Umpire Profile

Umpire Profile

Darren “Easy” Schuberg

By Gary Reals

Blues, not only do we here at NVBUA share the pleasure of Darren Schuberg’s work, training, and mentoring in our midst, but in addition to all that, Darren has led a small but rich following of many high-quality umpires to our ranks. Johnny Blaeuer, Brian Jenkins, Bob Nasser and Tom DeFranco all followed Darren to MAC. And where did they all come from, you ask? Little League…that’s where. The small diamond populated with youngsters wallowing in the fields of their dreams…and their Dads, too!

Permit us to recognize and to thank young Andrew Schuberg for bringing his Dad along to Chantilly Little League back in 1998. As Darren recalls, “They needed parent volunteers, and I said ‘Hey, I can do that. That’s not hard!” Brothers, suffice to say nearly 30 years later, young Andrew Schuberg is long gone from Chantilly LL, currently working as an IT guru. But father, Darren is still out there although the Little League folks now graciously share him with us. Hallelujah!

NVBUA President Dave Maher: “We really need guys like Darren. He is one who’s so very helpful to the Association in so many ways. He kind of says whatever you want is good with me. He’s a great mentor.” Listen to Darren Schuberg, “I enjoy the heck out of umpiring. I especially love the camaraderie of discussing games with my partners…to share my knowledge and experience with my peers and speak the same language as they do. And to learn from them too.”

Darren’s love of baseball began in his early years growing up in Yorktown, NY in Westchester County. “Baseball was the only sport I gravitated to,“ he recalls, “I would leave home in the morning with a ball and glove and we’d play until dark.” And fostering the lad was his Grandpa who just happened to be friends with a New York Mets scout who just happened to tap into some tickets every now and then. No mystery here, Blues, Darren says “We loved it.”

As the years rolled on, Schuberg did not play high school ball. He concedes, “When the ball started moving in different directions, I couldn’t handle it.” He umpired some youth games in those early years. But before he knew it, he had graduated from high school and was off to the University of Rochester where he earned a degree in engineering. And, much, much more than a degree came his way at Rochester. While In college Darren met the love of his life, Laurie.

As it turned out, for the young coed from Long Island, baseball had been a large part of her life too. Laurie’s dad was a sports reporter for Newsday and covered the Yankees and the Mets for decades. “That proved to be another way for us to bond”, in those early college years, Darren recalls. And later baseball became a subject of some interesting discussion over family Christmases together when Laurie’s Dad had his Hall of Fame ballot to complete for his annual Hall of Fame choices for admission to Cooperstown.

Soon after college the lovebirds entered the work world, got married and had two children, daughter Kelly and the aforementioned Andrew. Eventually, Darren landed a position with the US Patent Office which brought him and his young family to the DMV in 1994. Thirty-two years later, he’s a program manager with the Patent Office. Twenty-eight years later Schuberg is still with Chantilly Little League. And twenty-four years later he’s still gracing NVBUA with his umpire prowess.

It was right around the turn of the century, Darren was having a cup of coffee with Jack Caldwell, another LL umpire who had moved onto MAC. Caldwell suggested Darren check it out too. But, but…“I was a busy Dad with the kids and I didn’t have time.” That move would take several more years. Finally, in 2011, Darren Schuberg worked his 1st MAC game with Thomas Francis. He had a few more games that year, but officially arrived with 1st year training in 2012.

From his new home up in Happy Valley, MAC legend Norm Gordon remembers Darren and his flock of LL umps, “As a group, they were not overwhelmed by us, but they were amazed at the structure we had at MAC. They were all eager to learn from our training program.” Norm continues about the little leaguers, “They were kind of like ‘we were the top of our Little League level. Now we want to be at the top of this level at MAC.” Tom DeFranco, who followed him from LL, agrees with Norm’s assessment, “He doesn’t get flustered. He’s chill. He doesn’t let anything rattle him. He’s a great partner…a fun guy to work with.”

That attitude of Darren Schuberg’s sheer enjoyment with working as an umpire undoubtedly helps to explain his rise through our ranks. Just a few months ago he worked the plate in the Virginia State Championship Class 5 game in Newport News. “I felt honored just to be on the field. I enjoyed the heck out of it,” he recounts. As it turned out, that match between Glen Allen and Great Bridge High Schools “went fine…there were no issues.” Dave Maher, who had the opportunity to closely eye Schuberg’s work at the plate from his vantage point at 2nd base, says “he was great….didn’t miss a pitch.” Brothers, ya’ think that may have had a part in the championship game proceeding so uneventfully?

Somewhat curiously, Darren does not regard being selected to work the plate in that State Championship game as his highest attainment. Rather, he rejoices, “My pinnacle was being immersed for two weeks in the 2023 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.” He worked a total of 11 games…three at the plate.His second game at the plate between Venezuela and Curacao ended dramatically with a walk-off home run by the Curacao batter who was down to his final strike. Home plate umpire Schuberg calls it “an incredible game…that ended so suddenly!”

And then there was his 1st game at the plate up at Williamsport when Darren experienced shall we say “a bit of an adrenaline rush” His very first throwback to the mound: “I threw it waaay over the pitcher’s head.” Of course, lots of people were watching that game on TV. One of them just happened to be MLB Umpire and one of our own Chris Segal. Chris could not resist sending the video to dear friend Paul Porto telling him, “I know you’ll appreciate this.” They yukked it up a bit and of course Training Chief Porto also couldn’t resist forwarding the farcical video on to Darren, “I said look what Chris Segal just sent me.” Darren’s good-natured response, “You guys are never going to let it go.” And a few years and all the joshing later, Schuberg has come to consider his throwing blunder a “badge of honor.” Of course, it’s in his DNA.

An abiding hope of Darren’s is to get back to another Little League World Series, the first being such a magnificent experience. However, Blues, he isn’t going anywhere. He hopes for more high-end college and high school games. But even more than games, one of the foundations of Schuberg’s umpire enjoyment is the training, “ I love working for MAC. I love it.” He adds, “It’s really something nice to see: the younger guys moving forward after a couple of years of training as they get better and better.”

Darren Schuberg knows personally of what he speaks, ”Everything I learned in MAC training is what has shaped me into the umpire I am today.” That’s a very nice progression, Brother Schuberg. Don’t we all love it, Brothers, when someone who really deserves something gets it!