Two of my favorite words in the English language: Play ball.
Lucky duck Allen Jones gets to shout them three or more times a week. Spring, summer and fall.
And he gets paid for it to boot.
Though he has been involved in baseball for years as a coach and umpired rec leagues as a teenager, Jones didn’t pick up a mask and chest protector as a vocation until 2019. That was shortly after he retired from the Champaign County Sheriff’s office after 29 years.
Why umpiring? Well, it is in the blood.
“My dad (also Allen) had done a little bit of umpiring. My uncle spent a lot of time umpiring. I’ve been around it enough to know it’s intriguing,” he said.
The umpiring idea first came to Jones late in his law enforcement career. His desire to stay involved in baseball had been satisfied with coaching at Rantoul High School.
“I was like ‘I can go umpire,’” Jones said. “Umpiring is less worries than a coach, like who’s eligible and who’s injured and stuff like that.”
He went directly from coaching at the high school level to umpiring. He dove in.
“Both feet and without any waders on,” he said.
No surprise, becoming an umpire starts with money and paperwork.
“You have to get licensed by the IHSA (Illinois High School Association), which is traditionally paying a registration fee and taking a test,” Jones said. “At the college level, there is the same process. You register with the NCAA, NAIA or both, then you have to take a test.”
“It was a matter of going and getting more training on my part to be good enough to work college games.”
The rules tests are thorough, with about 75 questions. Umpires need to get at least 80 percent correct for a passing grade.
“I got well more than 80 percent, but I don’t think I got 100 percent,” he said.
Once approved, Jones went to work almost immediately.
“The moment your name shows up on the IHSA licensing list, you’ll start getting contacted by junior high schools that are looking to fill the fall schedule, the high schools assigners. Those lists go out.”
Five years into his second career, Jones is keeping busy. In the summer, he works two to three games each week in the Prospect League, which includes the Danville Dans.
This past winter and spring, Jones called 75 college games. And he worked three IHSA regional games and a sectional.
When Jones agrees to work a game, it is noted on one of two umpire scheduling websites.
“There’s some significant management that we have to be on the top of our games to be able to get games,” he said.
Now living near Loda, Jones travels to the Chicagoland and into Indiana.
High school games have two- person umpire crews. At the NAIA national tournament in Indiana, Jones worked with a four-person crew. College conference tournaments use three-person crews.
“Ninety-five percent of my games are two-person games,” Jones said.
At age 56, Jones is considered an older umpire.
“I’m running a sprint right now in these early years to get as good as I can to get as much out of it as I can,” he said.
He likely got started too late to be considered for Big Ten or NCAA tournament work.
“I am definitely interested in postseason assignments in Division III or NAIA,” he said. “A good goal would be to get to the NAIA World Series out in Lewiston, Idaho.”
Jones handles University of Illinois scrimmages in the fall and winter. He is thankful to UI coach Dan Hartleb for allowing him to work the games.
“I get to see Division I-caliber pitching,” Jones said. “I push myself to be as good as I can be.”
The reviews of his work have been positive.
“I try to get better every game,” he said. “If you’re getting more games from an assigner, there’s a safe bet that they suspect that you can handle it.”
Jones wants to be consistent, fair and open.
He works primarily with the NAIA’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, NCAA’s Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and junior college Mid-West Athletic Conference, which includes Parkland College.
Writing checks
There are expenses when getting started as an umpire. Fees are required and equipment can be pricey.
“A lot of guys will get the basic and it will grow from there,” Jones said.
A good mask costs $150 to $200. Chest protectors are about $100 to $150. There are special shoes too.
“You can drop $1,000 right off the bat to fully equip yourself to work high school and college baseball,” he said.
For busy umpires like Jones, there is a payoff. For junior college, NAIA and NCAA Division III games, Jones earns $140-$150. The IHSA paid $67.50 to umpires working a regional. Sectional umpires are paid $82. During the regular season, schools set their own rate, which go as high as $80-$85.
But Jones isn’t doing it for the cash. He’s got other motivation.
“Honestly, it’s competitiveness,” he said.”I compete with myself to get better every time I go out there. If I make a mistake, I’m harder on myself than any coach who is going to yell at me from the dugout.
“Plus, to be active. I didn’t want to retire and go get a different job and not do anything.”
In the middle of a recent game in Lafayette, Ind., on a steamy night when he was soaked in sweat, Jones thought “What am I doing? It was miserable.
“We don’t get to go sit on the bench between half innings. We don’t leave the field.”
Origin story
Jones grew up in Rantoul, where he was an Eagle. He graduated from Illinois State University in 1989, then began working at the Champaign County Sheriff’s office. It was his only full-time job until retiring in 2018 as chief deputy.
His background in law enforcement helps with umpiring.
“For me, it’s a direct correlation,” he said. “To be a good law enforcement officer, you have to be able to communicate. You have to be able to compartmentalize and ignore the outside noise and focus on what your task is so you’re not escalating a problem, you’re trying to de-escalate.
“When I go and ump, it’s the same thing — if you can communicate and manage yourself in a way that you like you’re receptive to somebody but still in charge, it’s exactly the same thing.”
Drowning out the noises and making quick decisions are part of law enforcement.
“I don’t mind saying safe or out,” Jones said.
There is some danger, though nothing like he faced in law enforcement. Jones recently got hit by in the shin by a ground ball.
The worst thing for Jones is when his body doesn’t do what his mind tells it to do. It happened to Jones recently at a game in Danville.
“When your hand starts up like it’s going to be an out and your mind’s like ‘No that was really safe’ and you change,” Jones said. “That’s the horrific response, You just look like a fool.
“We are human.”
Good part is Jones has full support at home. He has been married to April for 32 years. The couple has four sons: Garrett (Samantha) and newborn daughter Alannah; Brett (Mackenzie); JT; and Luke (Riley), who are newlyweds.
Great family and work he enjoys.
“Time of my life,” he said. “My wife lets me go out and do it because I have fun. Even though I’m hot and tired, she has allowed me to go work these games and be away.’
“It’s a blessing to me. I love it.”
Jones has a day job, working as a service manager for Quality Network Solutions out of Sullivan, The business provides IT services to school districts.
Jones is also a bit of a salesman when it comes to the umpiring profession.
There is a shortage of umpires for the younger ages. Jones encourages anyone interested to give it a try.
“We’re looking for people,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity to make money and to help kids get a chance to do the sports they like.”
