::: KBUA - Alumni :::

KBUA ALUMNI

Gary Rabjohn

I got my start umpiring in 1986 when my son, Jason, was playing Pee Wee All Star and I used to attend most of his games. John Duncan, the local Umpire in Chief, asked one day if I was going to watch his game. John told me that they were short of umpires and asked, “How would you like to have the best seat in the house and make ten bucks?” He loaned me his gear, including his “balloon” chest protector and I did my first ever game behind the plate. From that moment I knew I was hooked and immediately fell in love with umpiring.

Starting in 1991 I helped coach our local Midget All-Star team, then from 1992 until 1994 I was an assistant coach of the Peterborough Hobies Junior Tigers, helping to guide the team to a Provincial Championship in 1993 for which we received a Civic Award for the accomplishment. We also hosted the Championship in 1994, but lost the Gold Medal game. I also had the opportunity to umpire some games during those championship series.

In 1994 I attended Level 1 Instructors clinic in Oshawa with Jeff Walker, and in May attained my Level 3 for the first time. I first attained my Level 4 in 1997 when Peterborough hosted the Level 4/5 Umpires Clinic for the first time in 1997. Over the next few years I had the opportunity to co-instruct a number of Level 1 and 2 Clinics.

Starting with the Junior Championships in 1993 I had the opportunity to umpire at least one Provincial Championship every year until I retired in 2008. Most of those that I officiated were Junior or Senior Level. I also had the opportunity to umpire tournaments in Florida and all over southern Ontario, as well as Collegiate ball at Durham College in Oshawa.

The most memorable experience for me was when I was selected to umpire a National PeeWee Championship in Prince Edward Island in 1998. After the preliminary rounds, I was chosen by the Supervisors to umpire first base in the Semi Final then the plate in the Gold Medal Game between Ontario and Quebec. It was an honour and an experience that I will always cherish and be especially proud of.

When I think back to my accomplishments over the years, what I remember most is the friendships that I made because of my involvement in baseball. I also take some pride in the small part I may have had in the development of some of the youngsters that I had the pleasure to watch grow into fine young men, some of whom have gone on to great heights of their own.

John (Lefty) Duncan

John got his start in umpiring in Peterborough in the early 1970’s. He immediately started working Junior and Senior level games as well as a number of tournaments. He was a regular in local All-Ontario Championship Tournaments over the next two decades.

John was actively involved in the formation of the Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association, serving as its President for a number of years. He also served as President for two other local umpires’ associations and was a former Umpire-in-Chief for the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association.

John was always actively recruiting and training new umpires at a local level. His mentoring was directly responsible for the first two local umpires, Jeff Walker and Gary Rabjohn, to umpire at National Championships in 1998.

In 1993 he was invited to Baseball Canada’s “Umpire Development Program” and became a Junior Course Instructor. He conducted umpire training clinics across the Eastern Ontario region for a number of years. He was later invited to the National Umpiring Clinic and advanced to the National Level as an Umpire.

In 1994 he was advanced to a Senior Course Instructor and actively evaluated umpires at numerous tournaments for advancement to the National level.

Also in 1994 he umpired at the National Masters Tournament in Nova Scotia.

In 1995 he was recognized by Baseball Ontario and received the “Dick Willis Award” for his contributions as a senior umpire.

In 1996 he attended the Bantam National Baseball Championships as the Umpire Supervisor.

In the early 1990’s John turned his focus to international baseball relationships and started an Oldtimers Baseball Tournament in Clearwater, Florida. It started with two teams from Ontario (one from Peterborough) and two from the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area. The tournament eventually grew to include teams from as far away as Newfoundland and Los Angeles.

After an illustrious career as a National Level Umpire, Supervisor and Instructor John retired from umpiring in 2000. He is currently coaching his grand daughter’s softball team, and guided them to a local championship in 2006.

John was awarded a plaque by the Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association in 2006 for his outstanding contribution to umpiring.

Jeff Walker

Jeff started umpiring in the mid 1980’s, after playing in the Peterborough Recreational Baseball Association for a number of years. He quickly honed his skills and worked under the leadership of John Duncan at the Midget, Junior and Senior levels.

