Level Ump with Greta Langhenry - supporting Women in Umpiring

Level Ump with Greta Langhenry 
 303 – BaseballBiz On Deck
 Women in Baseball

 Welcome to another Women in Baseball edition of BaseballBiz On Deck. Today's guest, Greta Langhenry, co-founder and president of Level Ump a 501c3 that helps women entering the world of umpiring.

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: Welcome to Baseball Biz On Deck. I am Mark Corbett, your host, and with me today I have the distinct pleasure to have. The founder and president of Level Ump, Greta Lang, hangry that say it right. Lang Henry. 

[00:00:13] Greta Langhenry: That's right.

[00:00:15] Mark Corbett: I'll tell you what, Greta, it's great having you here. I love it. I, we, you're a member of the third team on the field, greta's done so much as an umpire, doing so much for umpires. I'm really grateful that you're able to give us some time today to talk about, you know, what you're, what all you're doing with Level Ump and, and Greta, I'm looking across women in sports and I've seen, you know, women's soccer start to grow WNBA start to grow seeing the athletes United softball the WPBL, and then, all American Girls Professional Baseball League, where we're gonna see Ally becoming tryouts for the USA Women's National team.

[00:00:52] Greta Langhenry: Absolutely.

[00:00:53] Mark Corbett: There's all of this going on and talking about the All American. . Women's, [00:01:00] you know, you, you, you texted me earlier today and it, it hit me right between the eyes. A lady who's done a lot with the A-A-G-P-B-L and certainly with the all girls baseball, and that's Miss Sue Zipay and that woman, she, she's a force, she's absolute force in the game and done a lot for, for the game as far as not just being part of the great history of women in baseball, but about trying to make sure it's getting promoted, it's getting young ladies involved and giving them, .

[00:01:30] A, a place to play, but there's a lot of folks doing that today. But I did want to just mention her and I don't want to do it in passing. We'll, we'll give on this show, we'll give more attention to Sue and her history. We've been I, I consider her a friend and I was just really sad to hear that she's passed.

[00:01:46] I was too. Um, you know, Sue gave me, and not just me, but um, a lot of other. Women an opportunity to be a part of the game. And she was a [00:02:00] big deal for that. She ran the American Girls Baseball League. Um, she was really at the forefront of trying to make a new league. Um, I got to work games in Sarasota at the, like spring training of the.

[00:02:20] Baltimore Orioles, and when I was a little kid, I was a big Orioles fan, so it was a big deal for me to work there. And Sue made that happen with, with her league, and she went out of her way to hire women umpires to umpire her women's baseball. And it's, it's, it's a real loss, um, that we've lost her yesterday, so.

[00:02:43] Yeah. Yeah. And, and I know, she lives near the Sarasota area down there, and it, it was great to see that her put it on for a couple years, that they had Smith Stadium and, um, the little mini Camden Yard site. But, um, man, no, no, she, she will be missed. But [00:03:00] the thing of it is, folks, those of us who love the game.

[00:03:04] She's kind of entrusted us to pick this up more, you know, put the foot on the gas and make things happen even more so. And you're doing that, Greta, you're doing that with Level Ump. Could you give us a minute to kind of tell us a little bit about one, your first interest to coming, becoming an umpire, and then we can get into to Level Ump sum?

[00:03:21] Greta Langhenry: Sure. 

[00:03:23] , I fell in love with the game of baseball, I think like everybody does with their parent or a, or an older. Person when you're a kid, it's a kid's game, right? That adults play. , And so there's like this bridging of generations that happens when you talk about baseball, where an older person can teach a young kid like, Hey, it's cool.

[00:03:47] You know, the best, the very best only hit three outta 10 times or whatever, you know? So like, there's room there. It's a game of failure. It's a game of. It's really a lot like [00:04:00] life. And I, I think I came around to loving it just like everybody does. My dad loved baseball and we would watch on tv, we would listen on the radio, we would keep score.

[00:04:11] Um, even if we were listening on the radio, we would, we would keep score. And, um, I played growing up. Um, when you're little, there aren't that many kids who want to play baseball in rural Georgia. So I was on the boys team. I was the only girl. Um, and then when I got to be about a teenager, they said, well, girls play softball and you're, you're not allowed to play baseball anymore.

