Fontecchio draws Junior League World Series assignment

IRONWOOD - Sam Fontecchio of Ironwood won't have to leave Michigan for this Little League World Series assignment.

Fontecchio was chosen to umpire the Junior League World Series (ages 12-14) at Taylor in Metro Detroit from Aug. 16 through Aug. 23.

Fontecchio was an umpire in 2011 at the premier Little League World Series event, the 11-12 year-old series at Williamsport where the entire event is televised on ESPN. The Junior League championship baseball game will be on ESPN on Sunday, Aug. 23 at noon CDT.

Little League requires umpires to wait four years between assignments and Fontecchio applied through district administrator Bob Hamen of Ironwood specifically for the tournament in Taylor

"One, it's a Michigan thing," Fontecchio said. "The gentleman that runs it, it may be his last one and he's been kind of a mentor to me. Mostly because it's a Michigan thing. It's near and dear to me. I'm well known, I'm welcome there, there's good umpires there and I'm from Michigan."

Fontecchio was selected in his first application in Taylor.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "I don't know if I expected it. Once you get to Williamsport, you're name is definitely out there."

The games are played at Heritage Park in Taylor. The age 12-14 players play on the same field as high school players. Fontecchio has been there to watch friends umpire.

"It's gorgeous," Fontecchio said, "not like Williamsport, but what is?"

He found out about the assignment a week before Christmas.

"That's one thing they do for the umpires," he said. "Congratulations, you've been assigned to your dream gig."

It's the pinnacle of the craft for those involved in Little League and Fontecchio volunteers his time locally and regionally. He's been doing that for more than 20 years.

"A World Series, it's just a reward for all of your hard work, volunteering and dedicated," he said. "Once your name gets bandied about, they know what you're all about, they reward the people that volunteer and give of their time."

Fontecchio will be one of 13 umpires in Taylor.

Fontecchio was umpiring at all of the local Little League district tournaments, including at John Krznarich Field, where a new softball field is nearly done and should be ready for next year.

"I do love the kids out here, the ballgame, the smell of the hot dogs out here cooking," he said.

Fontecchio had a big schedule planned after the local Little League tournaments were finished: The Keweenaw for the 15-16 year-old softball state tournament, Duluth for a state championship, Illinois for the Senior League regionals, Escanaba for the Michigan Class A Legion tournament, Indiana for the junior regionals and finally Detroit to work the Junior League World Series.

Teams in Taylor are from Iowa, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas and Hawaii. International teams are from Ontario, Czech Republic, Panama, Puerto Rico and Asia-Pacific.

The action starts Sunday with four games.