Kirk Sawyers
Encyclopedia
Kirk Arnold Sawyers is a baseball
umpire
who currently works games in his hometown and surrounding areas and for the Intercounty Baseball League
.
Sawyers gained public attention in 1990 when he was featured in a Toronto Star
newspaper article about the struggles Canadians faced trying to make it as professional umpires.
In 2003 the newly formed Canadian Baseball League
hired Sawyers as general manager for its London, Ontario
, team, the London Monarchs
. Sawyers resigned after the first week of the season, telling the news media that the job involved more administrative work than he had expected. The league was unsuccessful and folded at midseason in July 2003 Sawyers was one of dozens of people who were left being owed money by the CBL when it went into receivership.
As of October 2007 Sawyers was believed to have umpired 4,021 games. He has worked in sixteen Intercounty League postseasons, including thirteen championship series, being the plate umpire in a game seven on three occasions, one while still a teenager. Sawyers has been the plate umpire for twenty no-hitters, including one by former Washington Nationals
pitcher Shawn Hill. Other prominent pitchers Sawyers has called balls and strikes for include Fergie Jenkins, Ben McDonald, Paul Spoljaric and Jeff Francis.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
who currently works games in his hometown and surrounding areas and for the Intercounty Baseball League
Intercounty Baseball League
The Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
.
Sawyers gained public attention in 1990 when he was featured in a Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspaper article about the struggles Canadians faced trying to make it as professional umpires.
In 2003 the newly formed Canadian Baseball League
Canadian Baseball League
The Canadian Baseball League, was an independent minor league that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Ferguson Jenkins...
hired Sawyers as general manager for its London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, team, the London Monarchs
London Monarchs (baseball)
The London Monarchs played in the independent Canadian Baseball League that existed for half of the summer season of 2003 before folding. Located in the city of London, Ontario, the team featured a variety of international ballplayers from Canada, the Dominican Republic, Japan and the United...
. Sawyers resigned after the first week of the season, telling the news media that the job involved more administrative work than he had expected. The league was unsuccessful and folded at midseason in July 2003 Sawyers was one of dozens of people who were left being owed money by the CBL when it went into receivership.
As of October 2007 Sawyers was believed to have umpired 4,021 games. He has worked in sixteen Intercounty League postseasons, including thirteen championship series, being the plate umpire in a game seven on three occasions, one while still a teenager. Sawyers has been the plate umpire for twenty no-hitters, including one by former Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
pitcher Shawn Hill. Other prominent pitchers Sawyers has called balls and strikes for include Fergie Jenkins, Ben McDonald, Paul Spoljaric and Jeff Francis.