[00:04:41] And I didn't like that, but I didn't fight it. I just, I just was like, okay, well if I'm not allowed, then I'm not allowed. You know, like I just decide like, okay, if they say I can't do it, I can't do it. So I caught fast pitch for [00:05:00] a couple years and I really liked it. , I like softball. , It's a different game.

[00:05:05] , And I'm happy to talk about softball other times, but it's, it's different and I think that even softball players would acknowledge that it is, it is a quicker game. It's, the rules are different. Um, it's fun to watch, but I. Love baseball. And so what I always wanted was baseball. And um, I was reading some stuff in 2018.

[00:05:31] I was in a interesting period of my life where I had some time to decide what I wanted to do. And um, I read a story online that said that there were women umpires. Women umpires didn't have uniforms. The whole story was they don't [00:06:00] make safety gear or uniforms for women to do this job. They did, but it doesn't exist.

[00:06:07] However, here are, here are pictures of two women who are doing it anyway. I saw a picture of Jen Powell. She's currently in aaa. She's the second woman ever to make it that far after. Um, Pam Postema, Emma Charlesworth-Seiler was also, um, in the league that year. She's the, , eighth woman to ever be professionally hired.

[00:06:35] , I wanted to be the number nine. After them. But you know, the story was like, oh, they don't make shoes small enough to fit your feet. They don't make a chest protector that fits you. They don't make pants that fit you, you're gonna have to do, but they looked so cool and I was like, I want to be them.

[00:06:53] And so that's what I did. I was, I just started googling, how do I become a professional umpire? How do I become her? [00:07:00] So that's a lot of what Level Ump tries to do now, is we try to put out pictures of people who are doing things. , 'Cause we subscribe to, , the phrase, if you can see it, you can be it. It wasn't that I didn't think I could be an umpire or that women couldn't be umpires.

[00:07:20] I just never thought about how many, how much have you thought about umpires? Right? Like. We don't think if you're, if you're doing your job as an umpire, nobody thinks about you. Right. 

[00:07:30] Mark Corbett: You're supposed to be invisible. 

[00:07:32] Greta Langhenry: Exactly. Like the best of us are the ones you don't know. 

[00:07:35] Mark Corbett: Yep. 

[00:07:36] Greta Langhenry: So I'd never thought, I didn't think women couldn't be, I just never thought about it.

[00:07:43] But as soon as I saw it, I knew that's what I wanted to be. 

[00:07:48] Mark Corbett: I'm thinking, you know, from. Baseball overall. Way back in my past as a child in little League and you had to share gloves, you had [00:08:00] to share equipment. Yeah. And I gotta tell you, catchers came in all stars, sizes and sorts.

[00:08:05] And you, there was one piece that was supposed to be used by all, so the, the tiniest guy to the biggest guy and whatever. And then to think of, well, you didn't even think about accommodating women and young girls, so that that was gonna be something new and. I mean, right now a lot of that equipment seems invisible.

[00:08:23] Sometimes it's the wearing the shirts over and we don't realize what all's there. But yeah, it's like if you, if you don't want to see something thrive, you don't build the equipment for it, and you don't give, you don't give the education for it. But those things are starting to change. 

[00:08:41] Greta Langhenry: Most people don't know, but every single.

[00:08:45] Pro like umpire that you see behind the plate, even at the little league level, likely is wearing at least one pair of socks. Probably What [00:09:00] amounts to like yoga pants. We call them tights. In the industry. We, we, that's what we call 'em. The boys call 'em tights, but you know, like run you, you gotta wear, um.

[00:09:12] Shin guards like a catcher does. Well, the catcher gets to wear 'em on the outside of his pants so they don't rub his legs, but we have to wear 'em the whole game, and we don't get to take breaks. So we have to wear something underneath to prevent chafing. If you're gonna work 162 games in a row, 

[00:09:31] Mark Corbett: right? 

[00:09:32] Greta Langhenry: You know, you're not, you're not gonna do that.

[00:09:34] So every time you see a pro guy on the field, he or she. Likely hats on at least one pair of socks. Seal toed boots, shin guards, yoga pants, regular pants. Some sort of either like cup or pelvic protector, A belt, an undershirt, [00:10:00] a chest guard, an over shirt, a hat, the mask. Sometimes they wear the full bucket.

[00:10:09] Um, that's what we call, like what, what the guys wear behind the catchers when they wear a whole thing that's not a mask and helmet separate. We call it a bucket, but it's warm back there. You know, like a lot of, a lot of baseball is in Arizona, a lot of baseball is in Florida, and so it's warm back there and people don't realize.

