The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Local umpire makes pro debut at Classic Park
Eastlake resident Odell works Captains vs. LumberKings
Todd Odell was standing outside the umpire’s dressing room at Classic Park on July 18.
The 29-year-old Eastlake resident had just put in a night’s work as the base umpire in the opener of a threegame series between the Captains and Clinton (Iowa) LumberKings.
A few minutes after the LumberKings put the finishing touches on a 9-4 victory, one of the Clinton coaches was nearing the entrance to visitors clubhouse when he spotted Odell speaking to a reporter.
“I hear you’re from around here,” the coach said to Odell. “Nice job.”
Odell was asked how it felt to get that compliment for his performance in his minorleague umpiring debut. He was filling in for the regular partner of home plate umpire Chris Presley-Murphy.
“That’s awesome,” Odell said smiling.
Odell, whose day job is as a lab technician at Lubrizol in Wickliffe, belongs to the Northeast Ohio Umpires Association. For three years, he’s worked busy schedules of college games at the Division I, II and III levels. This summer, he’s been umpiring in the Prospect League, a collegiate summer circuit based in Butler, Pa.
“This is game 154 this year,” Odell said in matterof-fact fashion.
Odell’s boss in the Northeast Ohio Umpires Association, Jim Miklus, told him on July 16 he’d be working the Captains game two days later.
“This morning, I was a little nervous,” Odell said of the run-up to his minorleague debut. “After the first inning, it got a lot better.”
Standing near Odell, and holding up a hand-lettered sign that read: “Good Call Blue,” was his wife, Bridget Odell.
“He called ‘em all straight, just like I told him to,” Bridget said.
Odell is a 2008 graduate of Hudson High School and 2012 graduate of Defiance College. He played baseball for three years in college.
“My wife encouraged me to be an umpire,” Odell said.
“I’ve never seen anyone so passionate about chasing his dream,” Bridget added. “He’s putting in his time and working so hard.”
The same as her husband, Bridget is a lab technician at Lubrizol. He proposed to her at Classic Park in 2012, while they were standing in line at the ticket office.
Odell had a rooting section of about 40 family members, friends and Lubrizol co-workers in the stands on July 18. Many of them signed the back of the “Good Call Blue” sign.
This winter, Odell has a spot reserved in the Minor League Baseball Umpire Academy in Vero Beach, Florida.
If all goes according to plan, by this time next year Odell will be a full-time umpire somewhere in the lower levels of the minor leagues. He has no qualms about leaving behind a secure job to join the ranks of upstart professional umpires working long hours for low pay.
“It will be a challenge, for sure, but this is what I love to do,” he said.