It makes perfect sense — one night you’re an audio engineer, the next you’re a minor league umpire
Well, it does if you’re Fred DeJesus.
On July 28, DeJesus helped out an ailing umpire crew by donning the uniform and hitting the field.
It all started when New York-Penn League umpire Adam Harrell broke his right wrist thanks to an errant fastball.
When he came to Brooklyn, his arm was in a cast, making it difficult to effectively umpire a game — the New York-Penn League normally uses just a two-man umpiring crew, so the umpires have to cover a lot of ground.
The league needed help for the crew scheduled for Keyspan, and Cyclones’ general manager Steve Cohen and the New York-Penn Leagues umpire assigner arranged for DeJesus to fill in.
DeJesus wears many hats. He’s the women’s varsity basketball coach at New York City College of Technology Downtown. And he’s also a busy umpire who has already worked the National Baseball Congress World Series.
So the Sunset Park resident, who was a catcher at Baruch College and whom Cyclones director of media relations Dave Campanaro, a college opponent, described as “feisty,” seemed to be a perfect fit.
“During my catching days at Baruch,” said DeJesus, “an umpire said, ‘Freddie, since you call the pitches back here, you might as well go on and be an umpire.’ So I did.”
DeJesus, who had never umpired a professional game before, arrived at Keyspan Park at 3:30 pm, and he spent his time going over the mechanics for working in a three man umpire crew.
When he took the field for the game, his mother, his wife, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Desiree, 8, were in the stands, cameras in hand.
“The butterflies were going,” admits DeJesus about his nerves before his debut, but during the game he appeared confident.
His only close call came when the Cyclones’ Josh Petersen was running to third to beat an outfield throw. It was a close play and DeJesus called Petersen out. Manager Mookie Wilson came on the field to protest the call, but DeJesus calmly explained his decision and the discussion was quickly resolved.
But on another call, this one not close at all, DeJesus, the adrenaline apparently flowing, vigorously punched out a player, his enthusiasm providing more body language than was needed on such a routine play
Overall, he had a fine performance as he hustled into position for each call.
The next night, the New York-Penn League provided a substitute umpire, so DeJesus was back in the audio-visual booth remembering the sights and sounds of a night he will never forget.
August 6, 2005 issue
