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Minors also a training ground for umpires with big-league dreams

 
Umpire Tom Fornarola, 23, left, and Taylor Payne, 24, facing, talk before the start of the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
Umpire Tom Fornarola, 23, left, and Taylor Payne, 24, facing, talk before the start of the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
Published July 21, 2017

LAKELAND — The two rookie umpires sat inside the air-conditioned umpire's locker room in the back of the Detroit Tigers spring training complex one July morning and rubbed mud on the three dozen baseballs needed for that afternoon's Gulf Coast League game between the Yankees and the Tigers.

Like workers on an assembly line, they pulled a pristine baseball out of the case, sprayed water on their hands, scooped some mud out of a can of Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud, applied it to the ball and tossed it into the ball bag.

It was part of their pregame ritual, along with cleaning their shoes, reviewing part of the baseball rule book and keeping a perfect crease in their uniform pants. For that, Tom Fornarola keeps a clothes steamer in his equipment bag.

"We come prepared," his partner, Taylor Payne, said.

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpire Tom Fornarola, 23, left, and Taylor Payne, 24, rub up baseballs before the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpire Tom Fornarola, 23, left, and Taylor Payne, 24, rub up baseballs before the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

Payne, 24, and Fornarola, 23, are two of the 23 first-year umpires scattered around the bottom rungs of minor-league baseball this summer. They never met until they were assigned together but quickly developed a strong rapport.

Like the players themselves, the two umpires have dreams of reaching the major leagues. The process could take anywhere from seven to 10 years with no guarantees.

In fact, Payne and Fornarola would not even talk about it. Why jinx it.

The GCL is a 10-week short season league comprised mostly of first-year players drafted in June or signed afterward as free agents. Some were promoted from the Dominican Summer League. A number of them will be released when the season ends in early September.

A few will be promoted this summer to the next level, which is another short-season rookie league.

Some umpires, too.

• • •

Both umpires worked youth league, high school and college baseball before going for professional training.

Payne attended the Major League Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach. Fornarola went to the Wendelstedt School for Umpires in Daytona Beach. Both are former baseball players whose path to the big leagues ended in high school. Both decided umpiring was the best way to remain involved in the game.

Fornarola is from Rochester, N.Y. He began umpiring Little League games when he was 14 because he needed a job and didn't want to work in the local supermarket.

"I just fell in love with it, more than playing," he said.

Payne, who is from Kansas City, Mo., had his career cut short by an arm injury.

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GCL umpires receive $2,000 a month. They spend the season traveling around Florida from coast to coast, spending a week or two covering games played in one of the league's four geographical divisions.

Fornarola and Payne share a hotel room and drive a rented red Jeep Renegade.

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpires Taylor Payne and Tom Fornarola unload their gear at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpires Taylor Payne and Tom Fornarola unload their gear at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

They have a system for game-day driving: Whoever works the plate drives to the game. The other one drives back to the hotel.

"After tracking 250 to 300 pitches from the pitcher's hand to home plate during the game, your eyes are too tired to drive," Payne said.

Their mornings begin at 7 with a workout followed by breakfast.

On this day, they left the Clarion Hotel & Suites in Clearwater at 9 a.m. so they could reach the field by 10:30. First pitch was high noon.

The two like to be onsite 90 minutes before first pitch so they can stay on top of the dicey mid summer weather and prepare for the game.

They watch each other's actions as much as possible during games so they can provide constructive criticism on the ride home.

Payne, who is 6 feet 2, is working on lowering his stance behind the plate so that his chin is level with the catcher's shoulder. Fornarola, who is 5-10, is working on "getting taller" in his stance so he can properly align his head with the catcher's shoulder or risk missing a pitch on the lower outside corner.

It is that attention to detail, the strive for perfection, that Payne loves about umpiring.

"It's a task you'll never win," he said. "You'll always have something to work on, and I love working on something every single day."

• • •

Payne spent the past three summers calling games in the Northern League, which is independent. He vividly remembers his first game because he blew his first call. He was working the bases and a runner tried to steal second. The throw was on time and so was the tag.

"Safe," Payne yelled.

He knew he had it wrong. So did the fans, since the replay was shown three times on the outfield videoboard.

"That's when I learned it was time to grow up," Payne said. "You have to get it right."

Umpires cannot take a play off. They have to watch every pitch and be aware of every possible situation when the ball is put in play.

"You try to be perfect, but you're never going to be perfect," Fornarola said. "If we miss a call, we move on, just like a player who makes an error."

The game between the Tigers and Yankees was pretty routine. Their calls went unchallenged.

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpires Tom Fornarola, left, and Taylor Payne talk before the start of the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpires Tom Fornarola, left, and Taylor Payne talk before the start of the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

It was a perfect glimpse of minor-league ball at the lowest level. There were 35 players on both teams, plus a manager, coaches and training staff. A handful of Tiger employees mingled behind home plate. There were five scouts from other organizations and an official scorer.

That is all.

And it was hot. The temperature at game time was 89 degrees and climbing.

Both umpires were treated to two cups of water between innings.

Mercifully, the game took two hours, 30 minutes.

They trudged back to the soothing air conditioner of the umpire's locker room for lunch and the drive back to Clearwater for a much-needed late afternoon nap.

Fornarola drove.

• • •

The two had a doubleheader Wednesday in Fort Myers between the Twins and Rays with first pitch for Game 1 at 10 a.m.

A half-hour before, Fornarola's phone rang. It was Andy Schultz, who heads the GCL umpires. Fornarola thought there might be a change to the schedule. Oh, there was … his.

Schultz delivered the news that Fornarola was promoted to the Appalachian League. His first game was scheduled for Friday in Johnson City, Tenn. Just like that, he inched one step closer to his goal.

"I was shocked," Fornarola said. "It was great news, but bittersweet. Taylor and I developed a great friendship. We really bonded. I told him he'll be next."

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpire Tom Fornarola watches a pitch during the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

Will Vragovic | Times

Umpire Tom Fornarola watches a pitch during the Gulf Coast League game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.