Culver City Little League (CCLL) is proud to congratulate its very own Willie Eichenberger for his selection to umpire the 2014 Little League Softball World Series beginning August 5 in Portland, Oregon. Hundreds of girls travel to Portland to compete in the World Series, but only twelve umpires in the world made the cut.
Eichenberger’s path to the World Series began years ago as a boy playing baseball at Mar Vista Park. A pitcher and catcher, he became a left fielder for the Hamilton High Yankees and later re-entered youth sports when his son and daughter were young. He volunteered to coach their teams in the old Culver City National and American Leagues and later stepped behind the plate for the first time when coaches were asked to officiate a few games to lower umpiring costs.
Eichenberger wasn’t a pro yet–he admits he wore his cap backwards sometimes, an umpiring no-no–but under the tutelage of then District Umpire-In-Chief Jesse Sanchez, Eichenberger learned quickly. He talked to veteran umpires, attended field mechanics clinics, and studied the rulebook. Soon he’d set the goal of working a Little League World Series.
Eichenberger began focusing on softball umpiring when he realized that for some leagues, softball was an afterthought and he became the Vice President of Softball in Culver City to make sure that girls had a good field to play on and new uniforms to wear. Umpiring softball has also been enjoyable for Eichenberger, and his appreciation for the athleticism and competitiveness of the girls he works with is clear.
“The girls are fun,” Eichenberger explains. “They sing and cheer, and the games are quick and crisp.”
Much has changed since Eichenberger coached Culver City High School’s softball team. Interest in the game has exploded, along with opportunities for girls to play at high levels.
Eichenberger has long refused payment for umpiring little league games. Like many umpires, he views his work with CCLL as a community service he is glad to provide. Even when he is paid by other leagues, he donates his earnings to District 25’s umpiring fund, which means new umpires in CCLL can thank Eichenberger and other veterans umpires who make the same donation for their training. Willie’s example also debunks the myth that the best umpires are paid professionals.
Eichenberger left on August 4 for Portland and will officiate his first game on Thursday, August 7. During pool play, he’ll rotate between the bases and the plate. Umpires for semifinal and championship games are chosen by evaluators who judged the umpires’ earlier performances. Eichenberger’s style on the field is authoritative, but modest. In fact, in 12 years of umpiring, he’s only ejected one manager. His goal for the World Series is to be sharp and do his best. He’ll be joined in Portland by his girlfriend and his daughter.
CCLL wishes Eichenberger the best of luck and thanks him for his volunteerism and his commitment to girls’ sports.
Culver City Little League is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization, offering baseball and softball programs to more than 500 children, ages 5-16, every season. Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with nearly 2.4 million players and one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries.
To learn more about the Little League Softball World series, visit persons interested can visit: www.softballworldseries.com. A schedule of games and their broadcast channels can be found at softballworldseries.com/schedule1.htm. For more information persons interested can contact David Marrujo, Vice-President, Culver City Little League via e-mail at vp@culvercitylittleleague.org, P.O. Box 189, Culver City, CA 90232-1089 or they can visit: www.culvercitylittleleague.org.