[00:10:36] How much clothing and gear, um, we have on back there. And then to explain further that none of it is designed for women. Um, and we have to tailor it ourselves or do what we can to, um, and so that's, that's something that Level Ump is doing. [00:11:00] We're working, actually. I'm really excited. We're working with a super talented, fashion designer .

[00:11:07] Out of LSU, Martha Rigney, and she's on our associate board for Level Ump. And she has given us a step-by-step guide on how to tailor your pants on your own and, and like how you can do that to look good. Because you know, you gotta walk out there and you gotta look like you own the field. . You know that that's the job is walking out there and, and looking like you're in charge.

[00:11:39] And that's hard to do if you look like you're wearing your grandpa's pants and nobody ever made pants for you. So Martha is, is this super talented? She is the fashion designer out of LSU. And, um, we're working with her and she is, she's given us really [00:12:00] cool instructions on how to do it yourself. Um, she is, she's helping us design things that we hope in the future will be available to women because we don't need a women's uniform that's separate.

[00:12:18] We just need to look like. Our partners, right? You know, I just need it to fit me well enough that I look as good as my partner does on his plate Job. 

[00:12:29] Mark Corbett: Well, I mean, that's important. Going back to you are the official, you are the person, you have to have a presence of authority and part of that comes in the, in the uniform that you wear.

[00:12:41] So, I mean, I can see where that's critical to be able to have that. But my gosh. No matter what you have, it sounds like you better really want to be an umpire because that can be fairly uncomfortable. And I, I worry about some of the baseball players playing out this heat and they have maybe a third of what some of you [00:13:00] all have to wear behind, behind 

[00:13:02] Greta Langhenry: happening.

[00:13:02] We don't get a break. We gotta stand out there on the, especially if it's turf, 

[00:13:07] Um, turf is real hot. So, um, especially if it's turf, it's difficult for us. I mean, that's all. 

[00:13:17] Mark Corbett: Well see what you need to do. You need to have a second team. You need to have you, you need to swap out at half innings with another, another umpire team and then, you know, you all get a refresher and come back in after that.

[00:13:27] Greta Langhenry: Yeah, that'd be great. 

[00:13:30] Mark Corbett: No, I'll tell you what, I do respect all the, the umpires do, but it, it is interesting. , , Have you seen, um. Increase over the last few years, what you're doing with Level Ump as far as people who, who've are understanding that there's opportunities for women. And I'll also say one more thing on top of that.

[00:13:46] I did, I've done some shows about, um, umpires in the past and the schools, and realizing the cost. You know, first I said, oh, okay, well there's the scholarship. Well, like, you know, that's, that's manageable, that price. Oh, oh, I [00:14:00] gotta bring my own equipment. Oh, is that, and I, I started looking at prices on that and it's like, good gravy, man.

[00:14:05] Yeah. You, you almost have to have a sponsor to play the game. 

[00:14:09] Greta Langhenry: you do. And, , that's how my story kind of came around was , I wanted to be a part of professional baseball my entire life, and I didn't know how, because I'd been told so young that I couldn't play. But my dad taught me how to keep score.

[00:14:29] And so I thought, well, maybe I'll be, and, and if you had asked me in spring of 2018 what my dream was, I would've said professional scorekeeper for a baseball team. Like, like legitimate, like for whoever the Dodgers or whatever. . , Then I saw this picture of a woman on the field with her face mask in her hand, like [00:15:00] commanding the baseball field.

[00:15:01] The game was hers, and I had never seen that before and I just immediately was. Overwhelmed like that is, I didn't know that was a thing. I'm gonna, I want to do that thing. I'm gonna do whatever it takes. And so I Googled and Googled and went and, um, MLB now has these one day camps. If you want to be an umpire, I highly recommend any of your listeners.

[00:15:31] If you have any desire to be a professional umpire, please go to a one day camp that MLB has. They pick directly from these camps people to send with full scholarships to umpire School. Umpire school is expensive. , There are only two options if you want to do this. , And that's to go to the Wendlestedt Umpire School and pay your own way or to go [00:16:00] to the school in Vero on a full scholarship for Major League Baseball.

