The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MARTIN ‘Pork’ Burrows continues to add to his résumé as an international baseball umpire.

Last month, he participated in the Babe Ruth’s Cal Ripken Baseball Major/70 World Series at the Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri.

“It went smoothly as usual. The competition was very tough this year. I was really surprised with some of the US teams this year. They stepped it up another notch from 2019 when I first went there,” Burrows said.

“The international teams were very dominant in 2019, but this year, the US teams were much better, especially the home-based team from Branson. They were very, very good. The international championship game saw Puerto Rico beat Mexico 1-0 in 10 innings and on the US side, Branson beat Puerto Rico for the overall title.”

The Bahamas, represented by Freedom Farm, was one of the 25 teams that participated in the tournament that was held from August 5-14.

As the only international umpire officiating, Burrows was one of 12 umpires, including Janet Thomas, the first female umpire to officiate at the tournament. Burrows, the top certified umpire in the Bahamas, joined the cadre of umpires who came from the United States.

“I had an opportunity to call a couple of games with her, Janet Thomas, who did very well,” Burrows said. “Overall, the tournament went very well. We had a little young team from the Bahamas and they had to come out of the tournament because two of the guys tested positive.

“But it was a good experience for them. Hopefully that same team will go back to the tournament next year because they are very young. Most of them are aged 10 and 11. So hopefully the same team will go back.”

While there, Burrows said he officiated in a total of 17 games and he had a lot of fun being in a bubble that was created for the umpires just as it was done for the players because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“With this being my second time there, it wasn’t anything different, except that I was the only international umpire,” Burrows said. “Most of the guys who I umpired in 2019 were back there. We only had about four new umpires. The rest I already knew.

“But it was nothing different. You came to the tournament, officiated about two or three games a day and we all dined together. We go to the park at 8am every morning and nobody leaves until the last game is over and we go to our various hotels.”

Burrows said he’s looking forward to next July when George Burrows is expected to host the regional baseball tournament in July for teams in the under-12 and under-18 divisions. He said the public will get the opportunity to not only see the international umpires in action, but some high calibre of youth baseball.

“It’s always good when you can get an international tournament under your belt,” Burrows said. “I keep my own sports résumé, so it will be good down the line when people see that you’ve been to these international tournaments as an umpire.”

While he’s taking advantage of his opportunity to officiate overseas, Burrows is working on trying to get more local umpires to join him. He is currently conducting an umpire clinic at the Blue Hills Sporting Complex every Thursday.

The clinic will resume on Thursday after Burrows had to take a break because of his travel to Missouri.

“I want to try and get one or two other umpires ready for the international tournament coming here next year,” Burrows said. “I want them to be able to feel just how I feel when I go to these international tournaments to officiate.

“The clinic is coming along very well. I’m very impressed with some of the guys, one or two are stepping it up to go to the next level. That’s very impressive. One or two are showing interest in going to get their international certification. I can only train them, but I need to see them in game situations so I can evaluate them and let them know what is going right and wrong.”

Unlike when he started officiating internationally, Burrows said he wants to ensure that there is someone taking the umpires through the steps to improve their craft and not have to learn the hard way as he’s done.

“Everything they teach me, I am teaching the local umpires,” Burrows said. “At least they will have an idea of what is expected of them when they go away to officiate.”

Burrows said the BBA is planning on sending veteran umpires Stephen Sands and Andrew Burrows to Curacao in December for an international umpires clinic.

He said they both deserve to be given the opportunity to join him as certified umpires.