Providing formal, supervised training for students to qualify for umpire positions in professional, college, high school, independent professional, and youth baseball.

Wendelstedt Umpire School

Whats New:

Three MLB Instructors Added to the Wendelstedt Staff

We are pleased to announce that Ron Kulpa and Doug Eddings are both returning to the Wendelstedt Staff after a short hiatus. In addition, Bob Davidson has also joined the staff. This increases the number of MLB umpires to 14. In combination with the 17 Minor League umpires on our staff, you will receive instruction from the most experienced umpire staff available. You can join us for the 2012 Pro School by Clicking Here.

In the News and Around the Bases:

Today Show Visits the Wendelstedt Umpire School

Jenna Wolfe and the Today Show staff recently made a visit to the Wendelstedt Umpire School, where Jenna learned some of the ropes of making in in professional baseball. CLICK HERE to see the brief training Jenna endured.

Recent Events:

ChiTown Classic A Huge Success

Chicago area umpires were recently treated to a terrific clinic. Wendelstedt instructors covered several areas of the rulebook, as well as comprehensive field and cage instruction. We are pleased to announce that 10 scholarship grants for our five-week professional course were awarded during this event. Be a part of our next scheduled clinic where we will be handing out scholarships by enrolling with the SoCal Umpire Classic.

Program History

The Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School, formerly the Al Somers Umpire School, was re-named in 1977. Al Somers was the founder of the Daytona Beach based school. He also was the originator of the entire training process. Al Somers has set every record for training umpires. More than seventy of his students have reached the Major Leagues during Al's fifty years of training. Al died 15 years ago. His memory and methods live on through the staff and training techniques they use. This great umpire dedicated his life to this profession.
Click for a Tribute to Al.

The Chief

Harry Wendelstedt was trained by Al Somers and served as Chief Instructor at the Al Somers Umpire School for seventeen years. Wendelstedt is regarded by baseball people as one of the games most competent officials in history and has won world wide acclaim for his work in five World Series, five All Star Games and eleven Championship playoffs. He has been honored by the nations top sports banquets five times as the Major Leagues top umpire. He has served four terms as President of the Major League Umpire Association.
Among his honors, Sports Illustrated released a poll of major league ball players naming Harry Wendelstedt the best ball and strike umpire in the National League, and the best rated umpire several times by a Major League Baseball poll. Harry has been presented many prestigious honors from the city where he resides, including the naming of The Ormond Beach Sports Complex to the newly named Harry H. Wendelstedt, Jr. Sports Complex.
Harry was recently nominated for induction into the 2012 Baseball Hall of Fame class by his good friend and baseball writer, Dr. John McCollister. His nomination was seconded by Hall of Fame manager and lifelong friend (and sometimes on field combatant), Tommy LaSorda.

In 1998 Wendelstedt retired after 33 years as a National league umpire. He now resides in the Ormond Beach area and has dedicated himself to professional and amateur umpire training.

Please direct all communications to Wendelstedt Umpire School (Temporary Mailing Address) 100 Minges Creek Pl., Battle Creek, MI 49015. Ph. (800) 818-1690. FAX (888) 881-9801.
e-mail: admin@umpireschool.com.

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