[00:16:05] Nobody pays their own way to Vero anymore. It's invitation only Oh wow. From these one day camps. So if that's what you want to do, you need to be seen at a one day camp. Um, and so I highly recommend that, but that's what I did. I drove overnight to Minute Maid Park in Houston. I had never umpired. I'd never seen a pitch from by, except as a catcher,

[00:16:40] right. , I put on an umpire uniform. It felt like a Halloween costume because I'd never, I, like, I didn't know what I was doing. I went there, there were about 175 people there that day. There were three women. . I was offered a full scholarship at the end [00:17:00] of the week. , A couple days later, I got a phone call and said, would you like to go to school?

[00:17:06] And I said, yes. And so I went, , on a scholarship. They are looking for people. I, I highly recommend that, but I also highly recommend coming to Harry's. To the harry wendelstedt School. , You know, I'm a Harry's guy. That's what we call ourselves. Um, it's the longest running school, , professional, , Umpire School in history.

[00:17:34] It has turned out more World series umpires and more professional umpires than any other school that has ever been in existence, , ever. Wow. We call it the Harvard of Umpire Schools. Um, so I'm a little, you know, biased, but I've graduated from there twice, but I highly recommend it. That's where I send my students from Level Ump.

[00:17:59] [00:18:00] So what we do is we take applications and scholarships, and I try to send anybody you know, who might not otherwise be able to afford it. , Who might not look like what the major league umpires look like on the field. , We want to help them get into the game. , There's room for everybody in the game and there's no reason why lots of us can't be umpires.

[00:18:30] Mark Corbett: I'm glad you're providing, , that service and helping young women and. A new new path to get, well, I don't want to say a new path, the support they need to get there. And that being said, who do you, go ahead. 

[00:18:44] Greta Langhenry: Yeah, I think it is new and I think that's fair. I, theres never been a woman in the major leagues.

[00:18:52] Um, I keep 

[00:18:53] Mark Corbett: looking at Jen Powal. I thought maybe last year I'd see her in there. And I, 

[00:18:57] Greta Langhenry: oh, well she's in aaa. Um, she's only [00:19:00] the so she is the second woman in history. To make it to aaa. Mm-hmm. Um, Pam Postema made it back in the nineties and, , eighties, nineties. , And Jen's only the second after that.

[00:19:15] But there are women in the NBA, there are women in the NFL, and you know, it's, I mean, that's. I used to work for MLB, and I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers here, but the tagline for my nonprofit Level Ump is America. It's past time. 

[00:19:42] Mark Corbett: Yeah, that's, that's very poignant 

[00:19:44] Greta Langhenry: and you know, it is, it just is. There's no reason why women shouldn't be playing in the league, officiating in the league.

[00:19:55] , Major League Baseball has a, has a tough history, of who they're hiring to do [00:20:00] these jobs and, um, 

[00:20:02] Last year we had the game , at Birmingham, at Rickwood Field, and it was the very first time in MLB history, we had a full four man crew umpire, all black men. Yep. It's the only time we could have ever done it because it's the only time we've ever had enough of them in, in the history of Major League baseball.

[00:20:27] We, they've hired 11 black men to do this job, 

[00:20:31] When you think about that, it's, you know, I mean, I'm, like I said, I'm not trying to say anything bad about Major League baseball or No, it's, 

[00:20:38] Mark Corbett: it's just, it's what it is. I mean, creditors Yeah. You know, there's, I, I look out there and, and I'm not, again, 

[00:20:44] Greta Langhenry: it's, it's what it looks like.

[00:20:46] Mark Corbett: There you go. 

[00:20:48] , I do want to ask you though, as far as Level Ump and what you're doing, be scholarships, be equipment what kind of sponsorships or supporters do you all have to help you [00:21:00] execute this?

[00:21:02] Greta Langhenry: Yeah, so we're, , we're a 5 0 1 C3 nonprofit, , funded entirely by donations. . Mostly by folks who've been to umpire school and want to kick us a couple of bucks. But, , we're small right now. , We're, we're trying to grow, I got, I got the scholarship in in 2019.

[00:21:24] I went to Harry's. I went to the Wendlestedt umpire School. There are two schools in the world that you can go to to be a professional umpire. And in 2019, I was the only woman enrolled at either of them. So there were about a hundred people at my school. About a hundred people at the other school. One girl.

[00:21:52] Um. I came from a background of like working where I was the only woman, so [00:22:00] it wasn't that big of a deal for me. But for Level Ump, we try to make sure we send at least two every year so that nobody's alone ever again. 

[00:22:10] Mark Corbett: Good. Good. 

