Umpire stops in Warner Robins as part of goal to call games in 50 states

WARNER ROBINS -- Alan McCullough has a goal.

The Little League umpire would like to call a game in each of the 50 U.S. states. He’s already started toward his goal with his last trip, which included a visit to Warner Robins American Little League.

McCullough is a registered nurse and travels to conferences for his job. While he is at those events, he schedules time before and after in nearby areas to volunteer as an umpire.

“It’s a great way to meet people,” he said.

Being at the ballpark also allows him to connect with the real people of the city.

Through his travels, the Sacramento, Calif., resident has umpired everything from 8-year-old baseball to junior baseball and the same age groups for the softball side.

“We’ve got the best seat in the house,” said McCullough about being an umpire.

His son, Jonathon McCullough, 21, who started his umpiring career at age 13, was chosen to umpire for this year’s Little League Western Region Major Softball games.

Besides Georgia, the elder McCullough’s trip has taken him to North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee.

His career in Little League started when he played in Northern Illinois. From there, he made it to California and now to numerous states across the country.

The 56-year-old umpired the Warner Robins American Little League’s major division softball game Thursday between the Nightmare and Bobcats at the Flint Energies Sports Complex.

“It was a high-quality game,” said McCullough.

He might know a little about how the girls from WRALL play.

In the 2009 Little League Western Regionals, McCullough was one of the umpires who sent a team to face off against the orange-clad team from the Southeast in the Little League Softball World Series.

“We didn’t hold a candle to them,” he said of the match-up.

Thursday’s game was set up so that McCullough was umpiring with Joey Stella whose niece Sierra Stella, played on the 2009 Little League Softball World Series championship team.

When McCullough had the opportunity to umpire in Georgia, he was thrilled at the prospect of visiting the Warner Robins fields because of their reputation.

“Everywhere I go, Warner Robins keeps popping up,” McCullough said.

This story was originally published April 25, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Umpire stops in Warner Robins as part of goal to call games in 50 states."