CAMPBELL — San Francisco Giants outfielders Joc Pederson and Mitch Haniger were among half a dozen professional baseball players honored at the Hot Stove at the 37th Annual Santa Clara Valley Banquet at Villa Ragusa on Tuesday night. The Big Leaguer served as an inspiration to the dozens of Little Leaguers who attended and were honored.
Little Leaguers happily asked for autographs and photos with the obligatory hometown hero before the awards ceremony. Talents – players, scouts, coaches, front office officials, field officials – were honored for their achievements.
And while the dream of making bigs for every Little Leaguer remained the same, longtime baseball insider and award winner Bill Miller, who has officiated four World Series, also wanted to inspire. was He called out the young man during his acceptance speech and challenged the referee to challenge him.
Before legendary referee Ted Barrett presented his colleague and longtime friend Miller with the “Ted Barrett Ultimate Refereeing Achievement Award”, Barrett worked in the Arizona Instructional League in 1990 and spent a day I told the story of two people who made $19 and spent $11 of it. at the hotel.
“If you want to be rich, don’t go to referee school,” Barrett said, drawing laughter from the nearly 400 spectators.
But Miller, 55, objected to the statement After the two hugged each other, he took control of the microphone.
“Ted said he wouldn’t recommend anyone go to referee school, and I’m going to say the exact opposite,” said Miller, a graduate of Harbor High School and UCLA. Year. “
Talking about the shift ban, greater base for player safety and the addition of the pitch clock, Miller continued:
“As I was trying to tell the young players here, the college players, the players who made it to the big leagues, remember sports across the country at all levels, whether it’s tee-ball or women’s. Football, whatever it is, they’re begging officials. But we have to cancel and double up because we don’t have anyone involved, so I’m telling all the little guys in the back of the room to go out and refereee a little league game or a tee ball game. Make your ten or fifteen bucks, it’s cash. Do it. Better than a restaurant waiter or a busboy. But just think about it.”
Miller then expressed his official endorsement for everyone who gathered, regardless of age.
“It’s not a bad gig, so give it a try. It’s been so good for me and my family,” he said.
According to tbonesbaseball.com, the average annual salary for an MLB umpire in 2022 was $235,000.
Miller, who became an MLB umpire in 1999 and crew chief in 2014, played in the 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2020 World Series. He was the plate umpire at home in the ’22 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles, and he also played right field in the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco.
Miller took the stage to applaud, but asked the attendees to boo as he walked off stage.
Miller was one of four Santa Cruz County residents honored at the event. Others included Haniger of Aptos, Tyler Gilbert of Santa Cruz and Ruben Ybarra of Watsonville.
Haniger, an alumnus of Archbishop Mitty Hai and Cal Poly SLO, was named the 2021 Major League Player of the Year. As a member of the Seattle Mariners that season, he batted . 253 with 39 home runs, 100 RBIs and 110 runs scored.
A San Lorenzo Valley alum who has also pitched for Santa Barbara City College and USC, Gilbert made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was honored with a historic no-hitter. rice field.
A St. Francis and San Jose State University alumnus, Ibarra was named the 2021 Division I College Player of the Year. In that COVID-19 shortened season, Ybarra led the Spartans in nearly every offensive category. 381 batting average and hit 14 home runs, but he fell short of SJSU’s 1-his-season record. After the season, the first baseman was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth round of his MLB Freshman Draft.