[00:22:10] Greta Langhenry: Also, I live pretty close by and um, I'm available. We do. Lots of like, um, umpire school.

[00:22:21] I don't know if you know, um, if you want to go to Harry's, you're gonna be busy Monday through Saturday Sun up to sundown for all of January. It's five weeks, you know, sun up to sundown six days a week, you get one day a week that you're off to, you know, do your laundry, iron your pants, shine your shoes, kind of thing.

[00:22:47] You gotta show up ready. And so we try to send at least two at a time, and I'm here to, to in the area [00:23:00] ish to provide help or whatever. But, , I know it, it can be difficult and we just want to, we want to help that, we want to. Make sure that if you go home and you have a question about the rules and you're worried because you're the only woman in your association and you have a question about a rule and you don't want to raise your hand, 'cause maybe people won't trust you anymore to be your partner.

[00:23:33] Right. Well, you can call me instead and I will fix the rule for you. And then you can go to your meeting and you have questions. 

[00:23:42] Mark Corbett: Well, there's, there's nothing like having a sympathetic ear to you know, just a colleague you, you can trust. And that's not to say you don't necessarily trust everybody else, but someone you have common ground with.

[00:23:52] Somebody you, that you feel like. Has has had this experience before and the uniqueness of being female in Umpire [00:24:00] school, it makes, certainly sets those folks apart. So yeah, I can see, think there a unique support system above and beyond maybe what's there. So I'm glad you're providing that for 'em. Hey, I wanted to talk about something else too, and , one is the Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy.

[00:24:20] Yeah. Could you share some with us on that? 

[00:24:22] Greta Langhenry: Absolutely. Yeah. Um, so I'm an instructor at the Wounded Warrior umpire Academy. Um, it's one of the most important things in my life. I'm, I'm really proud to be associated with this group. Um, it's exactly what it sounds like. We serve wounded ill or injured, um, service members who are interested in baseball.

[00:24:51] , But we don't really care about the baseball part, right? Like, so baseball is our vehicle. [00:25:00] That's what we like to say. Baseball is how we'll get to you. And maybe now you want to come outta your living room and hang out with us and do a day. So we run a 10 day, , camp every summer in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

[00:25:19] Um, and if you apply and are accepted to the, to the group, um, we will fly you there. We'll put you up for the 10 days. We will feed you and we will outfit you head to toe the uniform and all the equipment you need. It's everything. You, you can show up and like, not know what baseball is. That's okay. That's, that's totally fine.

[00:25:47] But we will. Fit you out head to toe, we'll teach you for eight days. And then the last two days we run a youth tournament. So you get your first, like pitches [00:26:00] under your belt. Oh my 

[00:26:01] Mark Corbett: gosh. 

[00:26:02] Greta Langhenry: So you can see some real baseball. Um, I am, I was incredibly honored to work there. A couple years ago, for my first year as a woman, first of all, they don't have quite too many of those, but also as a civilian.

[00:26:27] And, um, it is rare for them to invite a civilian into their ranks. Um, everyone there is, you know, like I said a wounded ill or injured military member. .

[00:26:41] It's so great, you know, like these guys are, they're the best. I literally still, I, I literally, I talk to somebody from the program every day. 

[00:26:53] Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

[00:26:54] Greta Langhenry: And I don't know if your listeners know, um, the numbers aren't great [00:27:00] for veterans these days in the United States, we're losing 22 a day. To suicide. WWA has been around for 10 years.

[00:27:14] Um, nobody we've ever come in con into contact with has been lost yet. 

[00:27:24] Mark Corbett: Well, that's, that's encouraging. I mean, 

[00:27:26] Greta Langhenry: that's a big deal. That's so, that's, yeah. I don't, I don't, I don't care if you want to umpire when you go home, but I do care that we made. Connection at camp, and now you, and you feel like you have somebody to talk to.

[00:27:41] And that's, that's what WWA does. We, we look after every single one of our people for the life of the veteran. Um, once you're a part of us, you're part of us forever. And they look after me as a civilian. They call me when they think I'm having a hard day. They're, they're great [00:28:00] guys. So I'm, I'm real proud of that.

[00:28:07] Mark Corbett: Okay, well I can't think of a better thing to do than working with, with the Wounded Warriors project like you are. So congratulations to you and thank you. From myself, I mean, and everybody else who wants more for our veterans and wants to give them maybe something else that's, I don't know.

