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ULB Announces Historic 2008 Umpiring Crew

May 1, 2008 - United League Baseball (ULB) News Release


Edinburg, TX- United League Baseball (ULB) announced today its historic umpiring crew for the upcoming 2008 season, which features the only female umpire currently working in professional baseball and first female umpire in ULB history, Kate Sargeant.

Sargeant is part of a six-person crew that includes former Major League player Jim Tatum, Dewey Larson, Stacey Dunbar, Vince Price and ULB Director of Umpires Woodie Belle.

"She handles herself professionally on and off the field and she has a great determination and work ethic, which is what impressed me the most," said Belle, who is entering his 23rd year as a professional umpire. "This is the league where dreams come true, and she can be successful just as well as anyone else can because of her determination."

Originally from Poulsbo, Washington, Sargeant has worked all over the country polishing her craft. A 2007 graduate of the Harry Wendelstedt School for Umpires, she received her first big break as a full-time umpire in 2005 with the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League based in Colorado. In 2006, Sargeant was an umpire in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, a wooden bat summer league, and last season the 26-year-old worked in the New York State League, a developmental league for players who have completed their college eligibility.

"There are a lot of people who have given me opportunities and it's because of them that I have another great opportunity here in the United League," said Sargeant. "I know a couple of managers in the league already and I've been really impressed by the league personnel I've met recently so I'm very excited to go to work every night with some tremendous people."

Sargeant will begin the season with Larson as her umpiring partner, which will be a reunion for the two since Larson was her supervisor in the Mountain League. Price and Dunbar will start the year as a team and Belle and Tatum will be the other two-man crew.

Tatum was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 3rd Round of the 1985 amateur draft and played parts of five seasons in the big leagues as a member of the Brewers, Rockies, Red Sox, Padres, and Mets. The 40-year-old is a 2008 graduate of the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring, which is where Larson and Belle graduated from as well. Dunbar, the youngest member of the crew at 22 years old, is currently enrolled in the academy and has a wealth of Division I and Division II college experience.

Larson was chosen to be on the 2008 staff after attending the ULB umpire tryout camp, which coincided with the league's player tryouts on April 19 and 20 in Southaven, Mississippi.

Three umpires from the 2007 ULB umpiring crew, Jose Esteras, Javier Cantu, and Sean Lampe, have all moved into affiliated baseball for the 2008 season.



United League Baseball Stories from May 1, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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