An ump's tale at Victory Field

A fan of the men in blue his whole life, Richard Leitch finally gets to be them - at 90-years old.

By Larry Hawley IndySportsNation 
July 10, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS - So much for a formal family introduction.

While courting a member of the Leicht family some 30-odd years ago, Lynn Perdue caught a glimpse of the head of the family taking in a baseball game on television. This would not seem to be anything out of the ordinary for a family in middle America, but its the way that Richard Leitch was watching the game that got this newcomers attention.

No, it wasn't how he rooted at the old ball game being beamed through the tube, but rather who he was lending his support.

"He started calling balls and strikes right into the TV all the time," remembered Perdue, as he watched his future father-in-law mimic the men in blue on the field. "He has just really had an admiration for the umpires."

It was that thought that was in his mind 32 years later, and as Leitch approached 90-years old, and a curious commercial came on television early in 2010. It was for the Never Too Late Foundation, which specializes in making dreams come true for senior citizens in the twilight of their lives.

Immediately Perdue's thoughts went to his father-in-law-and the dream to be fulfilled was obvious.

"They were just fantastic to work with," said Perdue of the Never Too Late foundation, who returned his call in three days and immediately got in contact with the Indianapolis Indians.

Things worked well enough that just before father's day, the family was able to present Leitch with his wish: A chance to be an umpire at Victory Field on July 2nd.

"We’ll I wasn’t going to turn it down that’s for sure," said Leitch, who had a chance to call three strikes-complete with pitcher, catcher and a batter-before the Indians' game with the Columbus Clippers. "I’ve always admired umpires since I was a little kid."

But his few minutes in the spotlight at Victory Field on that Friday afternoon was the only time he had to do that at a professional ballpark-but its not like he hasn't been practicing to someday have the job. Leitch recalls going to Bush Stadium as a young man and getting to know the umpires who would call the Indians games, striking up a friendship with a few of them.

The would come out on the third base side of the ballpark, near where Leitch would normally sit, and from there he watched a these often vilified officials perfect their craft.

"They’re kinda looked at as a necessary nuisance to a lot of people. A lot people get a kick out of coming and booing the umpire," said Leitch. "They never get any credit, they live a nomad life and baseball cannot do without good officials."

It was a lesson he reinforced to anyone who would listen, including his daughter Susan Bennett, who recalled a number of games in front of the television and in Cincinnati where the umpires were at the top of mind for her father.

"We would always sit behind the home base and watch the umpires more than he would watch the players he would go talk with them," said Bennett of her father. "He just connected with them for some reason. Probably because they had a lot of power."

For a brief moment, that belonged to Leicht on this night at Victory Field.

"You know if I wanted to die right now would be a good time," said Leitch after the event. "I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do."

With exactly who he wanted to. 
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