[00:28:27] So something positive in this world. And it sounds like you're a big contributor with that and all the rest of the, the folks with that program. And where'd you say it's in Carlisle? 

[00:28:36] Greta Langhenry: Yeah, we do the right now we do the, the camp in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Um, right outside the War College. The Army War College.

[00:28:44] Mark Corbett: Wow. 

[00:28:46] Greta Langhenry: But yeah, no, it's, so, it's a, it's really an, an important program and, and one that I'm proud to be a part of. And I feel grateful, like I said, um, it's rare for them to let a [00:29:00] civilian in. Well, I'm 

[00:29:00] Mark Corbett: glad, glad you were able to do that. I want to take a look back to step back 'cause I know looking at your career, you were the first female umpire with the coastal was it Coastal Plane League and also the Florida Collegiate Summer League.

[00:29:13] Now, in those early days, were there any unique experiences that you'd like to maybe share with us? Was there a day or a player or somebody in the stands that you had to deal with something?

[00:29:30] Greta Langhenry: That's a really good question. I was the first woman to work the Florida Collegiate Summer League, and I was the first woman to work the Coastal Plain League, which at the time was the Savannah Bananas, which everybody always wants to know about. Maybe we could talk about that.

[00:29:51] They were still playing regular baseball rules at the time, however, they were [00:30:00] doing crazy stuff. So I have a video of me on at a plate meeting with my partner, , for the Savannah Bananas and the Macon Bacon. And I don't know if you remember Barney, the big purple dinosaur. Mm-hmm. But yeah, some of your listeners will certainly remember that.

[00:30:26] Um, Barney, the big purple dinosaur, gave me a back rub and a head pat before the game, during the play meeting. It was super fricking weird, but. I know they have their new rules now. , I'm a big fan. , I know it's, it's not real baseball and, and that's fine. And I'm a purist, so like, it's different for me.

[00:30:46] But, , I'm a big fan of, of Jesse who owns and runs the Savannah Bananas. Um, he has his like, home plate umpire [00:31:00] Vincent, who's a Savannah banana. Staple. But when they go other places and they hire the other umpires for the other bases, they hire a lot of Wounded Warrior Umpires 

[00:31:16] Mark Corbett: Really? 

[00:31:17] Greta Langhenry: Yes. Like a lot. 

[00:31:20] Mark Corbett: Oh, that is so cool.

[00:31:22] Greta Langhenry: And I am a big fan of that. , Jesse's a good guy. . He is, he is really a sweet guy. And, and so like, I know it's not baseball, Jesse knows it's not baseball. It's, it's 

[00:31:34] Mark Corbett: it's banana ball. 

[00:31:35] Greta Langhenry: It's banana. Exactly. It's the Harlem Globe Trotters of baseball and everybody knows that. But , he really is really sweet.

[00:31:45] Yeah. To our guys. And he goes out of his way to hire like a hundred percent VA disabled. Guys to umpire his games. Oh, that, so you watch, you're probably seeing some guys that I [00:32:00] coach. 

[00:32:02] Mark Corbett: That is so neat. Yeah, I'm sorry. Banana balls. Banana ball. And that's, to me, it's great. It's great entertainment. When I saw them living here in Tampa, when I saw that they took Raymond James Field, that seats 62,000 people, they tear up the.

[00:32:17] Field and put a baseball diamond out there because they were gonna play two, they were gonna play two games of the Trop two nights in a row, no longer a tr you know, what are we gonna do? Well, Jesse figured it out. He, he got together with what those, he Raymond James and did that, and I think it was a few weeks after that they actually there was a football stadium seated around 80,000 or more, and they did the same thing.

[00:32:40] And it's like, you know, I, I love it if, if, if it gets anybody to even. Think about baseball. To me it's worth it. 

[00:32:48] Greta Langhenry: And that's what I love about it too, is like, you know, just get the kids out there for a game and if the parents want to go, 'cause this is more fun for the [00:33:00] parents and the kids see like almost baseball or what, I mean, like, almost all the rules are the same.

[00:33:08] But, um, and when I worked and I, I've umpired several bananas games. Before, but when I umpired we were under OBR official baseball rules. Um, we were not under banana ball. Um, but that's not to say I wouldn't do it. I would love to do a banana ball game. Um, but they're really good. Um, Jesse's, he is really smart.

