride to have had a hand in the first years of the formation of the Sunshine League and its stadium complex.

“Time!”

Fast forwarding to the present here in 2025, Dale has been on the umpire IL due to a couple of eye surgeries, but recovery has been going well and he expects to be back on the ballfields again this Fall. Robert Fobian who moved down to Fitzpatrick’s “neighborhood” a few years ago says “it’s shocking to see what he’s capable of doing physically. I’d like to take this opportunity to say we really miss him.”

But Robert, Dale has not been idle. Oh no! Dave Maher has asked him “to take the lead” in the Standards & Policy Committee for MAC, working alongside Mark Buchen and Anthony Mayer. We can all agree that’s a pretty good darn brain trust right there. But, Blues, speaking of standards and policies, are we really gonna wear shorts?

A Sure Bet?

Anyway, as you can guess, Dale is fired up to start calling a few balls and lots of strikes the sooner the better. And no surprise: Dale has set a career goal for himself. Any guesses, Brothers? The young fellow from Elyria is determined to complete 60 years of umpiring. If my calculations are correct, Dale has approximately 1 to 2 years to go. I believe we can all bet our houses: meeting that goal is going to be a genuine can of corn for Dale Fitzpatrick. Hallelujah!