By Mike Henle

                HENDERSON, Nev. -- If ever there was a monumental task related to the production of baseball tournament, it must be that belong to the director of umpires.
                 The position requires that the director of umpires be able to (a) secure competent help; (b) schedule umpire teams for each game and (c) intercede should any kind of controversy arise.

                And with 102 teams competing in the annual Henderson Las Vegas Fall Nationals, the job of making sure umpires man fields in 20 locations is nothing less than humongous.

               
              Meet Mark Hratko, 60, a native of Arizona who now lives in Glendale while spending countless hours spearheading various aspects of youth baseball. As the head of Copperstate Umpires Association, Hratko is about as important of an individual as you’re going to find when it comes to baseball tournaments.

                The energetic Hratko is the state director of Connie Mack, Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle (American Amateur Baseball Conference headquartered in Albuquerque); American Legion, Babe Ruth, Men’s Senior Baseball, Major League Baseball Fantasy Camps; countless Little Leagues; high school showcase tournaments; and Triple Crown and USSSA tournaments.

                “I have a passion for baseball, and have had since I was eight years old,” he said. “In addition, I have a love of umpiring. When you have good working relationships, its fun to work with the people involved.

                “But most important is the fact that my wife of 27 years, Bernadette, is extremely supportive – and that’s an understatement. When I met her, she didn’t know baseball from golf and she now indirectly lives it. When I’m on the road – which is about a third of the year – she calls me every morning. Thank God for cell phones.”

              The Hratkos raised three girls, Holly, Julie and Lisa. Two live on the East Coast, while the other lives in Arizona, and they have probably never seen their dad so busy as he is now.

                “I go back to 1956 when I was eight years old living in New Jersey,” he said. “My mom put me on a train to go to New York, where my dad took me to my first baseball game at Yankee Stadium between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers.  I have been hooked ever since and I have seen some of the greats of the game.”

                When he was 14, Hratko’s dad told him he needed to start making a living. He started umpiring fast pitch softball in New Jersey, and hasn’t quit much since. In fact, today Hratko provides scholarships to help defrays costs needed when anyone has an interest in going to umpire school.

                “I did retire from active umpiring this year,” Hratko said. “My last game was Surprise Stadium in Arizona at the American Legion Regionals.”

                Since 2000, Hratko has been staying busy as illustrated by the fact that he supplied umpires for 500 games last weekend.

                “I believe that quality umpiring begins with quality training which breeds confidence and competence,” he said. “I just don’t put bodies on the field. Everyone has to go through some formal training. We train umpires as young as 14 years of age in a controlled environment.”

                Coming to Las Vegas is ideal, he said.  “This is a nice break from all of the other things I attend,” he said. “I don’t consider this work. I don’t know how many others can get up in the morning, look into the mirror and say they really enjoy their job.”

                Western Region Baseball Director Brandon Hardy lauded Hratko’s hard work and dedication.  “Mark is wonderful to work with,” Hardy said. “He also handles some of our Western Region events. What he does is remove a lot of worry from my mind. When running an event of this size, the umpiring is one less thing I have to worry about when Mark is in charge.”

Hratko receives plaudits from his umpires, too, as evidenced by a interesting conversation between innings of a 10-and-Under game between the Long Beach Dirt Clods and the Vegas Rebels.

 “I think he is great to work for,” said Jon DeBellis, a resident of Phoenix who makes his living umpiring youth athletics. “He sincerely cares about the health and welfare of his umpires and he puts the very best product on the field at all times.

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