[00:33:37] He is. And he really thinks I think about people so. That's the only thing I, when people ask me about banana ball, I'm like, well, it's not baseball, but they know that, and that's not what he's trying to do, but what he is trying to do, he's doing real well. That's right. A lot of people [00:34:00] And, um, he is, he is a real sweet man and a, and a good businessman, so.

[00:34:06] Mark Corbett: I know one of the USA women's national team who's a firefighter, it's amazing how many firefighters are in baseball is actually on his, one of his teams, the firefighters, and I can't remember her name for the life of me, but I was just pleased as punch to see her out there. And I think he's got two or three other teams.

[00:34:25] And I, I, I just enjoy the excite. I go, okay, coming back to them, our perspective. There's one rule I would like to take from banana ball and put an MLB, and that's when the fan catches a ball. It's an out

[00:34:43] to me that that's one of the most fun parts of the game. I mean, it's, it's all fun, the acrobatics, all of that. And yes, it's not baseball, but we love it. And if it keeps anybody enjoying the game in one capacity or another, I'm, I'm glad Jesse Cole was out there doing it. 

[00:34:57] Greta Langhenry: I mean, that's the thing that we talk about at [00:35:00] Level Ump, right?

[00:35:00] Is like, if you can see it, you can be it. And so I think if you can see something fun somewhere else that has to do with baseball, then I'm all for it. , I, I want kids to be into baseball. I want boys and girls to be into baseball, so. , I'm excited about what they're doing. I think it, it might bring some fans in.

[00:35:26] I, I mean, it's not gonna hurt anything. 

[00:35:30] Mark Corbett: Well, I, I want to thank you for all you're doing with, with Level Ump and, you know, giving women opportunities to do more with the game as well, you know, from the third team. So, and it's like I said, I was always amazed at the, the cost for equipment and thinking, you know, one size doesn't fit all and if it's.

[00:35:48] If it's a woman, it certainly doesn't fit the same as that. 80-year-old G behind the plate. Well, they're, they're not 80 years old, but, you know, some, some of the folks behind that plate. But I, I want to thank you for all you're doing with that. Is there [00:36:00] anything else that you would like to share with the audience?

[00:36:04] Greta Langhenry: , I just, I think I'd like to say, you know, when I, when I went to this tryout and tried out and got into school and all that, however things happened for me. At the beginning I, I knew a lot about baseball. I thought I knew a lot about baseball. I've been a scorekeeper and I've been to all those games and stuff.

[00:36:28] I had never met an umpire and I literally called people who played division one, like SEC, college baseball and said, do you know an umpire? I want to ask them questions about can I do this or not? And I couldn't find anybody who knew an umpire. Hmm. And that was, [00:37:00] that was kind of sad for me. So I think I'd like to say, if any of your listeners don't know an umpire, , reach out please to me.

[00:37:10] And, . Maybe I can help you and maybe we'll click, but if you don't, I have a network full of men and women umpires and like from, from all different backgrounds. And that's really what Level Ump is trying to do, is trying to make sure that like everybody's has a network. And so if any of your listeners don't know who to talk to.

[00:37:41] Maybe it's not me and that's okay. But I could try to find you somebody to talk to and I would like to 

[00:37:49] Mark Corbett: Well, we appreciate that. I, I'm sure they do as well. And if they can contact you, they can find your information on level ump.com. And is there place there to connect to you? 

[00:37:58] Greta Langhenry: They can. They can find me [00:38:00] at LevelUmp.com.

[00:38:01] It's greta@levelump.com. Um. I also teach on refMasters, the app, um, so they can find me there. Um, but I'm, I'm really easy to get at. Um, there isn't another Greta Langhenry in the world. So like if you look me 

[00:38:25] Mark Corbett:, like Greta Langhenry, thank you so much for being with us today. I can't thank you enough for what you're doing as far as with Level Ump and with the Wounded Warrior program at.

[00:38:35] That's outstanding. So thank you very much and I hope to get to talk with you soon. I know we both got a love of minor leagues. We're gonna maybe get together and watch a game sometime soon and looking forward to that. All right. Well, thank you all again for joining us here today on BaseballBiz On Deck, and we hope to talk with you all again real soon.

Tags:
 LevelUmp, Women in Baseball, Level Ump, MLB, Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy, Umpire School, RefMasters, Savannah Bananas, Jesse Cole, MLB One Day Umpire school, scholarships, Harry Wendelstedt, Jen Pawol, Pam Postema, scorekeeper, support