Field now carries MLB umpire’s name

OREGON – The baseball diamond where Larry Young planted the roots of a future Major League Baseball umpiring career was officially named in his honor June 14 at Oregon’s Lions Park.

The Oregon Park District hosted a ceremony to dedicate Larry Young Field and celebrate his impact after a free umpiring clinic for all ages hosted by Young. A youth baseball game took place after the ceremony, which was filled with members of the community, his friends and family. The field is used for youth baseball and softball up to age 12.

Young threw out the first pitch, wearing his old chest protector.

Young, an Oregon High School grad, started umpiring at the field eight blocks from his home as a 13-year-old. He went on to have a 24-year umpiring career that featured two World Series games, All-Star games and several division and league championships.

Young began his professional umpiring career in 1983. Oregon has always been home for the 70-year-old.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Young said of having the field named in his honor. “I know that the people in my hometown are honoring me, and I wasn’t expecting anything like this. It’s really something.”

The Oregon Park District approved plans to dedicate the field in his honor in November. Oregon Park District Commissioner Mark Tremble spoke before Young addressed the crowd.

“[Larry] has been phenomenal through this process,” said Oregon Park District Executive Director Erin Folk. “We look at this as a great opportunity for us to be able to honor somebody who’s been essentially a local legend in our community.”

Young umpired his first game in 1966 at the field. It went well, and he was offered to umpire games for the rest of the summer. He wasn’t paid, but he got a free root beer after each game.

“I did a lot of games that year and drank a lot of root beer,” he said.

Young, who wore No. 28, went on to umpire high school and college games, as well as the Alaskan League, before attending umpire school. He went on to make calls at the World Series in 1996 and 2003. He retired in 2007.

“Larry is a homegrown, local Oregon boy,” Tremble said. “Although his career has taken him all across the United States and the world, he would tell everyone that Oregon, Illinois, is his hometown, and his heart has always been here.”

Young founded the Larry Young and Friends Charity in 1999, which provides support for community organizations. He resides in Dubuque, Iowa, with his wife of 49 years and high school sweetheart, Joan. They are the parents of Jessica (Ike Gamble) and Darcy (Mike Putziger) and grandparents to Bo and Gus.

He is still involved as a supervisor of MLB umpires, training umpires all over the world.

“It’s been a very, very good profession for me,” Young said.