THE GOLDEN RULE OF UMPIRING IS, "DO UMP TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UMP TO YOU." Ralph Hall

Many Houston area UMPIRES have provided HONORABLE service for the TEXAS SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME community.

SOME UMPIRES HAVE SERVED IN THE:

  ASA Texas ASA USSSA , NSA

OR IN MORE THAN ONE OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS.

"The difference between an umpire who controls the game and an umpire who is controlled by the players is not the calls he makes, but the authentic calling he has to be and to become a professional." Ralph Hall 10-13-07

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"Umpire history is made every time we step on to a field. If we record it now, others will appreciate it in the future." Ralph Hall

More than 166 - UMPIRES have provided HONORABLE service for the TEXAS SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME community.

BART ADAMS, JESSIE ADKINS, KEN AITKEN, RALPH ALBRIGHT, AL ALMANZO, SEAN ARCHAMBAULT, BILL ASHER, JERRY BARTA, TOM BARTA, ERIC BEARD, WALTER BELL, "J.B." JUAN BERMEA, JAMES BIALAS, RANDY BLACKMON, MATT BOWSER, JIM BRADY, DAVE BRAZEL, BILL BRAZIEL, CRAIG BROSIUS, *GONZALO BUENTELLO, MIKE BYERLY, DAVE CALHOUN, ALAN CAMPBELL, JAMES CARPENTER, CORKY CARTER, MIKE CASTAR, ALAN COLLIER, GENE COLLINS, JEFF COLVIN, DAVID COTTEN, MONTE CUBA, JIMMY DAVENPORT, HENRY DELEON, KERRY DESPAUX, DON DORNEY, BRIAN DOWNER, JAY DUNCAN, LOWELL EASTERWOOD, DARIN EBERLY, SHARON EMERSON, RICHARD FAGERT, DENNIS FASKE, TOM FLETCHER, JAY FOSTER, MIKE FRANZE, CARLOS FRANCO, JAMES GARFIELD, WAYNE GARRETT, JACK GEHRKE, BUTCH GIBBS, LOUIS GOMEZ, TIM GOOCH, MICHAEL GRIFFIN, LES GUEST, BILL HALE, RALPH HALL, CURTIS HARRIS, TONY HATCHETT, *BOB HATTER, ROY HAWKINS, LARRY HICKS, HOWARD HILL, RENE HINAJOSA, GLENN HOLMES, SAM HOPWOOD, MARK HUDMAN, AL JACK, *KEN JOHN, CHESTER "POFF" JOHNSON, OSCAR JOHNSON, PHIL JOHNSON, JERRY JONES, FRANK KATZMAN, MURPHY KELLUM, TOBY KERNON, DON KOENIG, RICHARD KOENIG, JAMES KUCHERKA, JOHN LAKE, RUSTY LANDRY, PHIL LANGFORD, RED LANTZ, PAUL LAPIER, BOB LESTER, CRAIG LEWIS, AARON LOMAX, BEN MAHALIC, MARK MALIHESKI, ALAN MARTIN, *JIM MARTIN, JOHN MARTIN, SCOTT MARTIN, HARRY MASON, GUY MCDONALD, JIM MCLANE, PHILLIP MCNEIL, JOE MENDEZ, JOHN MERRIWEATHER, BOYD METZ, SHERRI MILLER, DAVE MINOR, MIKE MONTALBANO, JODI MOORE, *LESTER MORGAN, STEVE MORRIS, STEVE MORTON, TED NELSON, DANNY NICHOLS, LONNIE O'HAVER, ROQUE ORTEGA, JOHN OSBORN, DANNY PARIS, MANUEL PENA, DREW PERKINS, ROGER PIPKENS, J.R. POGUE, TOMMY PREMEAUX, JAMES PRICE, TIM RAMSEY, TOM RED, RICK REYES, ANTHONY ROMANO, ELLIOTT RUBEN, MIKE RYCKLICK, CHARLIE SANDT, JIMMY SANTILLIAN, JOHNNY SANTILIAN, MARK SARTAIN, WILLIE SAULSBURY, JIM SCHULIN, TIM SCONYERS, GLENN SMITH, J.P. SMITH, RAY SNIEDER, MATT SNYDER, JOE SOLOMON, MINNIE SOSA, FRANK SPAGNOLA, LINDA SPAGNOLA, JOE STOCK, TOM STRAGLE , CHUCK TAYLOR, RICHARD TESCH, PITTY TORRANCE, LARRY VALERIAN, STEVE VAN BUREN, BRUCE WALDING, ERNEST WALKER, STEVE WALLACE, CHAD WATASSEK, JIMMY WHITE, DAN WILLIAMS, DAN WILSON, LARRY WINSOR, BENNIE YBARRA, MYRON YODER, STAN ZINN.

