Roberto Ortiz Ready to Make the Call

By Hiram Alberto Torraca

Roberto Ortiz, Jr., played Doble A (semi pro) while he studied to become a physical education teacher. His plan was proceeding perfectly as he played the game he loves while also working in the profession he studied while on a baseball scholarship at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey.

An injury to his left wrist put an end to his career as a ballplayer, unexpectedly changing the course of his career.

“I underwent an MRI exam, and the doctors told me there wasn’t anything wrong,” he said. “But I had discomfort and I couldn’t swing. I had therapy and tried to play again, but I couldn’t. It was a great frustration because the only thing I wanted to do was play baseball.

“It was as though God had a plan with me. I wanted to be on the field, but as a player, but He told me I would get on the field through another path. And here I am.”

A Different Career Path

Ortiz became the second Puerto Rican umpire in Major League Baseball. He followed Delfin Colón, who made his debut as a big league umpire on July 28, 2008, and was a vacation umpire for two years filling in for the regular umpires.

Similar to the players, Ortiz made his ascent to the majors step by step up the minor-league ladder. In his case, it was a career that he didn’t envision.

Actually, at the start he wasn’t very enthusiastic about having a career as an umpire.

His father Roberto Ortiz Sr. had been an umpire, and he suggested that his son should try umpiring after he hurt his left wrist.

The elder Ortiz gave the younger Ortiz a list of umpiring clinics he would hold at Sola Morales de Caguas Stadium in his hometown at the Puerto Rican umpiring college.

“I didn’t want to go, but I went,” he said. “That’s where they told me I had the talent to be an umpire, and I started to do it without thinking it would become my profession. At first I didn’t like it. My interest was still on playing baseball.

“In 2007, the Puerto Rico Umpire Academy was created, and they brought the Jim Evans School to Puerto Rico. Several big league umpires attended, and they told me that I could make a career out of this. At that time I was working as a teacher.”

Moving Up

The big league umpires returned the next year and gave Ortiz, 33, a scholarship. Then in 2009 they called me to work as an umpire in the Gulf Coast League (Rookie) in Florida.

That’s where Ortiz made his professional umpiring debut. He continued to serve as a physical education teacher in the first few years of his umpiring career because the season was between June and September.

But in 2011 he was promoted to Low Class A, a full-season minor-league level. That’s when he left his teaching career and dedicated himself completely to his umpiring career.

Then in 2012 Ortiz began umpiring games in High Class A before earning a promotion to Class AA at midseason.

Ortiz drew a plum assignment that recognized his umpiring talent in 2013, when he earned a spot as an umpire at the Class AA All-Star Game and the championship series.

Ortiz rose to Class AAA in 2014. He umpired in the Pacific Coast League for two seasons. Then he was called in to work the Arizona Fall League in 2015, drawing an assignment calling games in a league devoted to baseball’s brightest prospects.

“I had such a strong showing that they gave me the plate umpiring duties for the championship game,” he said.

Ortiz was invited to umpire spring training games the next year. He was moved to the International League in 2016. He finally got to the majors on May 16, 2016, in Washington, D.C., for a game between the Nationals and Marlins.

Ortiz has shuttled between Class AAA and major-league umpiring assignments since his debut in the big leagues.

He worked 70 big league games last season.

Emotional Moment

For nearly two years Ortiz considered May 16, 2016, the most important day of his career. That milestone dropped on his list of most important dates on April 17-18.

Ortiz achieved his most important career milestone on April 17-18 when he returned to his island’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan for the games between the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.

He was proud to call a regular season game in Puerto Rico in front of his people.

 “That’s the biggest thing that has happened to me in my career,” he said. “To work an official regular season game in the majors in front of family, friends and people who have known me since I was a child, people who have helped me become what I am today, fellow Puerto Rican umpires that I love greatly, that doesn’t compare to anything.

“There is no greater satisfaction or greater honor.”

Making History

Prior to the games in Puerto Rico, Ortiz had also worked an Opening Day game in San Francisco and Cleveland.

After the two games in Puerto Rico, Ortiz had another big league assignment right away. He flew to Detroit for a doubleheader between the Tigers and Royals.

He worked the second game of that doubleheader with Venezuelan umpire Carlos Torres and Dominican Ramon de Jesus.

That may have very well be the first time in big league history that three of the four umpires were of Latin American descent.

“It was incredible,” he said. “When we saw each other we were very happy. It was the first time we worked together in the majors. We all went to umpiring school together in 2009, and we’re good friends.

“I don’t know if it was the first time that there have been three Latino umpires working together in the majors, but it was something very special.”

That is not the only way he sees Latinos and Puerto Ricans making history.

Ortiz appreciates the prominence of Puerto Rican baseball at this time with the recent surge of top stars such as Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor along with veteran superstars such as Yadier Molina.

 First-year managers Alex Cora of the Red Sox and Dave Martinez of the Nationals also have Puerto Rican roots.

 Perhaps a full-time Puerto Rican umpire will be the next step.

 “We still haven’t had a full-time Puerto Rican umpire, and that’s my goal,” he said. “That would be something great for me, my family and also for the Puerto Rican people.”

Featured Image: David Maxwell / Getty Images Sport

Inset Image: Alex Trautwig / Major League Baseball