Londoner among 3 Canadians to umpire at this year's Little League Baseball World Series

A baseball umpire from London, Ont., is among three Canadians selected to umpire at the 2025 Little League World Series tournament in Williamsport, Pa., this summer. 

Rob Macdonald, 35, will take the field at one of seven World Series events in August, along with 19 other umpires from around the world. It's an opportunity that's been more than two decades in the making, said Macdonald

"I am so excited, this is something I've been working toward since I was 11 or 12 years old," he said. "Honestly, [I'm] overjoyed that the people who have worked with me over that time that I've seen make it there, I get to join the ranks with them."

Baseball umpires are responsible for officiating and enforcing game rules, while making judgment calls. The selection process to become a World Series umpire for the Little League is rigorous and involves years of volunteering at regional, provincial and national tournaments.  

The Little League's international selection committee considers each applicant and selects high-performing umpires to officiate each post-season tournament, before being screened one final time, said the Little League in a press release. 

The Little League World Series is an annual international event held in the United States for children aged 10 to 12 years old, and it's a big deal: the tournament is televised on ESPN and in 2024 drew 3.5 million viewers. 

The announcement is especially heartwarming for Macdonald, who is originally from Hamilton, because umpiring has been in his family since the 1950s, when his grandfather first started doing it at the Stoney Creek Optimist Little League.

It's a tradition that kept up through Macdonald's dad, his brother, cousins and himself. But Macdonald's interest in officiating became stronger around 2001, when his dad took over as president of the Little League and encouraged him to pursue umpiring, he said. 

"It just worked out. I was good at memorizing rules and just gained the confidence and worked my way up through the ranks," said Macdonald, who will work with players as young as 11. 

"I love getting to work with new people all the time and the ability to travel across the country. I also love encouraging and mentoring younger umpires, people who were like me when I was that young, and seeing them progress."

A 'once in a lifetime' opportunity

It's a great honour for Little League umpires to take the field internationally after spending many years learning the ins and outs of baseball, said Lance Van Auken, a former umpire who also served as vice president of the Little League and is now retired. 

"A player who makes it to the Little League World Series as part of a team, they're work for a few months to get ready. By contrast, an umpire will be working for decades just to get a shot at making it. It's really a once-in-a-lifetime thing," he said.  

Macdonald's selection has brought immense pride to his mentor, Stephen Meyer, who also umpired the Little League's World Series in 2010. 

"He's worked very hard and has shown to be an exceptional umpire. I'm very proud to see someone coming up from the grassroots level getting selected to such a prestigious event," said Meyer, describing Macdonald as someone who's always eager to learn more and advance. 

With his patience in working with pre-teen players and positive attitude, Macdonald is the perfect ump for the World Series, said Meyer.

"One of the things I always drilled into Rob is, you have to treat every game as if it is Little League World Series."

Macdonald, a high school math teacher in London, said he devotes his time to umpiring for the love of baseball and desire to help young players grow into strong athletes. He looks forward to representing southwestern Ontario at the tournament, he said. 

"It's the greatest honour. When I think of people in London and where I grew up in Hamilton who will be supporting me, it makes me think that everything I've done has been worth it."