During the 1980’s and 1990’s Jeff umpired in many Provincial Championship tournaments held locally. In 1993 he attended Baseball Canada’s Umpire Development Program and became a Junior Course Instructor. He conducted annual Level 1 and Level 2 umpire clinics throughout Eastern Ontario over the next few years.

In 1994 he was invited to the National Level Clinic and became certified as a National Level Umpire for the first time. In 1998 he was assigned to umpire at the Canadian National Bantam Championship Tournament in North Bay, Ontario. Jeff was one of the first two local umpires to umpire a National Championship that year.

Jeff was actively involved in the formation of the Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association, and served on the Executive as its Vice President from its inception in 1992 for a number of years.

Jeff actively recruited and mentored young umpires during his career. He continued to umpire actively until his untimely death in February 2000.

During a ceremony in his remembrance in August 2000, a permanent park bench was installed at Riverside Park in foul territory down the first base line. When not umpiring, Jeff could often be found sitting in that area discussing baseball rules and positioning with anyone else who loved baseball as much as he did.

As an inscription on the bench says of Jeff… “Good Call Blue.”

Murray Findlay

Murray’s first encounter with sports officiating was in 1958 when he started refereeing high school basketball in Haileybury, Ontario. He left after one season to pursue other interests.

He got back into officiating in 1974 when he began umpiring fastball in Lindsay, Ontario. He helped to form a crew there, and eventually started umpiring baseball under the capable leadership of Mike Cosgrove.

In 1981 Murray and his wife, Roberta, moved to Peterborough and continued umpiring baseball with John Duncan. He covered mostly House League and a local Recreational Men’s League. In the early 1990’s springtime Murray travelled to the Clearwater Florida area with a group of Peterborough umpires and assisted with a “Can-Am” Oldtimers tournament that was quite successful for a number of years.

Murray and Roberta handled the umpire scheduling for all local baseball leagues for several years in the 1990’s. Seeing the need for improved local training and organization, Murray was the driving force behind the creation of the Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association in 1993.

Because of her involvement and dedication to local umpires Roberta Findlay was named a Life-Time Honorary Umpire of the Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association.

Murray continued to actively umpire All-Star, Men’s and House League ball, recruiting and working with younger umpires until his retirement following the 2003 season.

Murray was awarded a plaque at the 2004 Annual General Meeting in recognition for his many years of outstanding dedication to the improvement of umpires in Peterborough and District.

As Murray says, “That plaque sits on a wall directly in front of where I sit to remind me of the many wonderful people, players, umpires and spectators that I met and got to like over those many years.”

Graham Lewis

Graham moved to Peterborough with his wife, Anne, and their young son, Bill in the summer of 1975. That year they were blessed with the arrival of their daughter, Lisa. Graham quickly involved himself in the community and engaged in several business ventures, including Peoples Jewelers, State Farm Insurance, managed a couple of local restaurant/bars and was long-time manager of the Peterborough Lions Community Centre.

Young Bill became involved in local all-star hockey and baseball. Graham’s presence at the baseball games drew the attention of then umpire-in-chief Jack Atkinson. Jack asked Graham if he’d like to get involved, and that began a 30 year umpiring career for Graham.

Graham quickly rose through the umpiring ranks and attained his Level 3. He had the opportunity to umpire several EOBA and OBA Championships including Junior “B” & “A” Provincials in 1993 and 1994, and Senior “A” Provincials in 1995.

Graham was elected to the inaugural Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association Executive and was one of those responsible for forming the initial Constitution of the KBUA in 1993. Much of that original Constitution remains in its original form. Graham served as the KBUA President for several terms before he retired from umpiring in 2004. As Graham says, “I have many stories and memories to share from my years of umpiring.”

During many of his umpiring years, Graham also served on the Executive of the Peterborough Baseball Association, most as its Treasurer. He continues to serve in that capacity and spends countless hours organizing tournaments and ensuring that 400 to 500 young boys and girls can enjoy their summers playing the great game of baseball.

Graham also remains very active as a community volunteer, holding executive positions in a men’s major bowling league, a golf league and the Peterborough Lions Club. He obviously enjoys a busy lifestyle, and relaxes by golfing in the summer and bowling in the winter.

In his words, “Life is far too short to sit idly and watch it go by. One should give back a little bit to the community they live in.”