Two local umps look to improve area umping

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- While major league baseball players began their spring training in February, two local umpires began a spring training program of their own when they went to Daytona Beach, Fla. from January 2 to February 7 to attend the Harry Wendelstadt's Professional Umpires School.

Jason Sletta of Hanska and John Brueske of New Ulm, who have been umpiring for eight and 14 years respectively, had talked about attending the school for several years.

Both Sletta and Brueske umpire high school baseball in the area, as well as the Tomahawk East League and American Legion Baseball in the summer.

"But last year at the state (amateur) tournament, we decided that we were both going to go to the school," Sletta said. "We saved up the money and decided to go down."

Sletta said that the intent of the trip was to try and get professional umpiring contracts. "But ... there were around 200 umpires in our school, and in the school in Orlando, there were 100, so you have a lot of competition there."

Brueske said that in the end, they only took 25 umpires for professional baseball from the Wendelstadt school.

"The 25 selected went to PBUC (Professional Baseball Umpire Committee) and will work for them for a month," said Sletta. "Then they pick the guys that they want for professional baseball."

Brueske said that at the school, they worked on "everything from fundamentals like putting on your umpire's cap and mask to taking off the mask but not the hat at the same time, to what to do in case of brawls -- what to do in case a manager gets in your face. We went over everything in the baseball rule book from cover to cover."

They both agreed that one of the things that they changed is the way that balls and strikes are called.

"What they like to see down there is as the pitch hits the catcher's glove to go over the pitch in your head and make the call about a second to a second-and-a-half later. It was always like that but no one ever did it -- it seemed that if you did it that way here, players and coaches think that because of the delay, that you are not sure of yourself," Sletta said. "And the high school coaches seem to like that delay because it gives the catchers a little extra time to frame the pitch."

One thing that Brueske said in calling strikes is that "the black corners of home plate do not exist."

Sletta added that the thing that he learned to improve on was "your overall positioning on the field to make a call. You need to hustle all the time on the field -- that is the one thing that they look for above anything. along with your attitude," he said. "They want you to be running all the time. When an umpire gets on the bases we tend to think that we got it made because it is easy there. That is wrong. You need to be in the right spot consistently."

Both Sletta and Brueske want to take the knowledge that they gained in Florida to have umpires camps and schools in New Ulm. If you are a young umpire or want to become an umpire, you can contact either Sletta at umpiregod @yahoo.com or Brueske at 507-359-7244.

EAGLES A LITTLE SURPRISING: New Ulm High School baseball coach Jim Senske said that his Eagles' 4-0 record so far is a little surprising.

"I did not know how we would do against the two Metro schools -- I was hoping to win one, but we won them both," Senske said. "And we are doing well in the South Central Conference (both wins by the 10-run rule) so we are in good shape."

Two of the question marks on the pitching staff, Tyson Anderson and Dusty Farasyn, have had decent outings in their initial mound starts.

"Plus we think that Nick Breu will throw strikes, and I have not had a chance yet to throw Zach Barrett or Joe Peters yet," he said. "But we have a ton of games coming up so that everybody will get some work and get chance to prove themselves."

Senske said that the infield defense "has improved a lot from the first game, and we have made adequate plays. We turned three double plays in one game -- we have rookies there but they have done well."

He added that last year, he kept 25 players on the varsity roster so the juniors could get some experience, "and now they have their chance."

WEIER FEELS HOUNDS COULD PLAY BETTER: Despite a 4-2 record, Cathedral baseball coach Bob Weier feels that they could have won the two they lost.

"In both losses, we were ahead early in the game but did not hold the lead," he said.

Weier said that as a team in the losses, defensive lapses -- both physical and mental -- cost them, but are correctable errors.

"Plus, in the loss to Sleepy Eye Public (in 11 innings) we did not take advantage of our opportunities after the second inning," he said. "That hopefully will come with experience."

Weier feels that several players have surprised him early in the season.

"I am surprised by sophomore Scott Knisley," he said. "Dusty Wilfahrt and Adam Prochniak have done what we expected them to do and sophomore Adam Neubauer is performing fairly well. And Jacob Schlomann has hit the ball well."

CHARGERS AT EXPECTATIONS: Minnesota Valley Lutheran is 3-2 so far, and according to coach Jeff Schoenherr, theat is where he thought they would be.

"For me, the biggest surprise has been our team attitude," he said. "That is something that carried us in our first three games and something that we need to find again after losing our last two games. That will pick us up again."

Schoenherr feels that in order to break the two game losing streak, "we need the seniors to be our leaders. We have a lot of sophomores, so I will expect the seniors to step it up. But I will also expect the underclassmen to step up. They are part of the team also. Everybody has to carry their share."

"Our loss to Wabasso (six Charger errors) kind of got away from us, and against Cathedral, we played well enough to win, but came up short," he said. "And I am nervous about that because last year, we played well enough to be in a game. We need to win some of those games."

Schoenherr said that sophomore catcher Tyler Morgan has played great.

"He is solid behind the plate and is hitting something like .700 this year. He had seven RBI in three games."

HEITZMAN AT LEXINGTON: New Ulm's Aaron Heitzman, pitching for the Lexington Legends in the South Atlantic League is currently 0-2 with a 8.38 ERA in 9 2/3 innings. Former Kaiserhoff pitcher Chris Rupert, also pitching in the SAL, is 0-2 with the Lakewood Blueclaws.