Ayr umpire inducted into the Softball Canada Hall of Fame

AYR- Being an umpire is usually a thankless job, but Bruce Bierman is getting his due.

The 72-year-old Ayr resident, who hung up his mask in 2006 but is still umpire-in-chief for the International Softball Congress, will be inducted as an official into the Softball Canada Hall of Fame during the organization’s 50th anniversary celebrations, from Nov. 12 to 15, in Winnipeg, Man.

Bierman, though, admitted he’s having a hard time accepting the honour, as he’s never been one to seek adulation. In fact, he called the person who nominated him and questioned the decision.

“I told him that I thought there were others that were more worthy. He disagreed,” Bierman said.

Of course, this is a former umpire of the year in Canada who retired his balls and strikes counter when he was still quite capable of calling a game.

“I felt that at my age that being on the field was something that the younger umpires could be doing. If I stayed there, I’m just taking the place of someone else.”

But really, there was probably not much left on Bierman’s behind-the-plate bucket list.

He started his career in 1981, joining the Hespeler Umpires Association under the direction of Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame member Gus Kitzman who “taught me as much about umpiring as anyone”. One of his umpiring colleagues, Cec Dunn, also graces Cambridge’s sports hall.

In his 25 years of umpiring, Bierman worked a junior women’s, senior women’s and three senior men’s Canadian championships, as well as the 1999 Pan American Games.

Working as umpire-in-chief – his first official area was Zone 3, which included Waterloo-Wellington, Hamilton and Norfolk. While staying on the field, Bierman was in charge of the officials for Softball Ontario from 1989 to 1994, and deputy umpire-in-chief at the 2001 Summer Games in London.

He’s also run several umpiring clinics and headed up the men in blue in many provincial, national and international tournaments, as well as leagues.

“I enjoyed all of them,” Bierman noted, adding that it didn’t matter if it was the Pan Am Games or a bantam girls’ game at Lincoln Park.

In fact, a bantam girls’ game between Cambridge and Stratford is where he received the most praise. Halfway through the contest, the Stratford coach thanked him and said that they rarely had an umpire of his calibre work their games.

Of course, minor softball is where he also had his more ardent hecklers.

He recalled a mother, sitting with her five-year-old son, relentlessly giving him an earful during a game.

He approached the young boy instead of the mom.

“I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a job for you.’ I ignored the mother completely and said, ‘Here, I’ve got a counter, would you help me keep track of balls and strikes?’ He looked at me, got a big smile on his face and took the counter. I never heard another word out of the mother.”

But that was Bierman’s way – find a solution to the problem instead of triggering a confrontation or ejection.

“It’s not just hearing that and listening to it, but you have to be able to handle it too,” he said. “I would say in 25 years of umpiring, I’ll bet you I haven’t ejected 10 ball players or coaches.

A fellow umpire once talked about throwing 10 players out of games in one year, compared to 25 the year before.

“It sounds like you’re becoming a better umpire,” was Bierman’s quip.

But while he’s been quick-witted on the diamond, he had some difficulty gathering his thoughts about the forthcoming hall of fame induction.

“I had no idea that I would even be nominated and when I got the call from Softball Canada, to tell you the truth, I became very emotional,” he said.

“It’s a big honour; a big time honour.”

Though parents and fans might not think much of umpires, Bierman’s respect comes from his peers.

John Robertson, who umpired with Bierman on several occasions, noted that the hall of fame honour was a no-doubter.

“I always found that Bruce was quietly in control of the game. He wasn’t flashy. He just did his job well. He exuded competence,” Robertson said.

But for those who questioned Bierman on the field, he was always confident of his ability.

“You have to know the rules, he said.

“There are some people who have misconceptions of the rules, definitely.”

 bdoucet@cambridgetimes.ca