Doug Coon shown before throwing out the first pitch at the Caro Little League Opening Day. Coon, a umpire in Caro for over 25 years, will be working the Little League World Series this summer, held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (photo by John Cook)
By Mike Gallagher
Sports Writer
CARO — Doug Coon has achieved a lot of things during his 25 years as an umpire. He has worked 18 state final tournaments, regional little league tournaments and even the Senior Boys Little League World Series in Bangor, Maine.
But this summer Coon is doing something most umpires will never get the chance to do. He’ll go to Williamsport, Pa. to ump the 2015 Little League World Series, which will be broadcast on ESPN.
“I really don’t know how to express how great of an honor this is,” said Coon. “It’s ridiculous, and I can hardly even fathom it. I know guys that have worked 20 years, and they’re great umpires, but they haven’t gotten the chance to do a World Series, and that’s even after they’ve done a regional tournament.”
The Little League World Series will be held Aug. 20 to Aug. 30, and Coon will wear the No. 14 patch.
The process for selection to work a World Series begins with a recommendation from the district administrator to work within their district in above-state tournaments. The regional office considers all nominated umpires before selecting those who most closely meet the selection criteria.
Umpires selected to work a regional tournament will receive an evaluation during the tournament from one or more evaluators designated by the tournament director. An umpire can receive one of two recommendations on the evaluation: recommend working another regional tournament, or recommend a World Series.
“Without the dedication of volunteer umpires, the nine World Series tournaments would not be possible,” said Thomas Haines Jr., Little League Director of Umpire Development. “Umpires at the World Series tournaments will walk away with memories that will last a lifetime, just as the coaches and players participating do.”
There are thirteen different states in Coon’s region, and twelve umpires are selected from those thirteen states to do regional tournaments. Getting to that point is a big accomplishment in itself, and those who make it that far will get put in a pool with umpires who have been selected over the years, and of that group, two are selected each year to go to the World Series.
“They tell you at the regional events that 95 percent of you won’t make it to the World Series, and to treat the regional like a World Series,” Coon said. “I was selected from Michigan this year, and Michigan might not have another umpire selected now for another four to five years just because there’s thirteen states in the district, and they have to spread it around.”
This season the LLWS will use instant replay just like in the Major Leagues. That, among other things, were discussed when Coon went to the umpires meeting in Williamsport this past weekend.
“We went over the new mechanics, what they expect of us, protocol for instant replay, and etiquette in front of ESPN,” said Coon. “The thing that is going to be different is the Little League International wants the umpires to be more uniform in the way they make thier calls. I have a specific way that I call strikes, but they want us to do a more generic call. It’s understood more internationally, and I understand, and it’s great, but it’s going to be a hard habit to break.”
As for instant replay, Coon is in favor of the idea.
“As much as we’d like to get all of the calls right, we just can’t, we’re human after all,” Coon said. “Those really close plays, we only have a fraction of a second, but with the video reviews they have a few minutes, and 24 cameras with a better view. I know a lot of guys don’t like that, and I used to be one of those guys, but if you can make it right for the kids, right for the game, you just have to suck it up. Nobody likes to be overturned, but if it makes it right, that’s what it’s all about.”
And umpiring under the big lights, and on ESPN, doesn’t seem to bother Coon.
“It’s not as bad as you think it would be,” Coon said. “You have your pregame with the coaches and managers, and you’re excited, but once that first pitch is thrown, you’re in game mode. You really don’t think about what’s going on around you. You focus on the game, the kids, and do what you are supposed to do.”
Coon grew up in Grand Blanc but moved to Caro in 1984, when he and his wife bought the Eastham’s Drycleaners in Caro, and that’s when he got his start in umpiring.
“It was different for me,” Coon said. “Moving from the big city to a farm town like Caro, but I’d never move back. It’s just so nice here. I’ve gotten so much from this community, and I’ve just been trying to give back.”
Coon started umpiring for his son’s teams when he was in Little League in Caro, and he started working toward the LLWS in 2006.
“Back in 2006 my district administrator asked me if I would start working towards the Little League, and he said he would stick around if I did that,” said Coon. “He was a very good administrator, so I told him I’d do it.”
“When I did my regional in 2005, I don’t know what happened to me, but after doing high school, junior, senior boys, some of them get attitudes,” Coon said. “But with the 12-year-olds you see the innocence in the eyes of the kids. They wear their emotions on there sleeves. They’re happy, sad, crying, cheering, and when I saw that I thought ‘That’s awesome.’ ”
One person who has helped Coon become the umpire that he is today is Dejaiz Svacha.
“He helped me a lot in my younger years,” Coon said. “I guess you could say he was a mentor to me early on, and every young umpire should have one of those.”
While the LLWS doesn’t start until late August, Coon will be working in Caro, and is still trying to improve as an umpire.
“I’ve been to ump school, and going to school is one of the best things that you can do,” said Coon. “For a young umpire going to school is essential. I think that one of the more unique things about umpiring is that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing it, there’s always something that you can learn.”