"WE WORKED. YOU PLAYED." RALPH HALL

• 1982-1989 UMPIRES OF THE DECADE - STEVE MORRIS & RALPH HALL

• 1990-1999 UMPIRES OF THE DECADE - JIM SCHULIN & RALPH HALL

• 2000-2009 UMPIRES OF THE DECADE - KEN AITKEN & RALPH HALL

• 2000 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - JERRY BARTA

• 2001 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - RALPH HALL

• 2002 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - AL MARTIN

• 2002 ROOKIE UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - JACK GEHRKE

• 2003 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - DARIN EBERLY 

• 2004 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - KEN AITKEN

• 2004 ROOKIE UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - DICK FAGART

• 2005 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - MURPHY KELLUM

• 2006 UMPIRES OF THE YEAR - JACK GEHRKE & LES GUEST

• 2006 ROOKIE UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - JOHN OSBORN

• 2007 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - RANDY BLACKMON
• 2007 ROOKIE UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - MINNIE SOSA
• 2008 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - CARLOS FRANCO
• 2009 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - KEN AITKEN
• 2009 ROOKIE UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - PHILLIP McNEIL  
• 2010 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - LES GUEST
• 2011 UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - CARLOS FRANCO
• 2011 ROOKIE UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - ERIC BEARD
• 2011 COMEBACK UMPIRE OF THE YEAR - WAYNE GARRETT

"WHEN AN UMPIRE MISSES A CALL, HE DESERVES TO BE TREATED WITH COURTESY NOT WITH EMOTIONAL ABUSE. IF THERE WAS SUCH A PERSON AS A PERFECT UMPIRE, HOW WOULD AN IMPERFECT PLAYER RECOGNIZE HIM ANYWAY? THE PLAYER WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO SEE HIS OWN IMPERFECTIONS. MAYBE THAT PLAYER SHOULD TAKE THE INFIELD OF SAND OUT OF HIS OWN EYES BEFORE TRYING TO REMOVE THE SPECK OF SAND FROM THE UMPIRE'S EYE. DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR?" Ralph Hall

                                     

"Why let the loudest voice, the more annoying personality, or the most offensive character take control, when the most powerful name at any field is already present?" Ralph Hall

The Texas Softball Hall Of Fame is built slowly over a lifetime. It is the sum total of every dream come true, every right decision, every promise kept, every positive thought, every timely word, and every heartfelt prayer. It is energized by the generator of honorable work. It glistens with the twins of humility and generosity. It is a precious place constructed with the bricks of tournaments and the mortar of leagues. It is a lifestyle of courage, faith, and skill which grows the seeds of greatness in the soil of sportsmanship. It is a place in the heart of service, where God looks when He smiles. 

LET'S PLAY BALL!  Ralph Hall 11-26-05

"The difference between an umpire who controls the game and an umpire who is controlled by the players is not the calls he makes, but the authentic calling he has to be and to become a professional." Ralph Hall 10-13-07

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LES GUEST, JOHN OSBORN,  DARIN EBERLY, RALPH HALL

JACK GEHRKE, MURPHY KELLUM

James Price, Brian Downer, Ralph Hall, John Osborn

Brian Downer, Ralph Hall, Minnie Soza, Ken Aitken

RICHARD FAGERT , CARLOS FRANCO

YES, WE UMPIRE !!!

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Ralph’s 10 Rules for Umpires  "WE WORK; YOU PLAY." Ralph Hall

1	Focus on the ball in play.
2	Be professional by keeping personal bias out of your work.
3	Do not insist on having the last word.
4	Never verbally threaten or use body language to threaten any player or patron of the game.
5	Listen to who you should listen to, the Commissioner, the Crew Chief, or the League Director. Remember this when listening to others -  their opinions do not have equal merit.
6	It’s your temper, so please keep it. Umpire decisions made in anger rarely help anyone or any game.
7	Do not use profanity, sarcasm, ridicule, or any form of verbal abuse.
8	Do professional work. You are a role model both on and off the field.
9	Honestly evaluate and analyze your work. Most unnecessary umpire stress comes from that self-defeating habit called, lack of effort.
10	Treat other umpires charitably. Gentleness toward co-workers is not a weakness, but a strength.