Take in an American Legion Baseball B game at DLYA Field. Look closely under the mask, and you might recognize the umpire behind home plate — his tall, imposing stature and his light goatee.
That’s Simon Beach. He’s a pitcher and designated hitter on the Devils Lake A team. He also studies and plays baseball at Lake Region State College. He’s one of the leaders of both teams, providing vocal support and encouragement even when he’s not on the field.
But when he’s umpiring a Devils Lake B game, it’s strictly business.
“It’s never easy,” Beach said, “but these guys know that as soon as I’ve got the uniform on, and then I step on the field as their official, that they know I’m not their teammate anymore.”
And so Beach, as he continues his baseball career in the town he grew up in, has his sights set on the future. It’s a unique dream, and certainly one that many people would want no part of: to be an MLB umpire.
“I’ve always had a love and a passion for it,” he said. “And I had some grandparents that did it. So I always wanted to do it, and I always wanted to be the best I could… I just wanted to come out here and nail it.”
Beach has been umpiring games for the Devils Lake Park Board since the beginning of high school, when he was 14 years old. Baseball is, and was, his main sport, but he also played basketball when he was a young high schooler.
He stopped playing basketball his sophomore year. But by the time he was a junior, he was participating in basketball games in a different way: as a referee. He’s gone on to ref basketball as high as the girls’ varsity level. He refs football games during the fall, too.
“The love for officiating has just been in my blood,” Beach said.
The most valuable learning tool for umpiring and reffing at the lower levels, Beach explained, is the experience he gets from repetitions. When starting off, there are no classes or training sessions required.
“It’s just kind of getting out there, and do it,” Beach said. “And I’ve done it enough times where it’s like the back of my hand. It’s easy.”
Umpires, whether fairly or not, often become notorious for their mistakes and shortcomings. Just look at Angel Hernandez, who recently retired after umpiring MLB games for more than 30 years. His departure was collectively celebrated by the entire baseball world.
Similar to how any player has to work his way up, umpires have to do the same. So, as you climb deeper down the ladder of athletic levels, officiating only tends to get worse and less consistent.
This is actually something that motivates Beach.
“I’ve been on the side of things where we didn’t have the greatest officiating,” he said. “And to me, that’s not fair to the game or the players. So to come out here and do my best, that’s what really drives that passion for me.”
For now, it’s all about Devils Lake. Beach is taking liberal arts classes at the local junior college, LRSC, and he recently completed his freshman season on the Royals’ baseball team. And he’s still young enough that he has Legion eligibility, so he gets one final ride of Storm baseball on the A squad.
Add all that to his umpiring duties.
“In a day where they beg people to umpire and referee, he’s out there doing all three: basketball, baseball and football,” said Brent Luehring, who coaches the Devils Lake high school baseball team and the American Legion A team. “He never shies away from that. And that’s just the maturity; he knows he can handle umping kids that he’s not much older than. The kids respect him. He does a good job.”
If you mention Beach to anyone in Devils Lake, they’ll instantly remark at what a valuable presence he is to have in town.
“This community gave so much to me, and so much help and support, and to be able to give back is huge,” Beach said. “That’s big on me.”
Jackson Baeth, the star cleanup hitter on the A team, beamed when asked about Beach. He explained how the kids like to call Beach “Dad” or “Uncle” because “he’s like all of our dads.” This is something that goes back many years, Beach said.
“I was always ‘Big Dad’ or ‘Uncle’ or whatever they wanted to call me just because I dress old, I act old, I look pretty old,” he said. “So I mean, I love it, man. And I’m never gonna shy ‘em away from doing that.”
Beach has been one of the A team’s frontline pitchers, along with occasionally hitting in the middle of the order as the DH. As a pitcher, he’s already thrown two complete games this summer.
But his value doesn’t just come from what he does on the field. When it’s time to take on the role of cheerleader, he’s often the most vocal one in the dugout. There’s arguably nobody encouraging the players as loudly or consistently as Beach. When he happens to not be playing in a given game, he’s almost indistinguishable from a coach.
“He’s our leader,” Luehring said. “He sets the tone for us whether he’s in the dugout or on the hill. I’m proud of him. I’m proud that he wants that responsibility, and he owns it.”
And Beach won’t deny it. He said the role of “unofficial coach” is something he started to take on during the college season.
“I picked up kind of that assistant coach role of being out there, and coaching first, and doing those things,” Beach said. “Besides umpiring, coaching is probably the second thing that I might want to do. And it’s just like, to keep those guys bought into the dugout and keep the energy up, I feel like that’s what really helps us compete when you’re in there. And keep that rolling on as the season continues.”
He still has the rest of the summer season to play with his old high school teammates — a group he calls “family” — and then he has another year of playing and going to school at LRSC. But he’s already begun the process of working towards an MLB umpiring career.
Gary Cederstrom is somebody Beach has talked to about the steps to make it to the majors. Baseball fans might recognize that name; Cederstrom had a 30-year career umpiring in the big leagues. He worked four different World Series, in addition to numerous playoff games and two All-Star Games. He was behind the plate for Johan Santana’s no-hitter, the first one in New York Mets history.
But he also happens to hail from North Dakota, giving him something in common with Beach. Cederstrom was born in Bismarck, then grew up in Minot and graduated from Minot State University. In 2021, he was inducted into the Minot State University Athletics Hall of Fame. He was also the Grand Marshal at the North Dakota State Fair Parade in 2016.
Cederstrom is a valuable resource, given his North Dakota roots and long track record as an umpire. He’s been an instructor at umpire camps, which are the starting grounds for aspiring umpires.
In an interview with Cool 98.7 in 2016, Cederstrom said his career started with the Minot Recreation Commission, where he umpired Little League Baseball and amateur softball. That’s not too different from the way Beach’s career has kicked off.
The umpire training system has evolved over the years, and it now starts with multiple one-day camps around the country. For example, this year, there’s one in Kansas City on June 29, one in Atlanta on July 27 and one in St. Paul on Aug. 27. Anybody can attend, and it’s free of charge.
From there, the field begins to narrow. Prospective umpires have to be selected from the one-day camps to participate in the MLB Umpire Prospect Development Camp at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. It’s a four-week course that takes place in January every year.
The staff assesses the umpires’ abilities during this camp, and if you’re successful enough, you’ll be offered a position in Minor League Baseball. In Cederstrom’s 2016 interview, he explained that you then have to work your way up through the minor league levels: Single-A, Double-A, etc. When you get to Triple-A, the goal is to be invited to the Arizona Fall League and MLB spring training by the major league supervisor on hand.
All of this takes many years. But it’s a process Beach has already discussed with Cederstrom. And it’s something he’s taking seriously.
“My biggest dream is I’d love to go pro in the MLB, to be an umpire there,” Beach said. “And I’ve really looked into going there and going that direction. So that’s what I really want to do.”
The strikes will keep coming — both from Beach as a pitcher, and from behind home plate as an umpire. And perhaps, one day, this umpiring passion will take him far beyond the shores of Devils Lake and onto the stage he dreams of.
