WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Local Little League umpire, Joey Tignor, is going to the Little League World Series, this year. Joey has been umpiring since he was 11 years old, following in his father’s (Jon Tignor) footsteps. Jon was the Umpire in Chief for District 6 throughout the 80s and 90s. The position that is now held by his son, Joey. District Umpire in Chief oversees scheduling and conduct of all umpires, for all leagues and tournaments, across their district. They ensure that all rules of the game are being followed and answer any questions about interpretation of rules. They also ensure that any training has been done (new rules and rule changes), settle any disputes or issues, verify the umpires are current in their background checks, and are always recruiting for more umpires.

Joey is the only umpire from Northern California, at any level, chosen to umpire the Little League World Series this year and is the first ever umpire from District 6 (in baseball) to umpire the World Series at any level. Joey will be umpiring the Senior Division, ages 14 – 16, which is held in Easley, South Carolina. He will be gone from the end of July until August 6, 2023. He has umpired roughly 50 games this season, traveling to the Bay Area, San Diego and Nevada – always at his own expense. This is because of the relationships that he has built through baseball over the years, and has made a name for himself.

According to Joey, umpires can apply each year to umpire the World Series. The umpire is required to have umpired at least one Regional Tournament game (Joey’s was in 2017) and cannot have been paid at any time to umpire. Joey says he has never taken payment to umpire since age 11. Joey is a youth advocate and an umpire trainer, so he’s always on the lookout for people who can keep up with the game and rules… and maybe make some money. If you are interested in becoming an umpire, check your local Little League or Softball League for posted clinics. “They come to some clinics and we’ll teach them what they need to know”, Joey said.