Local baseball is a community of players, fans, sponsors, and as evidenced by our Hall of Fame (bottom of page), umpires.  Umpiring is a chance to get involved with the baseball community and give back to the game.  Additionally, umpiring in the AABL is financially rewarding - certified umpires make $65 per a game and can work as many as five games a week.  Most AABL games take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in addition to double header Sundays; and with the games limited to three hours each it is very possible to earn an extra $260 a week for a few evenings at the yard as a most integral part of the local game.  Becoming an AABL certified umpire is simple: there is a two-hour training course (offered every month or as needed) from one of our veteran umpires, after which an umpire can become fully eligible to officiate both plate and field.  If you have two years of umpiring experience at any level, you can become certified without the coursework.  The training is free, and you may choose to borrow gear (black shirt/pants, chest protector, shin guards, face mask, etc.) or deduct the cost of your own equipment from your first umpiring paycheck at no additional charge.  Active players are encouraged to pay for their playing costs while learning the craft - umpiring just three games pays for a season.  Nevertheless, the AABL is seeking to develop regularly available, professional umpires from baseball fans and former players and to that end we are offering a retroactive bonus of $5 per game officiated for umpires who call 15 or more games, and another $5 retroactive bump at 30 games.  For more information about umpiring in the AABL, or to set up a training time, contact the General Manager at commissioner@alaskabaseball.org or call (907)223-0073. 

2010 AABL Lead Umpires:

Don Burkhead (Chief Umpire) - daddydon58@hotmail.com

Al Smith

Mike Webster